Lots of work to do Collective action in Cape Town's fashion industry
fashion anthropology; african fashion; south african fashion; fashion industry; Cape Town; art as collective action
The narratives around the fashion industry have been so far centered mostly around the Global North experieces. Taking into consideration the richness of production from cities outside the leading fashion capitals, this work turn its eyes to the fashion industry in Cape Town, South Africa. From the runways, to the work of fashion designers, models, activists, and a fashion council this research centers the perspective of fashion as collective action. From the analysis of a fashion week as a ritual, to the work conditions and mentality shaped by neoliberalism, till the aftermath of COVID-19 in the south african fashion industry this work aims to provide better insight on the mainstream fashion from an anthropological lens.