Award-winning designer Fikile Sokhulu brings her signature style to Pick n Pay Clothing

Fikile Sokhulu, GLAMOUR’s 2024 Woman of the Year Fashion Game Changer, is entering a new chapter with the launch of her debut collection with Pick n Pay Clothing, as part of the Futurewear collaboration.

Known for her distinctive design language and bold, contemporary approach to African fashion, Sokhulu has quickly established herself as one of the country’s exciting new-generation designers. Now, she brings her signature aesthetic to accessible fashion, creating a collection that makes her creative vision available to a wider audience.

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You've come a long way since graduating from DUT and launching your label, from South African Fashion Week to international opportunities and major retail collaborations. When you look back at your journey so far, what moments have been pivotal in shaping the designer you are today?

Presenting on the runway early on, right at the beginning of building my brand, really shaped the designer I am today. But over time, my perspective on fashion as a practice has evolved. Today, my goals are much more focused on becoming a household retail name and building something that extends beyond fashion alone.

You've previously spoken about wanting to bring your illustrations to life through fashion. How has that original creative impulse evolved as your brand and your understanding of the fashion business have grown?

I want to become a beloved retailer one day. I understand now that it takes more than creativity and a creative impulse. It requires sitting down, analysing and really thinking about the kind of business you want to build. My understanding of fashion today is completely different from when I started. I’ve learned that it takes a lot to make something work, but I’ve also learned that it can take much less when you are clear about your vision.

You're now partnering with Pick n Pay Clothing through its Futurewear young designer collaboration initiative. What does this partnership mean to you at this particular point in your career, and what made it the right collaboration for you?

It means a great deal to me to be part of a project initiated by Pick n Pay Clothing. It has been a beautiful experience that I genuinely appreciate. The programme offers mentorship and a real opportunity to present your skills within a retail environment, working alongside people who live and breathe retail every day. It has given me the opportunity to grow and, importantly, to see my work through to its final stage — on the shop floor and available for people to buy.

You've collaborated with major retailers before, but every partnership presents a different creative challenge. What was different about designing for Pick n Pay Clothing, and what did you learn from the process?

What stood out about Pick n Pay was how open and collaborative the experience was. Everyone involved in producing the collection, from the creative team to production, was part of the process. As designers, we received immediate and honest feedback about what was possible. Nothing happened behind closed doors; every part of the process was transparent and shared with me. That openness was really valuable.

Tell us about the collection itself. What was the starting point for the creative process, and what inspired the mood, silhouettes, colours, fabrics and overall aesthetic?

The starting point was the Greek ocean, which eventually evolved into a Moroccan-inspired direction. The mood of the collection is summer, and that is really at the heart of the inspiration — summer and nature. The silhouettes are feminine and fun, built around a beautiful, bold Moroccan-inspired print in green and off-white. Think Morocco, reimagined through a dress.

Your work is known for its distinctly feminine, romantic and often organic sensibility, with details such as ruffles, ruching and sculptural silhouettes. How have you translated your signature design language into a collection designed for a broader retail audience?

My core feminine sensibility runs throughout the collection. The mood is soft and gentle, while the fabric has that beautiful, organic quality I naturally gravitate towards. The dresses are feminine, with bold prints and statement sleeves, while still feeling true to who I am as a designer.

Take us behind the scenes of creating the collection. What does the journey from the initial idea or sketch to the final garment look like for you, and was there a particular piece that challenged or surprised you along the way?

The process was open from start to finish, with ideas discussed, analysed and refined together. Getting from an initial idea to a finished piece on the shop floor was supported by mentorship and was very much a collective effort between myself and the Pick n Pay team. Every stage of the design process was collaborative, considered and carefully managed.

What does femininity mean to you today, and how do you see that idea reflected in this collection?

For me, femininity today is about being able to be yourself. My hope is that when someone puts on one of the summer dresses from this collection, they feel completely like themselves.

You've already achieved some significant career milestones, including your international Fashion Bridges experience and your studies in Milan. How have those experiences changed your ambitions for the Fikile Sokhulu brand?

The experience of showing locally and internationally has given me a more grounded appreciation of what it takes to operate in the retail space. Those international opportunities broadened my perspective as a creative, and I hope to build a retail presence that reflects that growth in my product. I’m continuing to be patient with the process and allowing the brand to grow organically.

You've built a brand that feels very distinctly yours, while also learning how to navigate the commercial realities of fashion. How do you protect your creative identity while making clothes that can reach and resonate with a much wider audience?

For me, it’s about fully embracing retail while staying true to the identity we’ve built. My hope is to resonate with a much wider audience without losing the essence of what makes the Fikile Sokhulu brand distinct.

And finally, what's next? Are we entering a new chapter for Fikile Sokhulu, and what are the dreams or ambitions you're now working towards, both for the label and for yourself as a designer?

This definitely feels like a new chapter. Looking ahead, I’d love to collaborate with brand strategists and entities I admire, while continuing to grow the label into the household retail name I know it can become.