Stellenbosch designer Janeke van der Walt inspired by New York show

South African luxury label Janeke Luxueuse has marked a milestone by taking garments made in its Stellenbosch studio to a New York Fashion Week runway for the first time.

The label presented its collection at Runway 7, an independent showcase staged alongside the official New York Fashion Week schedule this month.

Founder and chief designer Janeke van der Walt drew on vintage influences, her own life and childhood memories for the collection.

“My love for timeless elegance started when I was very young,” Van der Walt told TimesLIVE. “Looking up to my mother, I always admired the way she dressed, the confidence with which she carried herself and the presence that came with it.

“This collection draws inspiration from the elegance of vintage eras, but it is also very personal. Each look represents a different part of my life, my growth and the seasons God has carried me through.

“The collection focused largely on 100% cotton and 100% cashmere, alongside satin, pearls and our custom polka-dot print on cotton.”

For Van der Walt, who was born in Port Elizabeth, now Gqeberha, the New York appearance represented a significant step for a brand built in Stellenbosch.

“Seeing my collection come to life on a New York runway was an incredible experience. It truly felt like a new world of possibilities opening up for Janeke Luxueuse.

“Everything is made to order in our studio in Stellenbosch, where every garment is developed and brought to life. I work with three women from communities in Cape Town and Stellenbosch who I trained to construct our garments to the luxury standard of the brand, while creating meaningful employment and paying above-average wages to make a positive impact on our local community.

“What makes this especially meaningful to me is that Janeke Luxueuse empowers women on both sides of the garment: the women whose hands bring each piece to life and the woman who ultimately wears it.

“Seeing garments we made in our Stellenbosch studio walk a New York Fashion Week runway was an incredibly proud moment for all of us.”

Van der Walt said she hopes her audiences rediscover an appreciation for enduring style.

“I wanted the New York audience to leave with a longing for timeless elegance again. I want a woman to wear Janeke Luxueuse and feel beautiful, confident and powerful, with the clothing becoming an expression of the confidence and elegance she already carries within herself.

“If someone watched the collection and thought, ‘I miss that kind of elegance. I want to be that woman’, then I achieved what I wanted to achieve.”