Soweto Fashion Week (SFW) and sponsors look forward to another exciting autumn/winter season showcase.  The phenomenal communal uplifting fashion week is scheduled to start on 25 to 28 May 2016 and Soweto Fashion Week will present the AW17 collections from existing and upcoming young talented designers.

Soweto Fashion Week aims to develop and empower young fashion designers, and they continue to uplift young talent.  GQ magazine held a menswear competition and fashion showcase in April 2016. Four of the finalists were Soweto Fashion Week designers, namely Kasified, Zama Swazi, Macgale and Flyod Avenue winning the overall competition.  Floyd Avenue has committed to showcasing at Soweto Fashion Week for numerous seasons.  “We couldn’t be more proud of our creative designers, not just the winner, but all of them; this is a great achievement for them to be part of such an amazing upstaged showcase”, says SFW Founder, Stephen Manzini.

Other designers’ achievements include designers owning their own flagship stores in Johannesburg and surrounding areas and partnering with brands through fashion. SFW beloved designers, Déjà vu by Funeka boast two stores in Johannesburg and Benoni; Limba by Mbali Nene has three stores in Rosebank, Johannesburg, Sandton and an online store.  Macgale has partnered with Oreo for their 2016 design campaign, called “Open Up With Oreo”.  It is with no doubt that Soweto Fashion Week creates a platform for young designers willing to put in the work and succeed.

The aim for the event is to always develop, uplift and empower young upcoming fashion creatives, designers, models, upcoming artists and brands respectively.

In this season, Soweto Fashion Week partners with a newly developed alcohol spirit from Soweto, VTK Vodka as their new beverage sponsor.  The first black owned local alcohol spirit brewed in the heart of Soweto.  “Soweto Fashion Week does not only display the latest and future fashion trends, but also the capability of new ‘undiscovered’ Soweto fashion designers, which makes a perfect inspirational combination with VTK Vodka, a new vodka that is aligned with that phenomenon. It’s for the individual with a pallet for an incredible smooth drink, full of sophistication. Made from a hand built column still, tailor made to produce the best Spirit. The aluminum bottle is not only designed to represent sophisticated simplicity, but to also capture the special handcrafted vodka every time you open the bottle,” Says Hloni Sedie of VTK Vodka and LHS Distillery.

The spirit brand joins the existing sponsors behind Soweto Fashion Week, the principal sponsor Darling Hair and Joburg Tourism.  “Darling Hair allows women to express their beauty and style in every aspect of their lives and thus the partnership with SFW was a natural progression and we have found the partnership to be of mutual benefit,” added Seshu Moodley, Group marketing Director.

The SFW-AW17 Collection showcase will take place from Thursday, 26 to Saturday, 28 May 2016; with a pre-launch party celebrating the young talent on 25 May 2016 at the Soweto Theatre, in the heart of Soweto, Jabulani.

Tickets are available at www.computicket.com, Shoprite Checkers nationwide as well as www.sowetofashionweek.com for R80 per person per day.  For more information, kindly visit the SFW website and alternatively, connect with the brand via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram social media pages – @sowetofashion #sowetofashionweek