Woolies has designs on local fashion

Woolworths has joined forces with South African Fashion Week to fast-track local fashion from the runway to the rails.

Thateng Shimange, general manager at Woolworths for womenswear, lingerie, footwear, accessories and beauty, said this week that partnering with local designers had presented itself as an opportunity at the right time and Woolworths jumped at it. "Local designers bring local flavour which has a local aesthetic."

With no brief given to designers as to what kind of clothes they should design, she said the designers were selected for having a unique aesthetic. "Our aim is to partner with young, innovative designers, because we don't want to restrict them. They are all unique. However, we will not compromise on quality," she said.

Woolworths has not disclosed which designers have been selected.

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Launching over autumn and winter next year, Shimange said the local designer collections will be available online and in select Woolies stores from March. "We plan to have a one- year contract with the designers and are not sure if we will extend it."

Between 2002 and 2009 Woolworths stocked local designers such as Maya Prass, Stoned Cherrie, Craig Native and Stephen Quatember in some of its stores.

Prass said she had been self-employed since starting her label, and partnering with Woolworths gave her exposure to a wider consumer market. She earned a commission on the sales of her label, while Woolies managed production and distribution.

"So it created a second income where I could invest in starting my own business," Prass said. She learnt about retail, data analysis, consumerism and the colour combinations that consumers prefer.

Prass said the partnership would be financially beneficial for the new team of designers.

This year Woolworths made just more than R2.3-billion profit on clothing and general merchandise, 10% higher than the year before.

Shimange said there was a misconception that the group only had Australian brands. Locally produced brands include David Jones, Studio W, RE: and Distraction.

"A majority of the group's brands are designed and manufactured in Cape Town."

A retail analyst who declined to be named said the partnership was good for the local design sector and in keeping with trends among global retailers such as Topshop.

"It's impossible to quantify the impact [either positive or negative] for the retail sales of the group. Much depends on whether the designers' work gets traction in the local market, but it does generate positive publicity," she said.

To add to the hype, Woolworths has teamed up with six local fashion stylists under the hashtag #StyleBySA. They will use garments from local designers such as Somerset Jane, Lumin, Vintage Zionist and Tailor Me to promote the partnership.

"To be selected to be just a part of the photo shoot is a blessing for us," said Mandy Newman of Vintage Zionist, a Johannesburg-based label whose style is described as "glange" (a mixture of glam and grunge). The label is co-owned by Oscar Ncube.

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"Should Woolworths select our brand in their stores it will be able to showcase our brand which is up to date with the ever-changing trends of fashion," said Newman.

On Thursday the label showcased its autumn/winter 2017 collection at the fashion week. It is inspired by the heavy-metal music scene.

Vintage Zionist has its own store in the Maboneng Precinct, and some of its garments are also stocked at Dakota Lee, a store in Kramerville in Sandton. "We also sell our clothes at Neighbourgoods Market and Arts on Main," said Newman.

Should the opportunity be given to them, Woolworths will be able to show their clothes to a wide range of customers. "It will give us the opportunity to expand on our core basic range of styles that anchor our main line," she said.

Mostly presenting designs on the runway, Newman said fashion existed to serve the public, and so it was important to showcase looks that would translate into sellable fashion that consumers would wear.

khoabaner@timesmedia.co.za