STIAAN LOUW STOLE MY HEART

There’s nothing I find more boring than the whole idea of afro-centric fashion where the emphasis on “afro” or "tribal" is so glaring that one finds it hard to see past it. Those linenny, heavy materials used in making Xhosa gowns- Sun Goddess style- make me queasy. Somehow, even when designers do their best to make their products practical, few succeed and the rest just leave me with nightmares of some or other traditional ceremony (or an opening of Parliament, maybe), because let’s face it, a lot of it fits perfectly there than it does anywhere else. You can go on about my “Western” mentality if you like, but if African is stiff, then, really, I’d rather remain Westernised.

I watched Stiaan Louw’s show with delight this past Joburg Fashion Week and thought to myself;“I'd give anything to own that entire collection”. The draping; to die for. The light materials; to die for. The Earthy tones; lovely! The subtle references and contemporary outlook on what a modern and stylish African-meets-Middle-Eastern bloke (you can take that to mean whatever you want it to mean) should look like; 100%! The collection felt very tribal but I am not sure what a lot of people meant when they said it was not wearable. Really? Maybe they were just not imaginative enough. I will wear those threads anytime! And not even at a special occasion. I’d rock it as in right now!

Photos: Simon Deiner/ SDR Photo