Fashion Without Borders is a fashion and lifestyle movement that started in South Africa and is now travelling across the African continent to showcase and uplift Africa’s young and emerging fashion designers and upcoming models from disadvantaged backgrounds.
The fashion show is known for flaunting mind-boggling and yet creative designs.
The 7th edition of the show, which is slated for August through to October, promises to bring about awareness to the work of designers as it continues to give them the platform they need to showcase their brands inspite of the growing onslaught of COVID-19 on the continent. This year’s event promises to leave a long lasting impression, although by the virtual mode.
Said Founder, Tebo Bakwena: “FWB 2021 is turning up the heat for its momentous 7th year and has exciting new partnerships and loyal partners whom we have had since inception. Our long standing partners like The Voice newspaper, Mr Price Group, Avon, SABC News, the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sports and Culture Development, as well as BLM Naturals have supported the event for the past six years both in South Africa and Botswana.
“This year we will introduce the first Annual Virtual Models Master-Class which will be on the 21st August 2021. The event will be hosted virtually on Facebook and YouTube. We are also creating modelling opportunities for transwomen in Botswana. We are making an appeal to transwomen interested in the modelling industry to contact us and be a part of our FWB journey.”
Bakwena added that they have also roped in the Digital Fashion Series that will run from July to the end of October 2021. “The event will be a 6 to 8 part series that will showcase designers from around the African continent,” she explained. “Designers will present their collections through a storytelling theme on a digital platform with Botswana as the focal point.
“We have yet another exciting experience in store for fashion lovers. This is what we call “A Generation of Conscious Consumers” that we aim to create. FWB is interested in running campaigns that inspire young people to reflect on the full life cycle of their apparel choices in order to spur lasting consumer behaviour change. To reach this end, these campaigns highlight both the challenges and ways which audiences can take action to be conscious consumers.”
The digital campaigns are coordinated and come with creative storytelling opportunities to engage large audiences. Bakwena said this so that the audience may learn about issues affecting them through creating an engaging original content, visual arts engagement and passionate advocates from different backgrounds. The theme for 2021 is thus “My Story.”
“FWB will also bring together designers and models from across the African continent, ranging from new talent to emerging and established names on 16 and 17 September 2021,” she said. “They will make their debut in the course of Fashion Unpacked Master-Class and Fashion Showcase. Both events will be held at Molapo Piazza under strict COVID-19 regulations over two days of creativity, ingenuity and self-expression.
“We would like to invite the media to continue being supportive of our event and of celebration of fashion designers and other creatives in Botswana because it is with media support that creatives and fashion brands can have a deserving platform and their narrative better understood.”
