Locally produced sustainable and eco-friendly fashion (also called slow fashion) has to compete with cheap, imported fast fashion, which is made mostly from fossil-fuel-derived synthetic fabrics, adds Twyg. 

The truth of the matter is that sustainability and social inequality are deeply intertwined. According to Twyg, by prioritising sustainable, locally made textiles and products, South Africans ultimately support:
  • the South African economy
  • create more jobs
  • strengthen communities, and
  • reduce the impact of imported fast fashion on the environment.

South Africa currently imports most of its textiles and finished products. According to the government-commissioned report Designing Climate-Compatible Industrial Strategies for South Africa: The Textiles Value Chain, retail sales of imported clothing, footwear and textiles totalled more than R175-billion in 2018, while the 800 local clothing manufacturers generated a significantly smaller revenue of R19-billion in the same year.

At the same time, according to GreenCape, a non-profit organisation that drives the widespread adoption of economically viable green economy solutions, about 6% of South Africa's total landfill waste is made up of textiles, says Twyg. 

So, how do we change things?

Twyg is on a mission to inspire a fashion and textile industry that's:
  • kind
  • fair
  • inclusive
  • diverse
  • nature-friendly and sustainable, and
  • that embraces circular design principles.

According to the non-profit, one of the ways the solution-driven platform champions this path is by hosting the annual Twyg Sustainable Fashion Awards.

Across 10 categories, Twyg selects winners who implement sustainable, ethical, circular and regenerative design. The awards categories are:
  • Emerging Designer
  • Accessories
  • Innovative Design and Materials
  • the Nicholas Coutts Award
  • Farm-to-Fashion
  • Social Impact
  • Retail
  • The Tastemaker Award, and 
  • Trans-Seasonal Design and Footwear. 

The winners with the highest scores in each category are then eligible for the Changemaker Award, which recognises a designer whose career embraces sustainable and circular design practices. 

According to Twyg, the annual awards, first launched in 2019, not only celebrate South African designers, innovators, influencers and activists, awarding them for their hard work but also project their groundbreaking work to a larger audience. This, in turn, encourages consumers to shop sustainably and invites the next generation of designers to take a sustainable approach.

Nominations for the 2023 Twyg Sustainable Fashion Awards are in, and judging is currently underway. The finalists will be revealed on Tuesday, 14 November, and the winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in late November in Cape Town. 

Change is happening, but to change everything, we need everyone, concludes Twyg. 

For more information, visit www.twyg.co.za. You can also follow Twyg on Facebook, X or on Instagram.