Suzan Heyns, the World Cup & Africa Fashion Week

Suzaan Heyns is a South African, Johannesburg based label, a brand known best for its avant-garde aesthetic.

Highly constructed, tailored, and sculptured garments create a feeling of conceptual androgyny, and steely hard-edged femininity, which is a common thread throughout Suzaan’s work.

Inspiration often comes from architecture, 1800’s sketches and old medical instruments, which give the brand its macabre yet structured sentiment.

An emphasis is always placed on quality fabric, which is fundamental within the design process.

Throughout the past couple of years Suzaan has concentrated on establishing her label showing at various fashion events.

Further highlights thus far have been: being chosen to showcase at Design Indaba ’08; collaborating for the What If The World Collective; showcasing at Cape Town Fashion Week ‘08, participating in Audi Joburg Fashion Week A/W ’09; and being asked to design for Anglo Gold Ashanti AuDITIONS collections at Africa Fashion Week ‘09, which won an award for the most creative range.

Recently Suzaan Heyns’s origami inspired show at Arise Cape Town Fashion Week S/S ‘09, has had an excellent reception.



Meet the other designers:
Top Fashion Design Stars In South Africa during World Cup
The World Cup, Africa Fashion Week & Dax Martin
The World Cup, Africa Fashion Week & Fabiani
Fundudzi by Craig Jacobs, the World Cup & Africa Fashion Week
Heni, the World Cup & Africa Fashion Week
Suzan Heyns, the World Cup & Africa Fashion Week

Image Description : Suzaan Heyns
Location : SCC, Sandton, Gauteng, South Africa
Credit : Simon Deiner / SDR Photo

Text Courtesy & Copyright Africa Fashion International.

Heni, the World Cup & Africa Fashion Week

Heni—trained at the prestigious London International School of Fashion after winning a bursary in November 1999. Excelling in his studies, he won numerous awards and graduated top of his class in 2002. In the same year, Heni walked away with the laurels by winning the Smirnoff Fashion challenge, giving him the financial backing to start his signature label, Heni.

Sponsored by the Levi’s brand, Heni showcased his S/S 03 collection at South African Fashion Week. Here, he was proclaimed one of South Africa’s innovators of Fashion by Elle magazine. Heni went on to gain experience across all aspects of the industry, working as head designer and stylist.

In 2005, Heni produced a private showing of his S/S 06 collection in the Seychelles. This collection was presented to the Young Designer’s Emporium who went on to stock the Heni label nationwide in 2006. Proving his design abilities again, he won the Vodacom Durban July Fashion challenge and the Vodacom Credit Card Fashion Challenge in 2007.

Heni’s S/S 08 collection at Johannesburg Fashion Week was exceptionally well received by the media, press, and buyers, generating fantastic and widespread media and press exposure for the Heni label as well as securing more stores.

Crowned the ‘It boy of Fashion’ by Glamour magazine and being compared to Dior’s maverick John Galliano and voted second as one of South Africa's top Fashion Designers by Robyn Cooke, Heni Este-hijzen has firmly established himself in the South African fashion industry.

In light of his success at Johannesbur Fashion week, Heni was invited to showcase his A/W 09 collection as well as design a collection especially for the Audi sponsored show, a slot that was shared by some of South Africa's heavy weights, Gavin Rajah, Kluk CGDT, Craig Port and Hilton Wiener at Audi Joburg Fashion Week in January 2009. Both collections received a standing ovation and great reviews from Press and Buyers.



Meet the other designers:
Top Fashion Design Stars In South Africa during World Cup
The World Cup, Africa Fashion Week & Dax Martin
The World Cup, Africa Fashion Week & Fabiani
Fundudzi by Craig Jacobs, the World Cup & Africa Fashion Week
Suzan Heyns, the World Cup & Africa Fashion Week

Image Description : Heni
Location : SCC, Sandton, Gauteng, South Africa
Credit : Simon Deiner / SDR Photo

Text Courtesy & Copyright Africa Fashion International.

Fundudzi by Craig Jacobs, the World Cup & Africa Fashion Week

Inspired by the sacred lake of the VhaVenda tribe who dwell in Limpopo, the belief that what you wrap around your body is a reflection of your self is at the heart of Fundudzi—a forward-focused African label with a conscience.

Founded by renowned fashion entrepreneur Craig Jacobs, the internationally celebrated eco-conscious label has become the premier choice for globally minded environmentally conscious men and women and spans a comprehensive wardrobe including resort, day and cocktail wear.



Meet the other designers:
Top Fashion Design Stars In South Africa during World Cup
The World Cup, Africa Fashion Week & Dax Martin
The World Cup, Africa Fashion Week & Fabiani
Heni, the World Cup & Africa Fashion Week
Suzan Heyns, the World Cup & Africa Fashion Week

Image Description : Fundudzi by Craig Jacobs
Location : SCC, Sandton, Gauteng, South Africa
Credit : Simon Deiner / SDR Photo

Text Courtesy & Copyright Africa Fashion International.

The World Cup, Africa Fashion Week & Fabiani

Established in 1978, Fabiani has grown to become one of the leading menswear retailers in Southern Africa.

Fabiani is a luxury brand that is famous amongst locals, nationals, and internationals for its exceptional quality, unique detailing, happy colours and distinctive styling.

Fabiani is renowned for its outstanding levels of service, from complimentary tailoring and delivery to a personal fashion consultancy service.

Fabiani places exceptional focus on luxurious fabrications, sophisticated tailoring, refinement and the importance of accessories to complete a look.

Innovation and perfection of the product are imperative to Fabiani. Fabiani always occupies the best retail positions in key locations.

Every Fabiani store showcases the distinctive Fabiani style, exuding attitude, energy and bold personality.

Fabiani believes that its customers and team members are the vital cogs of Fabiani. Fabiani’s passion shines through in all its innovative ideas and memorable initiatives.



Meet the other designers:
Top Fashion Design Stars In South Africa during World Cup
The World Cup, Africa Fashion Week & Dax Martin
Fundudzi by Craig Jacobs, the World Cup & Africa Fashion Week
Heni, the World Cup & Africa Fashion Week
Suzan Heyns, the World Cup & Africa Fashion Week

Image Description : Fabiani
Location : SCC, Sandton, Gauteng, South Africa
Credit : Simon Deiner / SDR Photo

Text Courtesy & Copyright Africa Fashion International.

The World Cup, Africa Fashion Week & Dax Martin

The “Dax Martin” brand was born in 2003. In that same year, Dax imported a seamless elasticized hemming machine from the UK—one of the first of its kind in South Africa.

Dax has a small production team that handles everything from cutting, printing, swing tag printing and sewing to press operation, packaging and dispatch.

Dax has spent the past six months adapting the use of presses from the shoe industry for use in swimwear and lingerie production with some extraordinary new products.

Dax has not only established himself as a designer but as an innovator of seamless garment construction.

Dax Martin Swimwear and lingerie is stocked in independent boutiques in Cape Town, Gauteng, KZN, and Europe.

He draws inspiration from all the fabrics found in his mother’s studio, from all her East African Island and Coastal voyages.



Meet the other designers:
Top Fashion Design Stars In South Africa during World Cup
World Cup, Africa Fashion Week & Fabiani
Fundudzi by Craig Jacobs, the World Cup & Africa Fashion Week
Heni, the World Cup & Africa Fashion Week
Suzan Heyns, the World Cup & Africa Fashion Week

Image Description : Lingerie by Dax Martin
Location : SCC, Sandton, Gauteng, South Africa
Credit : Simon Deiner / SDR Photo

Text Courtesy & Copyright Africa Fashion International.

Top Fashion Design Stars In South Africa during World Cup

Africa Fashion Week 2010 June 30 - July 3 1

June 2010, Johannesburg - African designers from all over the world are jet[ted] in to showcase their grans-seasonal 2010 collections at the Sandton Convention Centre during Africa Fashion Week which starts on June 30, only days before the FIFA 2010 World Cup Quarter Finals. “

Africa Fashion Week is providing a platform for shining stars from across the diaspora, the continent and the country,” says Dr. Precious Moloi-Motsepe, Chairperson of African Fashion International. “The world continues its love affair with all things African, African as a point of reference, not as a cliché and it's very important we here in Africa continue to support that.”

The four day event features more than 30 designers from Guinea Bissau, Nigeria, Uganda, Botswana, Ghana, Somali, Tunisia, French Comoros, South Africa, Mozambique, the United States and the UK.

Africa Fashion Weeks runs from June 30 - July 3 2010 at the Sandton Convention Centre.

Meet the designers:

World Cup, Africa Fashion Week & Dax Martin
World Cup, Africa Fashion Week & Fabiani
Fundudzi by Craig Jacobs, the World Cup & Africa Fashion Week
Heni, the World Cup & Africa Fashion Week
Suzan Heyns, the World Cup & Africa Fashion Week

Text & photo Courtesy and Copyright Africa Fashion International.