Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Cape Town 2017 opened on Thursday evening at Camps Bay Sports Club, only to be cut short due to blustering wind which was a safety hazard.
This is the second event of the year of national significance in Cape Town which has been cut short by the Cape winds, following the cancellation of the Cape Cycle Tour almost two weeks ago on March 12.
Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, one of the biggest annual gatherings in the local fashion industry, was held in a marquee tent that struggled to withstand the force of the wind. On Friday, the event host, fashion giant African Fashion International (AFI), said that the wind reached speeds of 58 km per hour which presented a safety risk, so officials called on all guests, models, designers and crew to leave the premises immediately.
The announcement interrupted Stephania and Shana Mortland's parade, the second-last show for the evening. The first three shows of collections by designers Gavin Rajah, Beach Cult, Lara Klawikowski, Cleo Droomer and Jenny le Roux were well-received by a spirited, eclectic crowd which crowded into the marquee.
The rest of the fashion week's events are scheduled to continue as normal.
