PICS: AFI Designers in the Finals of the Hollywoodbets Durban July 2023 Raceday Fashion Awards

Durban, South Africa (July 1, 2023) – African Fashion International (AFI) is proud to announce that the AFI Fastrack 2023 finalists and House of Nala brand were selected as finalists for the Hollywoodbets Durban July 2023 Raceday Fashion Awards.?

Hundreds of fashion creatives took to the Galaxy Stage at the Greyville Racecourse, where the judging for the Raceday Fashion Awards commenced. The eagle-eyed judges were looking for the best fashions under the Classic Raceday for Women, Classic Raceday for Men, Most Striking Couple and the Exceptional Raceday Hat or Fascinator categories.?

In an exciting development, AFI’s designers, which includes the AFI Fastrack 2023 Finalists and the in-house House of Nala brand, were selected in these four categories.?

In the Classic Raceday for Women, House of Nala’s green showstopper gown was named 2nd place, while the gold and navy brocade House of Nala men’s suit with gold plaques, was nominated for Classic Raceday for Men.

AFI Fastrack finalist, Kgotsofalo Given Monyamate of the brand Articles From MARS, was the overall winner in the Classic Raceday for Men category and Loice Dube of Lo’Ice was selected for Exceptional Raceday Hat or Fascinator. Dube’s unique hat won second place.

In a strategic move and seeing the potential of collaboration, Xhanti Mpu’s Xhanti brand and Mimangaliso Ndiko’s Sixx6 decided to enter the Most Striking Couple and were selected for their high fashion black looks.

The AFI Fastrack Challenge?

As part of a AFI Fastrack 2023 challenge, the AFI Fastrack finalists created garments inspired by the Durban July theme "Out of this World."?

The competition is held annually during the Durban July horse race and celebrate the best in South African fashion. It attracts rising as well as established fashion designers, all vying to share the glory of being one of the best designers on the day.?

Drawing people from all over the globe, the Durban July is an ideal event for AFI’s mission of providing African designers with stages to exhibit their talent locally and internationally. The event stands as a great platform to display the skills of upcoming and well-known fashion designers, which is why AFI has identified it as an ideal opportunity to exhibit the abilities of the 2023 AFI Fastrack finalists.?

“We are thrilled that the AFI Fastrack 2023 finalists and the House of Nala brand, have been selected for the Hollywoodbets Durban July 2023 Raceday Fashion Awards,” says Roshnee Pillay, Marketing Manager of African Fashion International.???

“This is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the participants, and we are proud to support them on their journey to becoming successful fashion designers. With the AFI Fashion Experience, we continue to live up to our mission of finding platforms that create opportunities for African designers to display their talent to a global audience.”??

For more information on the event, please visit our website: