The 10th anniversary of Cape Town Fashion Week is upon us and this glam event is now a firm fixture on the global fashion calendar.

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Cape Town 2012 opens tonight with a red carpet event and address from the city’s mayor. From then, it's all eyes on the runway as South Africa's premier designers showcase their take on cutting edge style this season.

There's a lot to look forward to this year - from Michelle Ludek's highly anticipated shoe range, to David Tlale's "I Am Not Coloured, I Am Colour" collection, which will be exhibited at a surprise venue (a signature move for his Cape Town collections).

Stefania Morland's designs will channel Marie Antoinette, with luxuriant, decadent fabrics in creamy yellows, turquoise and pink. The designer describes the range as modern, but opulent.

Leigh Schubert, on the other hand, most recently acclaimed for her uniform designs for the South African Olympic team, says she's going philosophical with her Cape Town Fashion Week collection, using lots of layers and soft fabrics in colours like pale pink and coral.

This anticipated line is a far cry from the athletic silhouettes of her Olympic kit design and she describes the collection as emotional and feminine. Craig Port's return to MBFWCT has also been warmly welcomed and his collection will transition straight into a ready-to-wear line this season, using mint green, navy and metallics.

With the theme of “icons”, this year’s fashion week pays homage to classic and definitive style icons from a host of different ages and the diversity of designers is bound to manifest itself on the runway. On its 10th anniversary, the event is firmly cemented as a stylish stop on the world fashion calendar and we can’t wait to see what comes out on the catwalk.

Image credit: Simon Deiner Photography/SDR Photo/Cape Town Fashion Week 2011