It is that time of year again when young designers show off what they are capable of. The Khayelitsha Fashion Week (KFW) 2026 is expected to kick off on Saturday 18 July at Artscape Theatre in Cape Town.

The founder and organiser of KFW, Bongani Mathenjwa, described the event — the 11th — as a platform for young designers to showcase their talent.

“We have 12 young designers who are expected to take the stage this year. One from Durban, another from the Eastern Cape, and the rest are from the province in the metro. Our theme is ‘Trash to Trend,’ and the garments are expected to be made from discarded and recycled materials.”

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Fashion masterclass ahead of main event

He said before the event, a masterclass will be held at Uvu Afrika in Woodstock, where young designers will be educated about the fashion industry.

“It will take place on Friday 3 July. We will have people who are experts in this industry sharing their experiences. Also in the lead-up to the main event (KFW) will be a flash-mob campaign conducted at shopping malls plugging the KFW.”

Mall activations and community engagement

Shoppers at the Riverlands Mall in Observatory were the first to be treated to this experience, Mathenjwa said, and those at Tyger Valley Mall, Cape Quarter Mall, among others, can expect the same.

He said the KFW will feature tributes to Khayelitsha hip-hop artists who died this year — Sinesipho “Bravo Le Roux” Peter and Liyema “Brie Lee” Ndibi.

Mathenjwa encouraged the Cape Town public to come out in large numbers to support the event.