Cape Town has 12 independent dress labels worth knowing in 2026: Sitting Pretty, Hannah Lavery, Me&B, Good Good Good, Harlow & Summer, hōm, Selfi, Amaya, BeachCult, Mareth Colleen, Lunar and Erre, with Pichulik for the jewellery that finishes the look. Most design in or around the city, make in small runs, sell through their own websites and appear in a handful of concept stores such as The Lot Collective, Merchants on Long, AKJP Studio and The Watershed.
How this list was made: Amaya designer Maxine Benatar wrote it from Sea Point in October 2026. A label is on it if it is designed in South Africa, made locally and on sale in Cape Town this season, online or in a store. Amaya does not quote a price it has not checked, so most price bands below say "ask". Amaya is included because it passes the same test, and it sits eighth, not first.
1. Sitting Pretty
What they make: easy dresses and separates in soft, natural fabrics. Feminine without fuss. Suits: a garden lunch, or a holiday wardrobe that needs 3 pieces that work together. Price band: ask. Where to buy: their own website. Ask them for current Cape Town stockists.
2. Hannah Lavery
What they make: relaxed womenswear in linen and cotton. Loose cuts and muted colours. Suits: anyone who wants to look dressed without looking done. Price band: ask. Where to buy: their own website. Ask them about stockists.
3. Me&B
What they make: dresses, sets and occasion wear with colour and print. Suits: a wedding guest who wants to be seen in the photos. Price band: ask. Where to buy: their own website. Ask them about stores and stockists.
4. Good Good Good
What they make: everyday clothing made in Cape Town, with a focus on local production and plain speaking about how it is made. Better known for basics than for occasion dresses. Suits: the 3 days of your trip when you are not at a wedding. Price band: ask. Where to buy: their own website. Ask them about their store.
5. Harlow & Summer
What they make: printed dresses and summer separates. Bright and holiday-ready. Suits: Clifton 4th at 15:00 and dinner at 20:00. Price band: ask. Where to buy: their own website. Ask them about stockists.
6. hōm
What they make: soft, minimal womenswear. Natural fibres and quiet colours. Suits: a capsule wardrobe that travels. Price band: ask. Where to buy: their own website. Ask them about stockists.
7. Selfi
What they make: contemporary womenswear with clean shapes and interesting textures. Suits: a city rooftop wedding, or a gallery opening. Price band: ask. Where to buy: their own website. Ask them about stockists.
8. Amaya
What they make: holiday dresses, wedding-guest dresses, evening and matric-dance dresses, plus a few sets, tops and pants. Designed in Sea Point and made in a small Cape Town studio in short runs. Fabrics are linen, cotton, a crease-free knit Amaya calls "bijou", and satin. Sizes S to L, with some one-size styles. Suits: a wedding in the winelands, a December holiday, a matric dance. Price band: about R1 200 to R2 500. Current examples: the Aura Dress, a mini linen dress at R1 800; the Camilla Dress, printed, at R2 190; the Byblos Knit Skirt and Top Set at R1 790. Where to buy: amayacapetown.com, The Lot Collective (77 Regent Road, Sea Point and 15 Vineyard Road, Claremont) and Toned online at toned.co.za. Delivery is R99 in South Africa and free over R1 500. The first exchange is free within 14 days.
9. BeachCult
What they make: swimwear and resort pieces built for beach to bar. Suits: Camps Bay, Llandudno and the tidal pools. Price band: ask. Where to buy: their own website. Ask them about stockists.
10. Mareth Colleen
What they make: feminine dresses and tops with soft fabrics and romantic details. Suits: a daytime ceremony and a long lunch. Price band: ask. Where to buy: their own website. Ask them about stockists.
11. Lunar
What they make: natural-fibre clothing, mostly linen and cotton. One of the longer-standing names in Cape Town fashion. Suits: someone who buys 1 good dress and wears it for 10 years. Price band: ask. Where to buy: their own website. Ask them about their stores.
12. Erre
What they make: structured, tailored womenswear. Sharp lines for evening and work. Suits: black tie, boardrooms and anyone who dislikes ruffles. Price band: ask. Where to buy: their own website. Ask them about stockists.
And for the jewellery: Pichulik
Not a dress label, but on most Cape Town wedding guests anyway. Pichulik makes rope and metal jewellery in Cape Town. 1 necklace from Pichulik turns a plain linen dress into an outfit. Price band: ask. Where to buy: their own website. Ask them about stockists.
Where to see several labels in one afternoon
Stock changes every season, so check before you drive. These are the Cape Town concept stores Amaya loves for local design:
- The Lot Collective, 77 Regent Road, Sea Point and 15 Vineyard Road, Claremont. Amaya is stocked here.
- Merchants on Long, Long Street. Pan-African designers.
- Mungo & Jemima, city centre and the V&A Waterfront. South African designers.
- Mungo, natural-fibre textiles, if you are furnishing a house as well as a wardrobe.
- AKJP Studio, Gardens. About 40 South African designers, plus a café.
- The Corner Store, Bree Street.
- Poetry of Living and Mash Boutique, both in Sea Point.
- The Watershed, V&A Waterfront. 150 local makers under 1 roof.
How to choose between them
Ask 3 questions before you buy from any label on this list, Amaya included.
- What is the occasion, and what time does it start? A 15:00 garden ceremony in December is 26°C and windy by 16:00. A rooftop at 21:00 is cold. The fabric has to match the hour, not the photo.
- What is the fabric? Linen breathes and creases. Cotton breathes and creases less. A crease-free knit survives a suitcase. Satin is for inside and after dark.
- Does the size range include you, and what happens if it does not fit? Amaya runs S to L with some one-size styles, has a size guide, and covers the courier on the first exchange within 14 days. Ask the others the same question. A good label will answer it straight.
If a label on this list has a price band or a stockist we have wrong, WhatsApp Max on +27 83 703 8502 and Amaya will correct it in the next update. See Amaya's own stockists and the New In collection.
Updated October 2026. We update this guide every season.
