CPT Fashion Week reloaded: designers get a fresh shot at showing their collections

Not to be beaten by the bluster, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week is being revived at an indoor venue in Cape Town. The shows that were cancelled because of windy conditions in Camps Bay will take place tomorrow and Saturday at the Salt River Studios.

The 36 designers who missed out on showing their latest collections include Kefseddy from Botswana, David Alford from Zimbabwe, Ami Yomekpe of AfroModTrends from Ghana and Laduma Ngxokolo from South Africa. International model Ajuma Nasanyana (born in Kenya) will lead the charge on the runway.

Here are four of the designers in the line-up:

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THE NEW DUO: BLACK TRASH

Hail from: Botswana

Designers behind the brand: Gertrude Motopamele and Kutlwano Mogojwe

Awards: International Fashion Designer Award in Toronto, Canada, in 2014, and the Fashion beyond Boundaries Award in 2015.

Fashion philosophy: Fashion is a passport to creativity and has provided a profitable passion and an opportunity for self expression. Motopamele and Mogojwe's birthplace of Botswana has afforded them the opportunity to pursue their passion for fashion without any religious or cultural restrictions.

Inspiration: Mogojwe's is his wife and business partner.

Quote to design by: "Fashion is everywhere. We're all models and the world is a runway." - Kutlwano Mogojwe

The future: International demand for the African aesthetic will grow over the next decade. They aim to be available in boutiques in Botswana, South Africa and around the world.

When the duo are not designing, they're travelling, collecting inspiration wherever they go.

Challenges: Finding reliable distribution channels and penetrating the retail market.

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THE COUTURIER: ITUEN BASI

Hails from: Nigeria

Training: London College of Fashion.

Career highlights: Her first full collection in 2009 featured an innovative interpretation of Ankara print. She's previewed at the Vogue Fashion Dubai Experience, and was awarded African Designer of the Year in 2012. Ituen Basi shows at 6pm tomorrow night

Inspiration: The couturiers of yesteryear.

Style: "There's a narrative woven into garments, like when you wear a heritage piece passed down from your grandmother."

Quote to design by: "Love the fun of the clothes, not the status of fashion." - Ralph Lauren

Colours: Though she works with a wide palette of colours, white is her favourite - a stark canvas for her striking designs, which are inspired by anything from a fleeting shadow on an old wall to the fabrics found in her country.

Challenges: Local design talent could benefit from apprenticeships, internships or mentorships with established designers. Her subsidiary companies, IntoFashion and Fashion Development Agency, run training programmes aimed at promoting, supporting and building fashion wannabes in Nigeria to improve their skills.

THE NEXT BIG THING: TAIBO BACAR

Hails from: Mozambique

Background: The son of a seamstress, he fell for fashion watching his sister get ready for school.

Career highlights: Designer of the year at Mozambique Fashion Week 2008, showed at Milan Fashion Week 2011, and received the emerging designer of the year award at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Africa 2012.

Fashion philosophy: Similarly to using the same alphabet for a variety of languages, with fashion we can use the same resources to achieve an array of results.

Quote to design by: "When you have an idea, you have to develop it for the world." - Giambattista Valli

When he isn't designing: Time with family and friends, pours himself into literature, and explores the outdoors.

Challenges: The lack of a developed fashion industry in Mozambique. When he started his career, there were only a handful of stores in Maputo selling fabrics. There were also no modelling or photographic agencies at the time. He had a dream of becoming a designer in a place where it was almost impossible.

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THE PAN-AFRICAN INFLUENCER: CHIDINMA OBAIRI

Hails from:Nigeria

Background: Always clipping on the imaginary mood board in her head, Obairi can't remember a time when she wasn't designing. Shaped by Nigeria, her designs are about self expression, self identification and comfort. She's styled magazine covers and showcased at GTBank Fashion Weekend in Lagos last year.

Mentor: Her mother is her style icon and inspiration.

Fashion philosophy: Attention to detail is imperative and quality is key to brand loyalty.

Quote to design by: "Self-expression and identification solidifies style."

Challenges: The manufacturing process still presents a number of challenges for African designers.

Would like to dress: Michelle Obama or Beyoncé, and women as far as Australia from her studio in Lagos.

• For a full show schedule see africanfashioninternational.com

• This article was originally published in The Times.