Higher education institutions have an ever-increasing role to play in the creative economy of South Africa. The relationship between higher education institutions and the creative economy manifests through the skills, training, and knowledge transferred to students, thereby supporting this economy through job creation, addressing Sustainable Development Goal 8. The local fashion industry is a creative industry of which the custom-made fashion designer is essential. These designers offer locally made traditional and culturally specific custom-made garments to customers in South Africa that communicate the culturally significant heritage of their wearer. This is accomplished through incorporating African fabrics into Western designs or using cultural and symbolic attire created by traditional designers knowledgeable of the features synonymous with a specific cultural dress. Although various studies have signalled the importance of custom-made fashion designers in the alleviation of poverty and job creation, the significance of these businesses as cultural custodians of traditional apparel has not been considered.

The purpose of this study was to explore the importance of culturally specific fashion to the South African female consumer who employs custom-made fashion designers to achieve a desired appearance and provide insight into the role higher education institutions can play in facilitating the advancement of traditional and cultural fashion to contribute to the creative economy. An exploratory qualitative study was designed, which included participants who made use of custom-made fashion designers. Data was gathered through 11 mini-focus groups, resulting in data saturation. Transcribed interviews were thematically analysed, and three main themes emerged from the data.

The findings suggest that customers attribute the importance of custom-made culturally specific fashion: 1) to be culturally responsive to their traditions and culture, 2) as enablers of economic empowerment, and 3) indicative of their local favouritism towards locally produced custom-made fashion. Through the inputs of higher education institutions where fashion curriculum is taught within Fashion Design and Consumer Sciences programmes, training should focus on the importance of preserving cultural heritage in fashion design curriculums. Higher education institutions should further initiate and support the advancement of basic sewing and cultural fashion design skills to ensure the advancement of cultural custom-made fashion design in communities and to those who have not benefitted from fashion as a creative industry to improve livelihoods. The study contributes to the cultural importance of fashion and the role higher education institutions can play in advancing the creative fashion economy of South Africa and addressing Sustainable Development Goal 8.