Tea with a fashionable twist

Anneleigh Jacobsen, senior brand manager for Five Roses, comments, “We took our first step into the world of fashion in 2006, with our debut sponsorship at SSAFW. At the time, it was quite a daring step – taking tea into an arena where it had previously never played. We did a lot of work in terms of driving the message around where tea fits into the fashion industry – and the qualities shared by the two. In fact, we have paved the way for other tea brands to become involved.”

The show will feature designers Sarah Webber with her range, I Love Leroy, Palesa Tshukudu and Jacky Lucking with Miss Scarlett. In addition, Five Roses will sponsor the high teas, which will be hosted at the regional shows in Durban and Cape Town. The VIP areas and media lounge at the Convention Centre will also be branded Five Roses, where tea and iced tea will be served.

Student design competition

“One of the most exciting aspects of this year's sponsorship will be student design competition, which will also be sponsored by Five Roses,” adds Jacobsen.

The student design competition is an annual event at SSAFW, whereby design students are invited to exhibit their own creations at the event. This year, 350 students have entered the competition and will be designing accessories using Five Roses teabags and branding.

“In addition, we have commissioned two established designers (Black Coffee and Franz Grabe) and four South African artists (Gina Waldman, Vusi Mfupi, Yvonne Harvey and Mary Sibande) to design pieces for us,” adds Jacobsen.

The students, designers and artists will all be working with the same theme; bringing romance into the everyday, which is a central thread in the positioning of Five Roses as a brand. The winning designs, as well the six commissioned pieces, will be on display at the summer collections during August and September.