The annual SAFW Student Competition stands as a prestigious platform for final-year design students, launched in collaboration with 24 fashion colleges and universities nationwide.
Now in its 19th year, the program continues its mission to identify and nurture top talent right at the very start of their careers.
A Legacy of Nurturing Talent in the SAFW Student Competition
With a strong focus on creativity and innovation, the competition eventually became South Africa’s first student design competition to introduce sustainability criteria.
Consequently, this aligns perfectly with SAFW’s broader sustainable fashion objectives. Each year, students are challenged to merge originality, craftsmanship, and environmental responsibility, thereby bridging academic training with the real-world demands of the creative fashion design industry.
The 2025 Challenge: Craftsmanship Meets Sustainability
For the 2025 edition, for instance, students were tasked to design a size-34 shirt in 100% cotton, which they then had to transform through techniques such as dyeing, pleating, distressing, or embroidery.
Following this, a panel judged the entries based on innovation, aesthetics, sustainability, and marketability.
In collaboration with Hyde Park Corner, SAFW will host the 2025 Student Competition Exhibition in their prestigious Centre Court, where seventeen finalists will showcase the outstanding emerging talent and fresh creative energy that is shaping the future of South African fashion.
From Student to Star: Launching Notable Careers
To date, the SAFW Student Competition has launched numerous notable careers. Jacques Bam, who won in 2018, later became a finalist in the 2019 New Talent category.
Then, in 2021, he was part of the Fashion Bridges – I Ponti Della Moda project, a collaboration between the Italian Embassy, SAFW, and Milan Fashion Week.
Furthermore, in 2023, he exhibited in Milan through another collaboration with A-Propós, Milan Fashion Week, and SA Fashion Week.
More recently, Lente Lubbinge of STADIO School of Fashion won in 2024 with a zero-waste draping design, underscoring the event’s deep commitment to sustainable fashion.
A Vision for the Future of Fashion
Year after year, SA Fashion Week continues to nurture emerging designers, giving them vital industry exposure, professional recognition, and a springboard to both local and international opportunities.
“Hyde Park Corner’s collaboration with SAFW’s Student Competition celebrates the future of fashion empowering young designers with visibility, cultural relevance, and meaningful connections within the world of sustainable fashion.”
~ Sheree McHafffie – Marketing Executive for Hyde Park Corner.
As a result, it stands as a key driver of South Africa’s creative fashion economy, proving that the future of sustainable fashion truly starts here.
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