Pick n Pay Clothing is shaking up the local fashion industry by making designer wear more affordable and accessible to its customers by collaboration with three young emerging South African designers – Zarah Cassim and Julia Buchanan from Cape Town, and Sipho Mbuto from Durban.
This is a continuation of the partnership launched in 2020 between PnP Clothing and award-winning fashion designer, Gavin Rajah, who will mentor the designers, creating exclusive and limited collections for PnP Clothing over the coming months.
“The success of the designer collaborations when first launched last year and the positive response from PnP Clothing customers to the exclusive collections spurred us to build onto what we had achieved and to get them excited once again about updating their wardrobes.
“Pick n Pay Clothing us passionate about supporting local and this project has unlocked an opportunity to elevate local designers and local manufacturing,” says Hazel Pillay, General Manager for Pick n Pay Clothing.
The exclusive ranges from Zarah, Julia and Sipho, will be available in-store and online in the coming months.
A special 2021 collection by Gavin Rajah Atelier, his second in the collaboration, will also be launched later in the year.
The aim behind the collaborations is to support local talent and make designer clothing more accessible to more South Africans at affordable prices.
“This is an initiative that celebrates and nurtures the incredible design talent we have in South Africa, and with invaluable input from one of South Africa’s veteran designers, allowing them to carve out a niche in the fashion industry and the space to showcase this.
“The pride, at the end of the day, is being able to place these unique and beautiful fashion items in the hands of our shoppers who may not ordinarily have access to designer pieces based on affordability,” says Pillay.
For Gavin, the initiative has been a personal passion point, sharing his years of experience with new and upcoming designers and giving them the freedom to express their unique art while helping to hone this to create exclusive pieces with everyday stand-out appeal.
“Now in its second year, this watershed collaboration has brought to designers a much-needed platform to flex their talent, access support from a technical and entrepreneurial perspective, as well as understand the clothing manufacturing landscape from a mass retail perspective. We are slowly building a community of creatives that can lean on each other for mentorship and direction,” says Rajah.
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About the 2021 Collection and Designers:
Zarah Cassim, a 29-year-old fine artist from Claremont, Cape Town, will have her exclusive PnP Clothing collection – Pick n Pay Clothing x ZARAH – land in stores and online mid-year. The collection is inspired by the artistic movement, Romanticism, and focuses on femininity.
Sipho Mbuto is a fashion designer and creative director who launched his own label in 2016 at the age of 26. His Pick n Pay Clothing x SIPHO range takes inspiration from the cultural hub that Durban is and its warm climate.
Julia Buchanan’s 2021 collection is her second collaboration with Pick n Pay Clothing, having designed an exclusive range in 2020, which was inspired by South Africa’s powerful women. The collection proved widely popular with PnP Clothing shopper, selling out in just over a month. Her new collection tis a daring tribute to people across the world who have suffered at the hands of the Covid-19 pandemic.
