Newsletter No. 10   8 April 2016

The Cape Town Fashion Council relocates due to budget cuts

Cape Town – The Cape Town Fashion Council (CTFC) has announced that, after 10 years of residing in Cape Town’s Central Business District, they will be relocating offices as part of a series of cost-cutting measures due to a steady decline in government funding, as outlined in the latest Khulisa Report.

The CTFC has gained substantial momentum over the past decade – executing many successful initiatives and projects aimed at growing the fashion industry in the Western Cape and throughout South Africa with tangible results achieved. CTFC’s membership has increased substantially peaking above 1400 members (650 SMME designer members, 450 design student members, 70 media members and 250 industry members) and totals over 20 000 members across our social networks. The CTFC has assisted with the growth of multiple clothing, footwear and accessory designer labels over the past years by implementing and improving skills development, youth development, market development, enterprise development and product development.

“Over the past few of years alone, the CTFC has, with key partners, managed to assist over 650 SMME’s, expand over 100 businesses, host over 60 industry events and develop critical skills of more than 650 designer members. In addition, the Technology Station / Incubation space currently assists over 50 SMME’s per quarter. Unfortunately, as part of the relocation process, it will be shut-down until further notice – depriving many entrepreneurs in the industry of a vital resource” says CTFC CEO, Bryan Ramkilawan. “The CTFC will, however, continue to cultivate partnerships with leading fashion design schools in South Africa to ensure opportunities of skills development, exposure and ultimately job creation for the talented budding creatives in our country. With the launch of our export development programs, the CTFC is now taking South African fashion global.” Ramkilawan continues.

Regarding the manufacturing sector: the clothing and textile sector has continued its strong growth trajectory, with constraints felt by manufacturers in terms of capacity and experienced machinists. The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has, since the introduction of the new clothing incentive, invested R1.261 Billion into the Western Cape apparel sector – representing 40% of the total incentives across South Africa. This is good news for manufacturers within the Western Cape as it indicates that the beleaguered clothing and textile industry has turned the corner, and is now on an upward growth path in which CTFC has played a crucial and important role as an industry representative body.

Strategically, with the forward outlook and investment by Western Cape Government and City of Cape Town, CTFC is at the forefront of this turnaround through having formed valuable partnerships with Design Indaba. Over 40 designers generated sales of more than R3 800 000 over the four days of the expo in the past 3 seasons. In addition, designers were exposed to 208 international and 465 local buyers. The activities of the CTFC have directly contributed to Cape Town climbing up the rankings of fashion capitals, moving from 48th to 27th place over the year, and being recognised as the number one fashion capital in Africa.

“CTFC’s role in the CTFL industry is critical now more than ever, specifically in the Western Cape and South Africa, since the industry’s challenge is in the indebtedness of households. This has a negative impact on consumer spending, particularly in relation to clothing,” Ramkilawan concludes. “With the decrease in funding, the CTFC has been forced to shut down its Technology Station / Incubation Space which directly affects competitiveness and job-creation of some 200 SMME’s in the Western Cape Province.”

9-10-11 July 2016: Mode City and Interfilière to be held in Lyon

With the Final of the Euro 2016 scheduled for 10 July in Paris, and obvious ensuing restrictions placed on the logistics and organisation of trade fairs, Eurovet has decided to move Mode City and Interfilière to Lyon for the July 2016 session.

The impact of such a large-scale event on hotel occupancy, airlines and taxis, as well as the considerable rise in prices already observed in accommodation near the Porte de Versailles exhibition park where the journalists from the Euro Press Centre will be staying, prompted us to consult a number of visitors and exhibitors accounting for over half the exhibiting area. This consultation showed that most exhibitors and Eurovet wanted above all to facilitate matters and service for their clients, leading to this decision whereby these two leading shows in the worlds of summer intimates and beachwear will be moving back to the city of Lyon – where they originated – for 2016.

The shows left Lyon for Paris in 2008. In the meantime Lyon has increased its hotel capacity and accessibility, providing the conditions and the occasion for players in the industry to restore the affectionate ties with this city with its friendly reputation.

Ideally located as a European hub, linked by roads to many nearby countries (Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy and Spain) Lyon is also a centre for textiles, arts and culture, hosting well-known international events such as the Biennale de la Danse and the Light Festival. It boasts museums with futuristic architecture like the Musée des Confluences which opened just last year, thus offering various sources of inspiration in 2016 for designers and buyers from all over the world.

It is also a city that the Eurovet staff know well, having long organised Mode City and Interfilière there, and continuing to organise Sport Achat. The global intimates and beachwear community were also well used to it, which considerably smooths the move for 2016, with support from the Eurexpo Exhibition Park, the Greater Lyon City Council, and local stakeholders in business tourism. They are all working hard in the spirit of the “Lyon Welcome Attitude” approach to make sure that this unexpected experience in 2016 will be a time for encounters holding out plenty of promise for great energy and new drive.

Coutre collections to grace the catwalk in the Vaal