Beauty and fashion are like salt and pepper – one needs the other for the equation to balance.

After revealing the date for the upcoming fashion show, South African Fashion Week also announced that it has bagged a new beauty sponsor, L’Oréal Paris South Africa.

The beauty brand will be the SA Fashion Week official make-up and beauty sponsor for the upcoming April and October editions of the renowned fashion event.

Under the theme “Walk Your Worth”, L’Oréal Paris will showcase its expertise in make-up and skincare, bringing sophistication and empowerment to the local runway.

The beauty brand will not only ensure the models have the best make-up looks for the runway but will also stage a fashion show featuring a collection in collaboration with distinguished South African couture designer, Biji La Maison.

Maison is a designer responsible for dressing beauty queens. He is behind Zozibini Tunzi’s black and white beaded dress that she wore when had her last walk as Miss Universe. He has also dressed Miss Universe 2018, Catriona Gray.

Back to SA Fashion Week, the collection that is to be presented by the new sponsor will be modelled by local influencers and celebrities to showcase their other creative side of strutting the runway.

“This extraordinary collaboration will amplify the message of women’s strength and celebrate beauty in all its forms,” said Burkhard Pieroth, president of the brand for the sub-Saharan Africa region.

SA Fashion Week is not the first organisation the beauty brand has partnered with.

In 2023, they partnered with the Miss South Africa organisation and as a result, reigning Miss SA Natasha Joubert got to attend the Paris Fashion Week in September 2023.

Also, bringing celebrities to the runway has become a tradition for the brand. At Paris Fashion Week, sub-Saharan Africa ambassador of the brand, Thuso Mbedu, had her runway debut moment, joined by media personality Bonang Matheba.

SA Fashion Week takes place at the Mall of Africa, Midrand, from April 18 – 20.