CAN ALL THAT GLITTER BECOME GOLD ALREADY!!!!

I just checked deGorgeous's fabulosa blog and of course he is always the bearer of all thing glitter and Joburg Fashion Weeks promises to be exactly that. If the pictorial campaign and video promo are anything to go by, this year promises to be one for the records or at least that's how it has been positioned. Having been to more fashion weeks in this country than I have visited the dentist I thought I should voice my concerns and bitch a little.

I know I moan and groan more often than I should and quite frankly do think my opinion should be the only one that counts ( on my blog at least). I have a couple of problems that I have battled to deal with, and since I can't talk to my shrink about my issues with all these fashion weeks and the state we are in, as South African fashion industry, I though maybe this would be a perfect opportunity. Here is my list, in no particular order... and if you can answer me or share some knowledge, please do so remembering that an opinion is like an ass and we all have one.

• Issue number one, when all this parading ends after three days of air kissing, sipping champagne and speaking Prada or David, where does it all start with the business of fashion. I always get so puzzled that so many talented designers work their butts off just to show at fashion week and hardly make ends meet trading their craft. Who exactly should we attribute this little phenomenon to? Is it the lack of business acumen on their part or is because South African market is unwilling to support this industry?
• Secondly, I have massive issues with the crowds that are attracted at these fashion weeks. Young little pretty things, with R20 in their bank balance and no intention or means to buy the fashion. Yes, you know them. they are cute little things and wear the most craziest of outfits but quite frankly can't afford to buy the clothes that are showcased at fashion week. They hog the front row and seem to get all the best tickets and invites that should be given to Corporate South Africa, who by virtue of their bank balances come to Fashion Weeks to see what they can buy and not what they can gossip about. How many of those corporate junkies go overseas to do their shopping and they never get invited to these fashion weeks, and don't you dare tell me it's because they don't want to. Let me bring a friend, unknown in this interesting but stupid circle and they will hardly be given a seat, when in actual fact they have more potential to either buy or invest in this industry.
• How many of our designer have a client database of unknown people in corporate but have a huge database of celebrities who don't even buy the clothes. The most frustrating thing is when you have to order the clothes from these fabulous designer and you are paying with your hard earned money but you get your clothes late because some pretty young bimbo on tv has an award ceremony to go to and they, of course get first preference.
• Then comes the other issue that irks me from the core, designers who come to showcase some last season Milan Fashion Week or the likes, are we so starved for creativity or are we simply trying to jump on the bandwagon that 'Africa is a dumping zone so let's just dump our crap there'. Quite frankly, my knowledge of fashion is as bleak as my experimentation with quantum physics, but there is only a handful of designers who have and continues to stand out because they break the boundaries and are merely not victims of Parisian/Western dictates.
• With these fashion weeks, come the discussion forums where they would discuss forming the South African Fashion Council or something remotely similar, but are they decisive enough to actually bring it to fruition. Every FW, you hear the same moaning and bickering but no one is actually taking the lead.
• I sometimes wonder if this industry is sustainable and if it will ever get off the ground and what exactly is needed to achieve that. with so much unprofessional behaviour and a sense of entitlement, I will not be holding my breath.
• The last one I went to, some old lady had bought tickets and was taking her family to one of the shows to find out that it was delayed by three hours and that meant she had to spend more money to entertain her entourage before she can view the show.

I know that most of you reading this will think that my observations are without foundation and merit but I dare you to ask and talk to most of the designers and you will be surprised to see that all the glitter is not gold and that rusty goose ain't laying a golden egg anytime soon.

I am going to make my way to Fashion Week and I pray to God that the advertising campaign is not selling me a gold plated rusty nickel...

Please wow us, not so that we can be proud of you and your talent but so that we can be compelled to buy your stuff...