Creative Cape Town

Newly appointed Cape Town Fashion Council CEO, Bryan Ramkilawan has only just stepped into his post, sporting purple Converse trainers, strategically placed tattoos and a ‘Make Da Circle Bigger’ attitude.

With a career in the fashion industry that spans more than 20 years, Bryan studied fashion design in KwaZulu-Natal before moving to Cape Town to lecture in Creative Design and Computer Studies at Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT).  He also served on the CTFC board for the past four years before being appointed to the top job. The CTFC represents over 400 members, including local fashion brands and clothing and textiles stakeholders, and aims to develop, support and grow the Western Cape fashion sector.

The Cape Town Fashion Council is headquartered in Harrington Street, the ‘spine’ of The Fringe, Cape Town’s new innovation district. Bryan sits on the steering committee of The Fringe, a project that he led with the Technical and Business Education Initiative in South Africa (TABEISA). The new CEO says he looks forward to expanding existing partnerships and setting up inter-disciplinary collaborations between fashion designers and, for instance, graphic designers, musicians, jewellery designers and crafters.

What makes Cape Town a great design city?

Bryan : From a fashion perspective, Cape Town has the only established Fashion Council in the country – it’s been running for 5 years –and we’re really serious about design.

What does Cape Town fashion have to offer the world?

Bryan : I’d say that we have an intellectual approach to fashion, and we’re quite progressive in terms of innovating. I’m passionate about getting the local design industry recognised internationally. We have tremendously creative people – fantastic designers and fantastic design ideas. They just need a platform. I believe that Africa has immense potential as an export market for us – places like Ghana and Angola – and I think that there are great opportunities to take Cape Town designers into Africa.

Where do you want to take the Cape Town Fashion Council?

Bryan : I want to build and broaden our collaborative efforts and link to other cities in South Africa and Africa. I also believe there should be a strong focus on building entrepreneurial and business skills, as well as technical skills. The new Fashion Technology Innovation Centre at the CTFC offers designers a fantastic laboratory to explore new ideas and experiment with the latest technologies.

What inspires you about Cape Town?

Bryan : The vibe, and the entrepreneurial spirit. I love Long Street, for instance, where you have a mix of bars, clubs and interesting retail spaces – like Me Me Me and Ska – that give young designers opportunities to retail. And I think that The Fringe is going to offer this amazing culture of a creative lifestyle, with people walking around and enjoying the City. I hope Harrington Street becomes fully pedestrianised.

What are your plans for Cape Town Fashion Week in July?

Bryan : I’d like all the shows to take place in various venues throughout the City. Our promo campaign is being shot at iconic Cape Town spots, with models alongside real Cape Town characters. It’s gritty and has a strong sense of place; a sense of the City. The event belongs to the City. I’d also like to light up Harrington Street during Fashion Week so that it’s visible from De Waal Drive and people will get the idea that something interesting is happening in The Fringe, even if they’re not fashion fundis.

But ultimately I believe that Fashion Week is a business platform, not an entertainment one. Fashion is a key financial driver of our city and province and it’s essential that we get the buyers here to do business. That’s why Cape Town Fashion Week has a very strict curatorial process when it comes to selecting the designers to showcase. I’m very excited about our ‘Fast Track’ programme, which will give hand-picked fashion graduates a platform to show capsule ranges, alongside more established names.

Cape Town designers to watch?

Bryan : Stiaan Louw is set to be very big in the international market, and labels like Maya Prass, Doreen Southwood, Black Coal, August, Sway, David West, Stefania Morland, Baie Nice and Township Patterns are all doing great things.

What are your thoughts on Cape Town’s bid to be World Design Capital 2014?

Bryan : Win or lose the bid, we’re putting ourselves on the design map!

Big plans?

Bryan : We’re launching Fashion Fridays, an initiative backed by MEC Alan Winde and the Provincial Government of the Western Cape, to encourage Capetonians to wear local fashion on Fridays. We have some fun ideas on how this can go viral, especially in terms of social media.