FOR most designers, the days before a major fashion show are filled with fittings and final preparations. For Durban designer Karen Monk-Klijnstra, the countdown to the 2026 Durban Fashion Fair (DFF) happened from a hospital bed.

Just days before the Vintage Vogue & Velocity event, Monk-Klijnstra suffered a serious fall, requiring surgery.

Although she was discharged the following morning, she attended the event in a wheelchair. Nine days later, severe chest pain and difficulty breathing led to another hospital admission, where doctors discovered pulmonary embolisms in her lungs.

“Now this is really where my mind went into overdrive. You really are not allowed to do anything. I designed and planned and re-planned my range, channelling my umbrage and frustration into my statement.”

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She was discharged just two days before her DFF show, but continued designing from her hospital bed.

“It truly happened from my bedside. Gathering fabrics, looks and garments on my first recovery, taking photos, planning and drawing, and then the High Care escapade meant I had only my phone and pen and paper.”

Once home, her bedroom became a makeshift studio, filled with sewing machines, fabric, dressmakers’ dummies and trims. She said her assistant, Dombi Muthwa, played a crucial role in bringing the collection together.

“Dombi, who knows me backwards, became my legs, my eyes and alter ego. I was messaging her from the bedroom to the studio and she would return with what I needed.”

The collection also featured striking hats made from old LP records, created by milliner bestie and fellow designer Margaret Rider. Friends, colleagues and the DFF organisers also helped with transport, photography, music, models and production.

The collection’s theme held particular meaning for Monk-Klijnstra, as DFF 2026 explored “Where Legacy Lives”. After 30 years in fashion, she said she has become increasingly conscious of the skills and traditions passed down through her family.

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“I have so many crafts and haute couture tricks taught to me by my mother, whose mother was a couturier, my grandmother, and the realisation that these secrets would die with me.”

This inspired her to launch an “Unlock Your Fashion Potential” course, sharing her knowledge with people from different backgrounds.

“There is no greater reward than to see the light in people’s eyes when they realise they can. And DO!”

For the DFF collection, Monk-Klijnstra also stepped away from her usual colourful and flamboyant style, embracing a darker, edgier and more rebellious aesthetic.

Ruffling some feathers

“I thought it was time to ruffle some tail feathers.

“Re-inventing oneself at 54 keeps them guessing. Adds mystery and hell yes, fate intervened and gave me just the fodder I needed to express my rage and angst. My difficult experience ultimately became part of the collection’s creative energy.”

The DFF show was her 15th appearance at the event, and she was also honoured for her contribution to Durban’s fashion industry.

“To receive special recognition for my role played and contribution to the industry has left me humbled. Emotional. Inspired and incredibly grateful.”

After everything she had endured, simply making it to the runway was an achievement.

“After what I had been through in the past few weeks, I felt so blessed to still be here, alive to tell the tale and be present at DFF, albeit in a wheelchair temporarily. It will always remind me of the fragility of life and simultaneously the indomitable ferocity of the human spirit.”

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