On the first night of Sanlam South African Fashion Week, as people filed in for the Craig Native show, I found myself sitting next to a leggy young fashion student from London. Hilarious and entertaining as he was, he kept commenting on the clothes by comparing them to United Kingdom retail outlets such as Marks & Spencer and Topshop, punctuating each comment with questions like: ‘Do you know what Topshop is?â€
I didn’t have the heart to tell him that yes, after two years of living in London, I did know what Topshop was. Neither did I feel like explaining that no, Zola Budd, whose image formed a leitmotif in Native’s collection, was not some kind of lowveld flower.
Luckily not every audience member was as ignorant about local design talent as my foreign neighbour. And at this year’s SSAFW, perhaps more than in any other, designers have identified with their South African heritage, expressing it through fabric choices, partnerships with local crafters or through images of our iconic athletes such as Budd on T-shirts.
Lucilla Booyzen, director of the event, says that this year there was a ‘clear, visible impulse†by designers to express their South African identity.
She says that although international elements such as garment silhouettes may have influenced their work, local designers reinterpreted them in a unique way.
‘It’s diverse. In other countries, you see the same idea in different fabrics, for instance. Here its very unique,†says Booyzen. ‘The designers have also matured when it comes to the business side of things.”
The perception is that a collection is a selection of ornate show garments ‘which it’s notâ€, she argues. A collection is about the commercial viability of a designer’s work and how much money can be generated from a collection of their garments according to Booyzen. She feels that this year designers really delivered, with almost none of them creating ‘fantasiesâ€.
‘You could wear 80% of the garments on show at fashion week,†she points out. And ‘wearability†was certainly what most designers aimed for, judging by what was seen on the catwalks last week.
Ephymol creator Ephraim Molingoana says his collection for SSAFW has been about creating clothes for men who feel great about themselves and who want to attract attention.
‘The men of today love attention and so my clothes are very attention-seeking,†he explains. Indeed, his collection, with its heavy use of metallic fabrics, opulent golds and understated silvers, is at the very least eye-catching.
During the SSAFW winter collection in March, New York-based milliner Albertus Swanepoel provided the hats for the Ephymol show. This time round Molingoana teamed up with New York-based jewellery designer Michael Zirulnik, who created the accessories. Molingoana says that despite having to describe his entire collection to Zirulnik telephonically, his jewellery complemented Molingoana’s clothes beautifully.
Lunar designer Karen Ter Morshuizen says that this year she experimented with lighter, more luxurious fabrics, based on feedback she received from her time at London fashion week. Using lots of silks and cottons, Ter Morshuizen says she experimented to achieve a ‘more sporty†feel to her clothes. SSAFW also saw the launch of Lunar’s first complete menswear range, stamped with all the simple, clean elegance people have come to expect from this label.
On the heels of SSAFW, Lunar will travel to London fashion week in mid-September, where they will take a stand at the exhibition. Ter Morshuizen says they have given themselves a three-year window period to exhibit in London, after which they aim to show a full collection at the prestigious fashion event. Until such time though, Ter Morshuizen will have to be content with wowing local audiences.
SSAFW journeys to Cape Town and Durban for the regional showcases. Cape Town shows will be held at Woodstock’s Old Biscuit Mill on September 6 and the Durban shows will be at the Durban Light Infantry on September 13
