Melrose Arch: The New Hub for South African Fashion Week**

Johannesburg’s vibrant Melrose Arch Precinct is set to become the new home of South African Fashion Week (SA Fashion Week) this September. The premier fashion event will showcase the Autumn/Winter '25 Collections from 26th to 28th September 2024.

Director Lucilla Booyzen announced that this year’s event will adopt an innovative format, featuring runway shows in a unique, "never-used-before" space within Melrose Arch. This will be complemented by a series of lifestyle and brand activations throughout the precinct.

"SA Fashion Week’s vision over the past 27 years has been to explore sustainable business models that can leverage fashion’s economic and social influence for the benefit of all stakeholders involved,” said Booyzen. “We are delighted to partner with one of the city’s most exciting lifestyle precincts to develop yet another mutually beneficial venture.”

While this collaboration with SA Fashion Week is a first for Melrose Arch, the precinct has previously hosted high-profile fashion events, including the Paris Elle Collections featuring top international designers.

“A precinct focused on unique urban design is a superb backdrop for SA Fashion Week’s equally unique designer signatures,” noted Natalie Stewart, Managing Director at Melrose Arch. “We are a premium lifestyle destination, ideally positioned to enhance the SA Fashion Week experience with our diverse selection of eateries, retail stores, hotels, and lifestyle offerings, all within a professionally managed, secure environment.”

Stewart emphasized that the event aligns with both SA Fashion Week’s and Melrose Arch’s commitment to sustainability and responsible fashion production. 

Melrose Arch’s Marketing Manager, Khanyi Moyo, highlighted the suitability of the precinct: “Everything from the sense of community to the cobbled pavements connecting the open-air environment makes this cosmopolitan playground the perfect host for an event focused on the future of sustainable fashion.”

Moyo further elaborated on the logistical aspects, noting that the shows will take place in the spacious double-volume basement parking area, providing a safe and ample space to construct the iconic runway and create an edgy, eclectic environment without disrupting the precinct’s daily operations.

“The collaboration between SA Fashion Week and Melrose Arch makes commercial and creative sense, as there is no other mixed-use precinct that reflects the vibrancy and dynamism of Melrose Arch on local soil,” Moyo added.

The upcoming SA Fashion Week will feature an extensive program of events designed to encourage widespread engagement on social platforms. “We want to make it easy for South African consumers to share in all the excitement and participate in the conversation,” Booyzen said.

Melrose Arch joins a prestigious lineup of SA Fashion Week partners, including Cruz Vodka, Mr Price, Isuzu, and L'Oréal. This partnership is poised to redefine the landscape of South African fashion, setting a new standard for future events.