#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

KILO KISH x MAISON KITSUNE

I discovered Kilo Kish on Soundcloud a few weeks ago, as one does, and I've been listening to some of her music every now and again. Because I'm a sucker for indie music I've gone and Googled her only to find this shoot she's done with French fashion/record label Maison Kitsune.

So, as I often do, thought I'd share her music alongside this lookbook, which I like. Sorry Tom Burke, but this ain't about you right now. #bye

Here's her "Homeschool" EP.

More Maison Kitsune pictures below.

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. 

KEEP IT OR CUT IT: JENNIFER LOPEZ

This is the look that Billboard.com thinks deserves a “worst dressed” title.

Superstar singer and actress Jennifer Lopez wore this while filming the video to her World Cup song We Are One (Ole Ole). Says Billboard.com: “The singer worked parrot-print short-shorts from Milly’s Spring 2014 collection paired with a bold Cédric Charlier’s Resort 2014 sweater. She completed the wacky look with neon pink Casadei heels and free flowing tresses. While we love J-Lo and bold color combos, this look is a bit young for the singer. We’re not talking 20s experimental young. We’re thinking this is more of a bad teen rebellion look.”

I disagree. Like them I love bold colour combos and while this look can somewhat be perceived as “young”, whatever this means, I think if you have the body (and face) to rock it, so be it! J.Lo is a performer so the other thing, for me, is that performers are exempt from the “young” rule, provided they are able to pull it off and I think Missy over here did. There are plenty 20 year-olds I know who would be envious of how she looks in this!

SOLANGE x PUMA GIRLS OF BLAZE DISC COLLECTION (DOOOOOOOPE!!!)

Please note that this collection will not be made available in South Africa, but I thought why the phuck not share it anyway? It was, after all, designed under the creative eye of my fantasy BFF, Miss Solange Knowles. She also styled and directed the shoot for the images you see. Also, if you listened to her last EP TRUE and can't wait for new music, this is what the beautiful and fuckin' talented Miss Knowles tells Puma:

I’m wrapping up the writing on my album which is my heart and soul right now, as well as focusing on Saint Records, my label and first release respectively while building saintheron.com in the process.

On being called a "style icon":

First off, I’m very careful at owning that title. I really am just as influenced by the everyday girls on the street as much as I am the glamazons, or singers, artists, and performers...I simply am a fan of anyone who really identifies with themselves in that moment and own it! SO with that said - Feel it. Own it. Work it.

I love her *sigh*