If there is one show I look forward to every year at South African Fashion Week, it is Naked Ape.
The garments — crisp in structure yet gentle in movement — seem to glide rather than walk. They speak without words, holding stories in their folds. They are not just beautiful; they are cared for, loved even.
There is a particular quality to the way Shaldon Kopman approaches his craft that sets Naked Ape apart from almost everything else on the South African runway. It is not loudness. It is not spectacle. It is something quieter and more enduring — a deep, almost devotional attention to the relationship between a garment and the person who will wear it. Kopman does not design clothing. He designs experiences of self.
The Mail & Guardian's feature on Naked Ape explores this gentle revolution in depth — tracing Kopman's journey from his early years in fashion through his hiatus and return, and examining what it means to build a luxury African brand on the foundations of ethics, ecology, and economy. His Ethi-Eco² philosophy is not a positioning statement. It is a lived practice, visible in every material choice, every silhouette, every stitch.
What emerges from the profile is a portrait of a designer who has chosen the harder, slower, more meaningful path — and who has found, in that choice, a creative freedom that faster, louder brands rarely achieve. Naked Ape's garments are made from biodegradable fibres, dyed with natural pigments, cut to minimise waste, and constructed to last. They are not made for a season. They are made for a life.
The Mail & Guardian recognised in Naked Ape something that the fashion industry too often overlooks: that true luxury is not about price or exclusivity. It is about care. About the hands that made the thing, the thought behind it, and the story it carries forward.
Read the full article on Mail & Guardian
Discover the pieces that tell this story — explore The Naked Ape Collection by Shaldon Kopman.
About the Author
Shaldon Kopman — Founder & Creative Director, Naked Ape Official
Shaldon Kopman is the Founder and Creative Director of Naked Ape Official, a South African premium ethical fashion brand guided by the Ethi-Eco² philosophy. With over 15 years in African fashion design, Shaldon has showcased at South African Fashion Week and been featured in Rolling Stone Africa, Mail & Guardian and more.