Fundudzi by Craig Jacobs marked its return to South African Fashion Week after a ten-year absence with a new collection titled There Is Nothing New Under the Sun was presented last night and what a showcase it was.
The collection was constructed entirely from fabrics sourced from the brand’s own archive, including offcuts, garments from previous collections and archival fabrics which have been gathering dust in its storeroom over more than ten years.
This return to the runway was both a re-entry and a reflection, mirroring the passage of time between shows as the label founded by fashion entrepreneur Craig Jacobs brings past work into the present through processes of reassembly and reconsideration.
“This collection is built entirely from what is often discarded or forgotten,” says Craig Jacobs. “In many African contexts, we don’t see clothing as disposable – we repair, rework and inherit it – and it was important to highlight that. So for me, this is not about sustainability as a trend, but about returning to a way of thinking that has always been ours.”
At a time when sustainability is often framed as a new direction in fashion, There Is Nothing New Under the Sun reflects a perspective long embedded in African ways of making and living.
Garments are accumulated, repaired, reconfigured and passed on. Value lies in longevity, labour, and the stories that clothing carries over time.
Rather than starting from scratch, each look in the collection has been constructed using existing materials: allowing previous collections to inform the present. The result is a tightly edited collection of ten looks that speak to continuity rather than constant newness.
EXTENDING THE ETHOS
In keeping with this approach, all accessories and shoes featured in the collection have been sourced from the Woodrock Animal Rescue Thrift Store (29 Glamorgan Road, Parkwood).
By incorporating pre-owned pieces into the runway presentation, the collection extends its sustainability ethos beyond garments, demonstrating how value can be found, reinterpreted, and elevated through thoughtful styling.
A DISTINCT DESIGN PHILOSOPHY
Fundudzi by Craig Jacobs was founded in 2004 by fashion entrepreneur and communicator Craig Jacobs, with a vision to foreground the richness of African culture, artisanal dexterity, and a belief that conscious design is inherent to the African way of life.
Working with natural fibres, existing textiles, and considered processes long before sustainability became a global imperative, the brand has developed a distinct design language defined by material intelligence, restraint, and quiet prestige.
Each garment is approached as a considered object: shaped by craftsmanship, intention, and a deep respect for process.
WELCOME BACK CRAIG JACOBS….
