SA Fashion Week is pushing fashion forward

TimesLIVE

12-05-2025

As Naked Ape Intended
The story of fashion brand Naked Ape is one of creativity, collapse and coming back to craftsmanship — told in prints, silks and silence.
In the calm of his new studio, surrounded by swatches of raw silk and botanical prints, Shaldon Kopman reflects on a career that has literally taken him around the world and back home again, leaving him stronger, quieter and more self-aware than he was before.
He has done it all. From walking the runways of New York to founding Naked Ape, one of South Africa's most coveted labels, Kopman's creative journey has included styling, show production, fashion editing and creative direction.
But it was the Big Apple that first stitched together his love for fashion and music.
'I found my feet in New York,' he says thoughtfully. 'I was there for several years in my early twenties, and I discovered a love for fashion and music at the same time. I was assisting a stylist, June Ambrose, whose boyfriend was in music, and he asked me to work with him. But it wasn't a very long assisting career with June, because I needed to get back home to contribute something to this market.'
Upon his return to South Africa, he quickly made his mark styling for Edgars, directing creative projects for Wine Magazine, producing runway shows, and becoming fashion editor at South African Elle. Amid the whirl of freelance work and full-time roles, Naked Ape — a brand based on time-honoured slow-fashion principles — was born.
This year, Naked Ape celebrates its 15th anniversary, a milestone Kopman is celebrating with a mixture of pride and humility. 'You're always trying to improve on what you've started,' Kopman says. 'Everything new you introduce has to have been made with love and respect. It needs to be ethical, economical and ecological. The fashion business is satisfying and fulfilling, but along the way there's been bankruptcy twice. It's a labour of love.'
At South African Fashion Week, Kopman's commitment to thoughtful design found its latest expression in his 2025 spring/summer collection, Urban Camo. As the lights dimmed and a poem about the ills of overconsumption was read out, it was clear this was not simply a fashion show, but rather a call to consciousness.
Earlier in the week, while previewing the collection, it was the print work that caught my eye and stopped me in my tracks. These were prints unlike anything I had seen before. Kopman's collaboration with eco-printer Ira Bekker, also known as 'The Botanical Nomad', added a raw, soulful beauty to the garments. 'I called her and said, 'Let's do something special. Let's show the world the creativity and artisanal skill we have,'' Kopman says.
The resulting fabrics are extraordinary — no two prints are alike, and they were handcrafted using entirely natural methods. Raw silks, linens and locally sourced materials form the foundation, which has been adorned with buttons made from cow horn. The cuts are sharp yet fluid: tailored suits, panelled knits and the versatile lotus shirt are all imbued with a spirit of resilience and respect.
'It's not luxury intended,' Kopman says, 'but luxury by default.'
Beyond beauty, functionality remains crucial. 'Right now, the fact is that we waste a lot,' he says simply. 'With clothing, as much as you want to create something beautiful, it must also live. It must be functional.'
Kopman's journey has not been without hardship. He speaks candidly about the lows — shuttered stores, heavy debt, and the moments when it seemed easier to quit. 'There was a time I had to end the lease on my store in Rosebank. Everything was collapsing. I thought it was the end,' he says. 'But clients would call and say, 'Understand the value of what you've built. This is just a phase. Don't give up.''
Instead of abandoning his dream, Kopman did what few in the fashion world have the courage to do: he disappeared, choosing reflection over reaction. 'I shelved my ego for a minute,' he says. 'I went underground to rediscover who I was.'
The person who emerged is a designer no longer driven by trends or noise, but by craft, community and a deeper kind of luxury — one that doesn't announce itself loudly, but endures.
'I discovered that I enjoy crafting quietly,' he says with a smile. 'I don't have to make noise about everything.'
Gert-Johan Coetzee is no stranger to the spotlight. Since launching his namesake brand in 2010, the designer has become one of South Africa's most prominent fashion figures, with a growing international footprint to match. His latest collection, The Arrival, which debuted at South African Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2025, marks a bold new chapter for the label.
Presented as an immersive runway experience, the show began with guests donning headphones, tuning into a celestial soundscape and the designer's narration as galaxies shimmered across a massive screen. When the models finally emerged, gliding down the runway in sculptural coats, intricately beaded dresses, and cosmic shimmer, the effect was transportive. This was not just fashion, it was world-building.
But beyond the spectacle, Coetzee remains grounded in storytelling, heritage, and the deeply personal. Here are five things you may not know about him:
1. The inspiration for The Arrival came to him in a dream.
'I had a powerful dream where people returned to Earth after 10,000 years in space,' Coetzee says. 'Their appearances had evolved, their cultures transformed, but something essential remained. It made me reflect on what we carry with us when we feel far from home—creatively, spiritually, or culturally.' The result was a deeply personal collection, rooted in the idea that heritage doesn't weigh us down; it evolves with us.
2. A standout piece was made from carpets, and another from car paint.
Among the show's most talked-about pieces was a coat made entirely from carpeting. 'It was created in collaboration with Coco Craft, a local collective that specialises in carpet-making,' Coetzee says. 'It's couture, but in a way that honours local craftsmanship and reinvents it.'
Another standout? A garment adorned with yellow and turquoise metallic harlequin-shaped patterns. Every element was crafted by hand, its curves carefully heat-sculpted to follow the body's shape. 'We spray-painted it using specialised car paint techniques,' he adds. 'It was incredibly technical and labour-intensive, but the result was extraordinary—like futuristic armour that was still wearable.'
Look 14 of Gert-Johan Coetzee's Spring Summer 2025 collection at South African Fashion Week.
Image: Eunice Driver Photography
3. His garments contain hidden messages and subtle codes.
Throughout The Arrival, traditional South African patterns are reinterpreted in deconstructed forms, while Western motifs are reimagined with an African twist. 'I wanted to blur those boundaries and show that heritage and innovation can coexist beautifully,' Coetzee explains. 'There are subtle codes of identity, culture, and rebirth woven throughout—almost like a glimpse into what South African fashion might look like a thousand years from now.'
4. He's not who you think he is outside of fashion.
Despite the glitz and glamour, Coetzee's private life is far more low-key. 'People often assume I live a very glamorous life, but the truth is, I'm a homebody,' he says. 'I love being at home, spending quiet time with my animals and my family. That's where I feel most grounded, and honestly, where a lot of my creativity comes from.'
5. Kourtney Kardashian was his first international client.
'In 2011, I didn't have fast internet,' he laughs. 'When Kourtney Kardashian wore one of my pieces, the image loaded pixel by pixel. I watched it unfold frame by frame.' That moment wasn't just a personal breakthrough—it was a defining milestone for South African fashion on the global stage.
Biblical strength meets modern silhouettes in emerging designer TADI wa NASHE's debut.
Since launching her brand TADI wa NASHE in 2024, Tadiwanashe Karen Kaparipari has been on the fast track. The emerging designer recently made waves with her debut collection at South African Fashion Week's New Talent Search, showcasing voluminous, sculptural silhouettes that quickly became the evening's standout.
'My inspiration behind this collection [was] the story of Deborah in the Bible,' she explained. 'She was the only prophetess in the Bible who was also a leader, a warrior, a songwriter, a poet - she was everything. I wanted this collection to [embody that]. To represent women who can put on multiple hats, who can do anything…'
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Look 5 from TADI wa NASHE's debut collection at South African Fashion Week.