On Thursday 35 fashion design students and their models from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) held a silent protest outside the Cape Town Fashion Week venue, the International Convention Centre, to protest their exclusion from the four-day event.
"Joburg Fashion Week started because of young designers and now they're just cutting us out? Why have we been excluded?" said third-year student Nadia Lemmer.
Lemmer said since applying earlier this year, and after "numerous discussions" with organisers African Fashion International, CPUT students were barred from the event. After complaints, Lemmer said, a slot was offered at a cost of R150 000 excluding VAT.
Leading SA designers such as Gavin Rajah, Jenny le Roux and Gabi Rosenworth dominate the line-up this year with a couple from the Young Designers Emporium (YDE) - Craig Port and Themba Mngomezulu of the Darkie label - participating in an independent capacity.
For the past two years YDE has opened the show. However, this year it is not participating.
Tony Miek, responsible for YDE at Truworths, which owns the clothing chain, said rumours that their young designers had been barred were false. "... The corporate rate suggested by the sponsors far exceeded our budget as well as the fee that we paid last year and hence we declined."
Lorato Liphuko, fashion liaison officer at African Fashion International, said participating designers had to be able to produce orders on a large scale. "Most students are not in that position," she said.
Lemmer said that was "speculation", adding: "We are able to provide any number of units."