Marianne Fassler's Saxonwold, Johannesburg studio is a hive of activity. A round of students is busy draping, pinning, sewing.

At the kitchen table, a girl sits in front of rows of shoes glueing beads, coloured discs and twists of raffia.

Albertus Swanepoel, a top New York milliner who has infamous magazine editor Anna Wintour on speed dial, drifts through, needle and thread in hand.

In the centre of all this, Fassler, the undisputed doyenne of South African fashion, sits serenely for her portrait.

The studio is on a countdown to Fassler's showing at AFI Africa Fashion Week on July 1.

"The theme for the show is global gathering," she says, in the midst of the creative frenzy taking place around her.

"Fashion is never insular. It takes into account all influences, it reflects history and cultural affairs. Undoubtedly, the global gathering of people coming together for the Fifa World Cup and the renewed patriotism in our land all have an influence on what I'm doing. And, of course, we can't forget that man was made in South Africa, so the show in a way is about coming home, about mining our roots."

She takes this notion quite seriously, seeing as the original muse for her show is the Sediba hominid fossil recently discovered in the Cradle of Humankind world heritage site, west of Johannesburg.

The show itself, a presentation of 45 outfits, is so ambitious that besides the students buzzing around and the second eyes that Swanepoel offers as creative director, Fassler has made the decision to approach a major sponsor.

"I wanted to do a show that is large enough to put across what I am capable of," she says.

"In order to do that, I needed to put my daily business on hold. Sandown Motor Holdings (Mercedes and Smart) stepped in and they have become something of a patron. In return, all they ask is that we do a great show."

Fassler, who already drives a Smart and is a great fan of the little car, will soon be spotted zipping around town, her dreads framed by the multi-coloured, leopard print, South African flag bubble.

Already, Fassler, with her Medusa-like flaming red hair, is instantly recognisable.

Beyond her look, her attitude to fashion is what has kept her at the top of the triangle since her first show in the late 70s.

She's one of those rare birds that continually evolve, seeking out new information, new cultures, new ways of seeing.

Fortunately, she is in a position to be able to travel often, but it never takes her essential South African-ness away from her.

And it comes through in each of her collections. For a time, it was obvious tribal references, beadwork, traditional fabrics and prints, including the trademark leopard.

But it appears that for this, her first show in two years, there's been a movement towards a different sort of African-ness, a sophisticated crafting element, the idea of "made by hand". It is an idea that has the potential to give South African design an edge.

"You can't live in a vacuum," she says. "You've got to rely more on your sense of place. I'm not saying everyone should walk around in African clothes, because it's not just about 'African', about prints or 'ethnic'. There are lots of things about Africa that are different. The weather, for example.

"We're fundamentally a nation of crafters and we should use that, we should combine it with high design. We don't have access to sophisticated mass manufacturing, and while I don't turn my nose up at mass manufacturing, it does water down the touch of the hand, the thing that makes something authentic. And, realistically, if you want a global empire, you can't do it by hand. Thank God, I'm over that!"

But what about the South African designers who do want to be the next Alexander McQueen, Galliano or Muccia Prada?

"In fashion, America used to be the second cousin of Europe," she says. "Then it found its groove. It realised what it is good at is casual, wearable clothes. Now people want to buy Ralph Lauren or Calvin Klein for those reasons.

"We need to find our groove. But do we really want it to happen on a large scale? I don't think so. What will happen is that a couple of individuals will push out, will be the avant garde. There is no reason why some African designers can't make it."

She's a passionate mentor and amid the pressure in the lead-up to the show, there is a core issue she addresses every day.

"I force students to question what makes us different," she says. "I ask them two questions: 'Why will people know these clothes are made in Africa?' and: 'Understand that what you wear reflects who you are, not just in an individual way, but from a deeper cultural reference'."

• Africa Fashion Week runs from June 30 to July 3 at the Sandton Convention Centre