Monkey Shoulder kicks off career-making contest for fashion rebels

But Monkey Shoulder wasn’t just there for the party. On opening night, media personality Shamiso Mosaka helped the brand officially launch its Street Thread Battle — a Johannesburg-based designer search that champions the next wave of fashion rebels.

The Street Thread Battle isn’t just a competition, it’s a career-making opportunity. The covetable prize package includes:

• R20,000 cash;
• A mentorship from acclaimed designer Fulu Rathumbu;
• The chance to collaborate with Rathumbu’s brand, Blank Collection; and
• The opportunity to debut a collection at SFW Spring/Summer in November 2025.

So, if you’re a young designer studying or working in fashion — or dreaming of it — and have what it takes to shake up the streetwear scene, visit the Street Thread Battle microsite and enter now^*.

And speaking of SFW debuts, Monkey Shoulder proudly raised a glass to designer Ayanda Nhlapo of House of Ayanda, who made her first-ever SFW appearance this season. Her Autumn/Winter 2025 collection layered Afro-modern aesthetics with rich cultural storytelling — a blend of heritage and innovation that echoes Monkey Shoulder’s own ethos as a whisky that proudly “blends the rules” and is made for mixing.

Nhlapo’s minimalist-meets-maximalist style and collaborative spirit made her the perfect fit for a Fashion Week fuelled by disruption, and a whisky brand that celebrates those who colour outside the lines.

From the runway to the rocks, SFW Autumn/Winter 2025 was proof that great things happen when you dare to blend.

This article was sponsored by Monkey Shoulder.

^{*Entries close on August 7 2025. Ts & Cs apply.}

^{Drink responsibly. Alcohol not for sale to persons under 18.}