This Women’s Month, Duck Apparel is handing the pen and paper to women across South Africa, proving that great fashion doesn’t just come from established designers – it comes from an imagination that dares to dream
Women’s Month is often filled with celebrations of strength, resilience and empowerment. While those conversations remain important, perhaps one of the most powerful ways to honour South African women is to create opportunities for them to be seen.
That’s exactly what South African outerwear brand Duck Apparel is doing this August.
Its new Designed by Her campaign isn’t simply asking women to enter a design competition. It’s inviting them to leave their mark on South African fashion.
In an industry where breaking through can feel impossible without formal training, industry connections or years of experience, Duck Apparel is removing the traditional barriers.
The nationwide search is open to every woman, regardless of her background or qualifications, giving artists, illustrators, photographers, painters and self-taught creatives the chance to see their work transformed into a limited-edition Duck Apparel piece for the Winter 2027 collection.
Fashion belongs to everyone
South Africa is overflowing with creativity.
From township muralists and textile artists to digital illustrators, photographers and fashion enthusiasts, talent exists in every corner of the country. Yet many creatives never get the opportunity to showcase their work beyond their immediate communities.
Furthermore, creative careers can often feel like a luxury rather than a possibility. Financial pressures, limited access to the industry and a lack of visibility mean countless talented designers never receive the platform they deserve.
Designed by Her challenges that narrative.
Instead of asking aspiring creatives to fit into the fashion industry, Duck Apparel is bringing the fashion industry to them.
Whether it’s a mother who sketches between school runs, a university student experimenting with digital art, or a self-taught painter creating from the couch at home, every woman has an equal opportunity to participate. It’s a campaign built on access rather than exclusivity.
More than designing clothing
Fashion has always been about storytelling.
Every print, colour and illustration carries a piece of the person who created it. Clothing becomes more meaningful when it reflects lived experiences, culture and identity.
Duck Apparel is inviting women to turn those personal stories into wearable art.
Entrants can create an original print, painting, illustration, photograph or graphic using one of three garment templates: the iconic Duck Raincoat, the Classic Parka or the Soft Motion leggings. The winning design won’t simply appear online — it will become a commercially produced garment worn by people across South Africa under the winner’s name.
That kind of visibility can become the first chapter of a much bigger creative journey.
Celebrating Women’s Month differently
Women’s Month should be about more than recognition — it should be about creating lasting opportunities. Because women shouldn’t just be celebrated one month of the year, but each and every day too.
Designed by Her feels refreshing because it doesn’t simply celebrate women through words. It gives one woman a genuine seat at the design table, while encouraging thousands more to believe their creativity has value.
It’s also a reminder that South African fashion has always been strongest when it reflects local voices, local stories and local talent.
Sometimes backing women isn’t about telling them they’re capable.
It’s about giving them the canvas, stepping aside and letting them create.
A platform, not just a prize
While the winner will receive a R20,000 Duck Apparel wardrobe, the real prize is something far more valuable: collaboration.
The selected designer will work alongside the Duck Apparel team to develop her design for the Winter 2027 collection before sharing her creative journey with audiences across the brand’s platforms. It’s an opportunity to gain exposure, build credibility and inspire other women to pursue their own creative ambitions.
The public will also play a role, voting for the finalists before the winner is announced at the end of August, making this a celebration shaped by South Africans themselves.
How to enter
Entries for Designed by Her are open until 14 August 2026.
Participants enter via the Duck Apparel Official Website by (1) downloading one of three garment templates, (2) creating an original artwork and (3) uploading their entry through Duck Apparel’s campaign page.
Five finalists will be announced on 20 August, followed by public voting before the winner is revealed on 31 August.
