Editor’s Letter: A Call to the Makers
By León Haasbroek
I enter 2026 with clarity. Not the kind that comes from optimism alone, but the clarity that is forged through proximity to the work, the people, and the systems that hold our industry together, and at times, pull it apart.
The South African fashion industry stands at a crossroads. Creativity has never been the issue. Talent has never been the issue. What we are grappling with now is structure, cohesion, and intent.
Over the past year, I have had the privilege of occupying several vantage points within this ecosystem. As Managing Editor of Dossier Magazine. As Editorial Lead of Dossier Man. As someone deeply involved in talent representation, brand building, and fashion infrastructure. These roles do not make me separate from the industry. They place me firmly inside it. And it is from that position that I write this letter.
One of the most persistent challenges we face is fragmentation. Our industry often works in silos. Designers work independently of stylists. Stylists independently of production. Some fashion weeks independently of councils. Councils independently of government initiatives. Each with good intention, yet too often without alignment. This isolation weakens our collective voice, slows our global progress, and erodes the very systems meant to support creative growth.
For a long time, disruption has been positioned as progress. It became fashionable to disrupt systems, institutions, and even one another. But disruption, when unchecked, is often counterintuitive to collaboration. The two cannot meaningfully coexist. Where disruption fractures, collaboration builds. At this stage of our industry’s evolution, we need stronger collaboration and far less disruption. Progress will not come from breaking what already exists, but from strengthening it, aligning it, and allowing it to function as a collective whole.
Fashion weeks remain one of the few moments where the industry converges. And yet, over time, their purpose has become diluted. Too much emphasis has shifted toward borrowed visibility rather than industry relevance. Celebrity front rows have replaced strategic front rows. Optics have too often overtaken outcomes. This is not a uniquely South African issue, but it is one we must confront locally if fashion weeks are to retain their value as industry tools rather than cultural platforms alone.
Closely tied to this is another uncomfortable truth. We have not done enough to create and sustain our own internal fashion celebrities. Other global markets elevate their designers, models, stylists, and image makers into cultural authorities. In South Africa, we frequently borrow celebrity from adjacent industries to validate our own. In doing so, we unintentionally diminish the people who actually build fashion. If we want longevity, credibility, and cultural equity, we must take responsibility for celebrating our own.
There is also renewed government interest in the creative industries. Initiatives such as DASA speak to an intention to champion local talent and drive economic growth. That intention is welcome. But intention without integration risks repeating old mistakes. Creating new structures without meaningfully collaborating with existing fashion councils, including the few that have endured with limited government and public sector support, as well as fashion weeks and established industry bodies, only deepens fragmentation. Progress will not come from duplication. It will come from partnership, shared knowledge, and respect for the institutions that have already carried this industry forward.
And yet, for all these challenges, the opportunity before us is undeniable.
Global markets are ready for South African design. The success of designers like Thebe Magugu, Rich Mnisi, and Lukhanyo Mdingi is not accidental. It is proof of appetite, relevance, and excellence. International buyers, editors, and luxury platforms are paying attention. The door is open.
What remains is our responsibility to meet global standards consistently. Delivery timelines. Costing structures. Production quality. Scale. These are not creative shortcomings. They are operational ones. Across Africa, designers face similar hurdles, not because of a lack of vision, but because of limited infrastructure, funding constraints, and fragmented systems. If we want sustained global presence, we must address the business of fashion with the same seriousness as its artistry.
This is where leadership matters. Not loud leadership. Responsible leadership. Leadership that understands that fashion is not only culture, but economy. Not only expression, but industry.
At Dossier, we remain committed to permanence. To storytelling that honours craft. To platforms that treat culture with the gravity it deserves. Our readership continues to grow. Our print editions continue to affirm that fashion, when documented with care, becomes history. As we expand our publishing footprint in 2026, locally and internationally, our purpose remains unchanged. To reflect the industry truthfully. To celebrate excellence without dilution. And to contribute meaningfully to the conversations that shape our future.
This letter is not a critique for critique’s sake. It is a call for alignment. For accountability. For collaboration. For a renewed respect for the makers, the systems, and the responsibility that comes with shaping culture.
If we get this right, South African fashion does not need to borrow relevance. It already has it.
