Be fabulous and stand a chance to win the Best dressed Competition at Luju!
Get ready to be fabulous at the Standard Bank Luju Food & Lifestyle Festival, taking place on 1st – 2nd August, 2025, at House On Fire, in Malkerns, Eswatini.
As one of the leading fashion events in the region, the Standard Bank Luju Food & Lifestyle Festival is all about celebrating the elegance, sophistication and style of Africa. The festival salutes those festivalgoers who take the opportunity to dress for the occasion, and this year the festival’s annual Best Dressed Competition judges are on the lookout for sartorial sensations, in line with the Fashion Theme, Threads of Time.
Threads of Time
Threads of Time: African Textiles Past, Present & Future makes reference to the rich tapestry of African cultural wisdom as expressed through the evolution of African textiles, fashion and adornment over the years.
This theme encourages festival attendees to explore the history, materials, inspiration and storytelling behind African textiles, and to consider how these textiles have transformed alongside fashion trends and influences throughout the years. Examining traditional African textiles opens a pathway to culturally significant and sustainable fashion.
By drawing on Africa’s rich textile heritage and utilizing inherent natural resources, the African fashion industry can create a future that honours the past while meeting the needs of both present and future generations – a future that embraces circular fashion, created in Africa.
Prizes
Prizes will be awarded to the Best Dressed Man and Best Dressed Woman at the festival, and include 2 tickets to Luju 2026, an #EatSwayLove Hamper courtesy of Cork & Co., and a E3000 cash prize from the Standard Bank Luju Festival for each winner.
Prizes will also be awarded after the festival, with 2 Premium Lounge tickets to Standard Bank Luju 2026 going to the Best Dressed Couple/Pair and 4 to the Best Dressed Family.
How it Works
The official Best Dressed Scout and Festival Photographer Team will be combing the festival on Friday and Saturday for 40 outfits that stand out and best fit the fashion theme, “Threads Of Time”. Once selected, the scout will approach you and take a snap at the official Luju Photobooth, or where you are, and take your name, contact number, outfit designer’s name, and social media handles. Finalists will be contacted in time to make their way to the Mastercard stage for the prize-giving on Saturday, at 8pm, on the Mastercard Stage in the Fashion Hive.
Criteria
Outfits will be judged based on whether or not they are aligned with the Threads of Time theme; rooted in authentic cultural inspiration and/or sustainable fashion; an holistic aesthetic including hair and accessories; as well as creativity, originality, and individuality. Locally made outfits confer an added advantage
Share your look on Instagram stories, tag @luju_festival and your designer, to show love to local creatives, and use #LujuBestDressed2025.
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T’s & C’s
- This competition is open to all LUJU 2025 festivalgoers
- Entries open at 4pm on Friday, 1 August 2025 and close at 5pm on Saturday, 2 August 2025
- 1 x Best Dressed Woman and 1 x Best Dressed Man will be awarded
- The Winners will be selected by a panel of anonymous judges from the fashion industry
- The Winners will be announced at 8pm on Saturday, 2 August, 2025 on the Mastercard Stage
- The Winners agree to be photographed and published across multiple platforms
