I was honoured to speak recently at SA Fashion Week to designers showcasing their Spring/Summer 2018 collections. It is heartening to see the business of fashion playing an important role in this event.
South African designers are talented and tough. Facing competition from international chain-stores offering cheap fast-fashion, designers have had to find solutions to build and maintain their brands.
Malcolm Gladwell, in his book David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits and The Art of Battling Giants, says: "Giants are not what we think they are. The same qualities that appear to give them strength are often the sources of great weakness."
The story of David and Goliath serves as an important metaphor for the challenges smaller South African designers' brands face against corporate fashion giants. But it also provides designers with an opportunity to explore ways to differentiate their brands to really connect with their customers.At a time when consumers are seeking ethical, sustainable consumerism, South African designers can connect with clients on a deeply personal and instinctual level in a way that corporate fashion giants cannot.
Designers must begin to harness the power of "economies of small". This is the capability of a designer's brand to mean more to fewer people, allowing a more intimate and authentic level of connection.
Utilising the power of this concept is the key to creating better products, that react faster to change and lead to new opportunities for designers hoping to build sustainable businesses in the South African fashion industry.
• Justine Reardon is a lecturer at LISOF, a fashion design school and retail education institute...