#DURBANFASHIONFAIR JUMPSUIT CENTRAL

DESIGNER: ALFALFA MLAMBO 

It was Jumpsuits galore at the 2014 Durban Fashion Fair which wrapped on Sunday at the city's International Convention Centre. From the established to emerging designers, jumpsuits quite clearly became one of the most popular items on the Durban runway as I observed from the front rows of the Fair, now in its third year. 

DESIGNER: KWEZI NKOMO

DESIGNER: NOKWANDA NGCOBO

DESIGNER: SIBONISO ZONDI

DESIGNER: SIBU MSIMANG

DESIGNER: SIBU MSIMANG

DESIGNER: YOLANDI WESSELS 

DESIGNER: ZARTH

FASHION'S FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH: MBFWCT 2014 HIGHLIGHTS

Re-imagined Amish headgear at Loin, Cloth & Ashes

It's always exciting to see young people coming into the fashion scene and shaking things up a little bit. That's what I think happened at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Cape Town this past weekend. The younger designers, for me, did much better than a lot of the established names, who are quite frankly just wasting everyone's time with their same ol', same ol'. Get a stall at Neighbourgoods or something, just don't come to fashion week to show us what you showed us last year and the year before and the year before that and the season before that and... you get the idea. 

Loin Cloth & Ashes

Anisa Mpungwe of Loin Cloth & Ashes is not so emerging anymore but one can't help putting her on this list because if it is going to be called Fashion's Fountain of Youth, her work fits the description perfectly because youth is what her collections inject into the often very tired scenes that one often has to endure day-in and day-out as fashion week rolls out. Everyone knows: LCA always brings it and this year was no different! Her Afro-Amish collection brought together the simplicity of the Amish dress code with the diversity of urban African youth culture giving a fresh spin to flirty summer dressing and switching up the print game we've come to know as her signature.

Nicholas Coutts 

I was most impressed with Nicholas Coutts fashion week debut where the ELLE Rising Star winner came out guns blazing with bold colours, structure and beautiful textures. His collection stood out the most out of all the AFI Next Generation designers, in my opinion, even though- I have to say- the rest also stood their ground. I think the standard in this emerging talent segment keeps on rising and that's exactly what one wants to see. If I may add, I think it is great that Ernest Mahomane, who was part of the New Generation line-up, was retained after showcasing last year because I think the more we get familiar with the younger designers and not rush through them like we are on some sort of assembly line, the better. It's best for the industry if we get more familiar with the emerging designers while gradually introducing new designers instead of replacing the entire group every single year. What that has shown us in the past is that people generally fall away into obscurity in the sea of other little known designers. How's a bitch meant to breath when he be out here getting choked up?
Of course these designers are not perfect (show me anyone who is emerging whose collection is entirely perfect) but they definitely show great promise and that is worth applauding!

Lara Klawikowski

I also liked Lara Klawikowski as I usually do. I love her in-tucking technique and how she used fabric to reflect the concept of a flower growing in ice, the theme she told me she was exploring with this particular collection.  
Speaking of the fountain of youth and in spite of the fact that she is no longer a youth, I think Marianne Fassler's collection was one of the most fun to watch. It was easy, full of optimism and was one hundred percent the best way to open this fashion week. The clever clashing of prints and the Afro-urban aesthetic, as I told the designer after the show, reminded me of Durban. 

Marianne Fassler

It seems I wasn't too far off the mark because she said it was a lot about taking this Afro-urban aesthetic to the beach. I just had to mention that in this post even though it is about the younger people I think the spirit of Fassler's collection warrants a mention!

Images: Simon Deiner/SDR photo

MISSSHAPE x TEETEE NTETHA

Delayed post, but fuck it! Frequent readers of this blog or even any average lover of South African fashion will know about the label Missshape and their ambassadors range that saw the brand putting out a collection inspired and designed in collaboration with Anthea Poulos (or Anthea Knows Best). This year, label owner Jamal Nxedlana collaborates with one of the country's most recognisable bloggers Thithi Ntetha of teeteeiswithme.com

The result is the pictures you see, which I think is very reflective of Thithi's often sporty but abundantly feminine vibe and the sometimes generous helping of bold prints that I have come to identify with her steelo.

LADUMA NGXOKOLO x WHAT DESIGN CAN DO IN AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS

One of South Africa's brightest fashion design stars Laduma Ngxokolo is off to The Netherlands where he is scheduled to speak at the What Design Can Do conference which begins on Thursday 8 May, ending the next day on the 9th. The event, now in its 4th year, was formed by a group of designers from various fields "with the aim of separating what is valuable from what is worthless. By showcasing best practices and visions raising discussions and facilitating collaboration between disciplines, What Design Can Do wants to raise awareness among the public for the potential of creativity. At the same time, What Design Can Do calls on designers to take responsibility and consider how their work can impact the wider society," according to the official website.

Ngxokolo qualifies because of his use of locally produced materials and his exploration of his own Xhosa heritage through design. 

 

Picture Credits: AmaXhosa by Laduma Ngxokolo AW2014 Lookbook

THE BIG "MEN IN SKIRTS" CONTROVERSY AND A SKIRT I REALLY, REALLY LIKE

Heard about the big, childish Omar Epps skirt controversy yet? Yeah. Well, Lord Jamar from Brand Nubian has been going on rants about why men should not be wearing skirts and, in not so many words, actually accused Omar Epps of having homosexual tendencies. Read all about it on Nicole Bitchie.

My view on men and skirts has always been that people should wear whatever it is they feel comfortable in. In his own defense to the Lord Jamar attack Omar Epps said it was a shame that African-Americans are so out of touch with where they came from they actually don’t realise pants are something Africans adopted from Western culture. True! I’m Zulu and our traditional garb, which men still wear today at cultural functions and the like, has no trousers that I know of. It is only the contemporary uMbhlaselo pants which, mind you, were made according to Western fashion standards that prescribe pants as the only acceptable norm for men. Epps’s argument was not enough for Mr. Conscious. He carried on his rant as you will see on Nicole Bitchie. How typical of so-called conscious artists to think they have all the answers!!! *cues Kanye West*

Anyway. I went to Fashion in the Forest held at Groot Constantia on Saturday where several designers including Stiaan Louw showcased small collections. I thoroughly enjoyed Stiaan’s show. I particularly liked a check shirt dress which, no doubt, Lord Jamar and all his consciousness- read: small-mindedness- will most probably not approve of. Menswear designer Kim Gush had my most favourite of all the looks. Yes… The shirt and skirt, pictured above.

THE LADY IN THE PINK DRESS AT THE VEUVE CLICQUOT MASTERS POLO

The lady in the picture above was my personal best dressed at this past weekend's Veuve Clicquot Masters Polo held at Val de Vie Lifestyle Estate, a little under an hour outside of Cape Town. She looks nothing short of elegant in this dress, which reminded me of the circle skirt ball gowns that Raf Simmons sent down the runway in his debut couture collection for Dior about two years ago. Was it Dior? No, the lady said. "It's Gavin Rajah". I couldn't stop clicking away, so yeah, I took a couple of pictures of her alongside her just as pretty friend seen here next to her. The lady in pink stole my heart but there was also many other well dressed, purty ladies at the Vueve Clicquot lounge where champers was flowing throughout what was really a beautiful and relaxing environment. 

BEE DIAMONDHEAD x KOPE FIGGINS x CRAIG PORT

I remember this wonderful collection by South African menswear designer Craig Port at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Cape Town last year. Now, my talented stylist Yonce friend- that's the new word for 'Diva'- Bee Diamondhead and the super talented photographic duo Kope Figgins have shot this kick-ass campaign for it.

How gorge?

DAVID TLALE: I CAN IMAGINE A HOLLYWOOD STARLET IN THIS...

By now you will have most probably read about South African designer David Tlale's show at  Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in New York. The show was a slight departure from what we are used to seeing from one of the country's top designers but it was perhaps one of the best collections I have certainly seen from him. As I live streamed the show on Sunday afternoon, I could not help going "wow" over and over and over again. The one thing I kept saying was that this is by far his most mature collection. I absolutely loved it and I can most certainly see a Hollywood starlet rocking something out of this one. The two images I chose above are the two looks I picked from the bunch as what I can imagine setting the red carpet alight with clicks from the paparazzi as a starlet sashays! I also loved this one- the showstopper, modelled by the gorgeous Tatum Keshwar.

Well done, Tlale!

ANISA MPUNGWE x MR PRICE

DESIGNER ANISA MPUNGWE AND SUNDAY TIMES FASHION WEEKLY
FASHION EDITOR ROXANNE ROBINSON

I don't know of anyone who is not currently singing designer Anisa Mpungwe's praises following the launch of her limited edition range made in collaboration with Mr Price. I was at the launch on Wednesday night and I couldn't resist buying even though there is no menswear in the range (well, I hardly shop in the men's department anyway). I think everyone in attendance left with at least two items and I am told one of the tops I bought was sold out at the Sandton store by the very next day. At MTV's VJ Search winner announcement event yesterday I think I speak for everyone who saw Bonang when I say she looked amazing in her "Anisa" print top (paired with her stunning Tom Ford boots). Roxanne is holding the top in the picture above. 

ELLE MAGAZINE FEATURES WRITER REFILWE BOIKANYO

TRUE LOVE MAGAZINE FASHION EDITOR PALESA MAHLABA

DON'T KNOW THIS PRETTY GIRL'S NAME BUT I
LOVED HER LOOK. NICE AND SIMPLE.

FELLOW BLOGGER MAHLATSE JAMES

THE ANISA LIMITED EDITION RANGE IN STORE AT THE
SANDTON CITY MR PRICE STORE