African Fashion International, organiser of the recent Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Joburg, has moved to allay industry-wide frustration that its focus is more on entertainment than fashion. Rumours are that some designers are considering moving their annual showcases to a different platform.At the event, Mafikizolo's Nhlanhla Nciza presented her NNVintage line to an audience that lacked the presence of editors, stylists and recognisable industry practitioners.Nciza's show began with a performance by Khanyi Mbau, fuelling the sentiment that the shows were becoming less about the clothes."The celebrity and 'influencer' content is outweighing designer coverage," said Raya Rossi of afashionfriend.co.za. "I don't think this is necessarily the fault of AFI, but it unfortunately doesn't benefit the creatives working on the collections. Creating hype about the event is great as it draws attention, but if we don't support the designers, who benefits? Does the celebrity hype help designers sell?"Monde Mtsi, a blogger who has spent several years creating fashion content, aired his frustration with what he said was apparent chaos: "I don't think they managed to sell this one as an industry-focused event, which it should be. It's become more about the number of people they can fit into the marquee, and mostly an interest in which celebrities are there."In response, AFIhas noted that fashion is moving beyond its niche industry status."Fashion shows used to be 'by the trade, for the trade', but it's slowly becoming more inclusive and of course not everyone is happy with these changes," said Bryan Ramkilawan, its head of fashion."While the fashion audience is growing and it's less a niche interest now, it is important to find the balance between the business of fashion and the business of entertainment."It would seem that this is not acceptable to many in an industry that boasts several platforms. South African Menswear Week, held twice a year in Cape Town, is seen by designers such as Nicholas Coutts and Rich Mnisi as a more credible, industry-focused alternative...