Next year will be the year of the Marvel fashion-hero search. SA Fashion Week (SAFW) along with Marvel Africa announced entries are currently open for designers across the continent. This is the first of its kind, where five up-and-coming designers from across the African continent will be given the chance to create their own fashion lines completely inspired by Marvel’s iconic Avengers characters.

The Avengers: Age of Ultron releases in South African cinemas on the 1 May, 2015, with scenes shot on our Jozi shores.

The designs will be showcased at SAFW Spring/Summer 2015 from 18 March 2015, in Johannesburg, as well as at the SAFW Buyers Lounge, from 21 March 2015. Designers have to use inspiration from the Marvel characters Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Captain America, Black Widow and Thor. Their portfolio submissions must include 18 looks, either ready-to-wear ladies or men’s fashion.

Head of Marketing for The Walt Disney Company Africa, Deirdre King says, ‘We are thrilled to be working with SA Fashion Week for a second time, following 2013’s very successful Inspired By Minnie initiative with Suzaan Heyns.’

Lucilla Booyzen, CEO of SA Fashion Week, says, ‘Inspiration plays a hugely important role in the fashion design process, it defines the context for new and individual designs. It will be interesting for me to see how the South African as well as the African designers translate the Marvel inspiration into desirable Collections. Marvel is bringing designers together that would under any other circumstances not have connected. It is the ripple effect – and the potential a project like this has really excites me.’

Text: Taugheedah Abdullah-Jacobs
Image: Supplied