A closer look at SA's first-ever 'see now, buy now' runway collection

The fashion cycle keeps turning and is only getting faster as more and more designers jump on the 'see now, buy now' bandwagon.

This exciting new model of production means collections are available immediately after appearing on the catwalk — as opposed to the four-to-six-month gap you used to have to wait before runway looks hit retail stores.

Burberry led the pack with the first-ever 'see now, buy now' runway show in September 2016. This year Tommy Hilfiger, Tom Ford and H&M followed suit.

South African designers are also getting on board.

Style By SA, an exclusive capsule collection created by some of the country's best designers for Woolworths, showed at SA Fashion Week on March 28 and you can already shop select pieces online. (The entire collection, which includes mens- and womenswear, shoes and jewelry, will be available in select Woolworths stores from April 12.)

Here's a closer look at the brands behind this exciting 'see now, buy now' collection:

AKJP

The designers: Keith Henning (Adriaan Kuiters) and Jody Paulsen

Brand's aesthetic: AKJP is known for putting an artful contemporary twist on classic and utilitarian clothing. The development of strong prints and sports-inspired motifs for each collection has become core to the brand. AKJP uses layering, boxy silhouettes and asymmetrical detailing as signature styling details.

Style By SA collaboration: "We're doing both mens- and womenswear," say the designers. "Durban's tropical landscape was a big inspiration for most of the pieces. We tried to evoke that sense of dense jungle you get in Durban by, for example, incorporating fabric woven out of different green threads contrasted with some black."

THEBE MAGUGU

The designer: Thebe Magugu

Brand's aesthetic: Magugu is interested in exploring the disparity between masculinity and femininity, tradition and experiment, overlarge and abridged, as well as other differences in the design of his garments. His work is unified by themes of juxtaposition.

Style By SA collaboration: "The collection is a play on masculine versus feminine attire," says Magugu. "The pieces are timeless and designed to be very interchangeable within a woman’s wardrobe. My favourite piece is the pleated skirt, it’s beautiful and very flared out."

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PICHULIK

The designer: Katherine-Mary Pichulik

Brand's aesthetic: Inspired by her travels, artist friends, fellow wonderful women, and the gutsy and down-right courageous stuff in each of us, Pichulik creates statement jewelry that's hand-made out of rope and collected materials ranging from shell to semi-precious stones.

Style By SA collaboration: "[For Style By SA] we looked at some of the iconic Pichulik pieces and reimagined them in new fresh pallets," says Pichulik.

SELFI

The designer: Celeste Arendse

Brand's aesthetic: Selfi takes traditional apparel and reinvents it by incorporating playful elements and striking prints.

Style By SA collaboration: "I was really inspired by Picasso; I did a lot of collage work to create a crazy, bold, fun print," says Arendse. "I think clothes should easily transition from one space to the next, for example, you shouldn’t have to change if you're going from work to a dinner out. [So we included these types of clothes into the collection]."

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MARIA MCCLOY ACCESSORIES

The designer: Maria McCloy

Brand's aesthetic: Maria McCloy Accessories infuses African-inspired prints, sensibilities and aesthetics to create shoes, clutches and accessories.

Style By SA collaboration: Men's and women's shoes and sneakers embellished with African prints.

RICH MNISI

The designer: Rich Mnisi

Brand's aesthetic: This brand is young at heart and explores treasures within Africa and the world of modern culture and heritage to tell the unique stories of then, now and soon. Packaged in extremist yet minimalist structures which take design and craftsmanship as motivation.

Style By SA collaboration: "It includes staples that are very interchangeable," says Mnisi. "For example, the jumpsuit has a gaping neckline so that you can wear it with a shirt and go to work, or wear it bare and go to a club, or wear it with a turtleneck and go to dinner."

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SOL-SOL

The designer: Mathew Kieser

Brand's aesthetic: This menswear label makes good-quality basics with a focus on fit, fabric and design. The brand walks the line between menswear and streetwear, blending clean silhouettes with muted colour tones and a combination of bold prints and subtle details.

Style By SA collaboration: "It includes three menswear pieces in navy: a work jacket, a parker and a pair of pants. These are all things I’ve done before, but each piece has a number of tweaks and new additions exclusive to this collection," says Kieser.

YOUNG & LAZY

The designer: Anees Petersen

Brand's aesthetic: This label is known for creating brash, eye-catching street wear that's high-end, laid-back, and very proudly influenced by urban South African culture.

Style By SA collaboration: "I incorporated the three elements that I usually use in my designs, which are digital printing, silk screening and embroidery," says Petersen. "My menswear designs are largely focused around comfort and quality, so my collection mainly includes basics – your basic hoodie, sweatshirt and T-shirt - items that are easy to wear while still making a statement."

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