On Saturday, October 10, against a backdrop of roaring engines, spinning tyres, and thick clouds of smoke, two distinctly South African subcultures collided at Kwamagesh Spinning Arena in Gauteng.
The unveiling of the Engen Xtreme Kouture collection proved that high fashion isn't reserved for imported silks or pristine runway tents.
Crafted entirely from upcycled lubricant bottles, bottle caps, and repurposed corporate workwear, the garage-inspired line puts mechanics, spinners, and street culture firmly on fashion's mood board.
The line is a statement about identity, resourcefulness and South African street culture.
Bringing this vision to life is Chicago-based South African artist, fashion designer and activist, Carlo Gibson.
Known for his long-standing exploration of sustainable design, recycling and the cultural value of discarded materials, Gibson approached the project not as a search for perfection, but as an exercise in intentionality.
"For me, the material is never just a material. It already has a history, and the challenge is to find a new future for it," says Gibson.
"We worked with landfill scraps, repurposed parachute fabric, old denim and even a 1975 military jersey. Some of the recovered material is polyester, while much of the new fabric we chose was cotton.
"Every material comes with its own environmental compromises, so the process was really about making conscious choices rather than pretending there is one perfect answer."
This philosophy is woven into every detail. With the collection's denim pieces, for instance, Gibson chose to print directly onto the fabric rather than dye it, questioning the heavy water and chemical impacts of traditional dyeing methods.
"I like the idea that sustainability can actually push the creative work somewhere more interesting.
"Could we make something handmade and deeply human look almost as if AI had imagined it? Something heightened, surprising and slightly impossible, except every garment is very real, and somebody actually had to make it."
Where spinning meets fashion
For Gibson, bridging the gap between motorsport and garment design felt natural.
"I wanted the collection to feel rooted in South African automotive and street culture without becoming a costume version of it. There are references to mechanics, spinning, petrolheads and street fashion throughout, but they’re exaggerated and reinterpreted.
"Checks became a recurring graphic language across the collection, alongside layering, oversized silhouettes, reused materials and unexpected combinations.
"Car culture has always had fashion in it. The way people customise a car, the colours they choose, the stance, the wheels, the detailing, it is all self-expression," Gibson says.
"Street fashion works in much the same way. You take familiar things and make them unmistakably yours. That connection became really interesting for Xtreme Kouture because the people who inspired the collection, mechanics, spinners, tuners, shop stewards and petrolheads, already have their own visual language.
"We weren’t trying to put fashion onto that culture. We were trying to recognise the fashion that was already there and push it somewhere unexpected."
Unveiling the collection at the Heat on the Street event emphasised this synergy. Motorsport spinning, a distinctly South African motorsport where precision driving meets showmanship, is as much about community and artistic expression as it is about horsepower.
Beyond the aesthetic, the production team brought on a fashion design intern for the full garment-creation phase, offering hands-on experience alongside Gibson and local seamstresses who produced the collection, ensuring that the initiative supported local skills, craftsmanship and livelihoods.
South Africa's broader sustainable fashion movement
While Engen Xtreme Kouture brought industrial upcycling into the spotlight, it is part of a much larger shift across South Africa's design landscape.
Local designers, institutions and platforms have spent years pushing the boundaries of sustainable fashion, proving that eco-friendly garments can be bold, luxurious and deeply rooted in heritage.
Mzansi is home to pioneers who have championed eco-conscious practices long before upcycling became a global trend. Designers like Lukhanyo Mdingi have earned international acclaim by prioritising slow production, local ethical labour, and preservation of artisanal craft.
Similarly, Sindiso Khumalo, winner of the prestigious LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers, uses her platform to create sustainable textiles, drawing on Zulu and Ndebele heritage while working alongside local craftswomen and eco-friendly cotton suppliers.
The practice of taking discarded textiles or non-traditional materials and turning them into runway art is gaining momentum across the country. Brands like Sitting Pretty focus on natural, biodegradable fabrics and zero-waste pattern-making, while streetwear labels regularly turn to local textile waste and pre-loved garments to create limited-edition collections.
Industry advocates and platforms
Institutions across Mzansi are actively building infrastructure for slow fashion.
Organisations like Twyg celebrate circular economy initiatives through the annual Twyg Sustainable Fashion Awards, providing a platform for local designers who prioritise closed-loop production, repairability and ethical sourcing.
Additionally, movements like Fashion Revolution South Africa continue to push for transparency, urging consumers and manufacturers to rethink throwaway fashion culture in favour of longevity and fair wages.
The future of fashion is longevity
Whether through garage-derived garments made from lubricant packaging or hand-loomed heritage textiles, South Africa's fashion scene is demonstrating that true luxury lies in resourcefulness, story and endurance.
As Gibson reflects, the most radical shift in fashion isn't finding a magic formula for eco-perfection, but changing how we value what we already have.
"I don’t believe there is an easy solution for sustainability. Almost every choice has a consequence. Cotton has advantages and disadvantages. Polyester does too. Recycling takes resources. Manufacturing takes resources. Even processes we assume are sustainable can create other problems.
"So perhaps sustainability needs to become less about claiming perfection and more about making conscious decisions. Ask where something came from. Ask how it was made. Ask whether you really need it. And, most importantly, ask how long you intend to keep it.
"Fashion has spent years convincing us that newness is the point. Maybe the more radical idea now is longevity."