A Decade of Gert-Johan Coetzee

Brand Voice by Gert-Johan Coetzee

A  fashion designer who believes you can never dream too big, Gert-Johan Coetzee is revered as one of South Africa’s most celebrated designers; synonymous with his signature style, sophistication and panache. Gert-Johan doesn’t simply design dresses, he designs relationships and delivers dreams for his dynamic and esteemed clientele of women in Business, Entertainment, Politics and Royal African Families.

Fashion courses through Gert-Johan’s veins, and has been his passion since he was eight years old, designing dresses for his pencils, out of tissue paper. Over two decades later, his dedication to dressing women how they’d like to be addressed, has seen Gert-Johan rise to the top of his game in South Africa; dressing newsworthy women like Former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela, Miss Universe 2018 Demi-Leigh Nel- Peters, Miss World 2014 Rolene Strauss, and Media Personalities Minnie Dlamini, Lerato Kganyago and Bonang Matheba, to name a few. His talent has an international scope of significant superstars including the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Kourtney Kardashian, Kristin Cavallari, Lauryn Hill, Kelly Rowland, Fantasia and Tiwa Savage.

A decade of designing is a formidable feat, as the Fashion Industry is fast-paced, and as an Entrepreneur in an ever-evolving environment; in order to achieve the commercial and creative success that Gert-Johan has enjoyed in his ten year tenure, requires passion, perseverance, determination and a delicate balance between business and creativity. 

His successful collaborations with global brands such as McDonald’s and Ferrari speak of his commercial understanding of business, which is a rarity in the creative world of Fashion. Without self-discipline, success is impossible, and in the enterprise of Fashion, success is not exclusively measured on making profits, but in the creation of brand value; which Gert-Johan has mastered with his eponymous empire. In addition to his Couture and Bespoke Bridal Collections, Gert-Johan has created GERT, his Casual Wear Collection as well as an exclusive Ready-To-Wear Range available at selected luxury boutiques. His Menswear range adds to his impressive portfolio.

Gert-Johan has become an influential individual in his own right, and debuted his career in television as a mentor on Project Runway South Africa. With a passion for mentorship and sharing opportunities and knowledge, Gert-Johan has established a bursary programme that sponsors two new students annually, with three-year bursaries in Fashion Studies at his alma mater, The Northwest School of Design. 

Gert-Johan is also a Social Activist who uses the power of his platform to highlight social issues. From breaking down prejudices to breast cancer awareness, from championing education to addressing violence against women; as well as raising awareness about endangered wildlife and eco-consciousness in fashion, Gert-Johan’s bi-annual collections, shown at SA Fashion Week, have sparked conversations with their social focus.

Gert-Johan has won numerous awards, including South Africa’s Most Promising Young Designer in 2006, at the age of 19, and South African Designer of the Year in 2010. He’s also shown at International Fashion Weeks in Canada, Angola and Nigeria and has a growing following across the African continent.

In his illustrious career, Gert-Johan has created some of South Africa’s most memorable masterpieces, and together with opening SA Fashion Week SS20 in April this year; the upcoming Gert-Johan Coetzee Retrospective, taking place in Sandton City’s Diamond Walk, in collaboration with Martini Dolce 0.0. from the 19th of March until the 26th of April 2020, will showcase some of his most iconic creations as well as the women who wore them.

In addition to the Retrospective, in celebration of a decade of Gert-Johan Coetzee, comes a passion project expertly crafted in the heart of Grasse, the perfume capital of the world on the French Riviera, in the same perfumerie where some of the greatest fragrances such as Jean Paul Gaultier, Maison Francis Kurkdjian, Dior and Balmain are manufactured. A signature scent that is anchored in authenticity, inspired by Africa and reflecting her essence; but artfully constructed by the finest French noses, comes Gert-Johan Coetzee’s first foray into fragrance.

Double Platinum Eau de Parfum by Gert-Johan Coetzee comprises a cocktail of memory and emotion; and is reminiscent of Rustenburg’s signature platinum mines, where Gert-Johan grew up. Designed for the diverse South African men and women who wear Gert-Johan Coetzee’s Collections, the delicate combination of the softness of rose, which represents feminine fragility, paired with the smoke of masculinity, comes a sophisticated scent offering aromatic abundance in every spritz.

“A signature symphony of success,” every detail of Double Platinum is deliberate, and Sarah Langa, the face of Double Platinum Eau de Parfum, embodies the epitome of a Gert-Johan Coetzee woman – confident, kind, powerful and graceful with a sophisticated soupçon of sex appeal.

This is the beautiful beginning of a brand new direction for Gert-Johan and his Business Partner, Brand Manager and husband Vicky Visagie, as they branch into diverse dimensions for the Gert-Johan Coetzee brand.

Double Platinum Eau de Parfum was launched on the 27th February at Skins Cosmetics in Sandton City, Johannesburg, and will be exclusively sold at this outlet.