/ 30 September 2012

SA Fashion Week: Where worlds collide

Colleen Eitzen's sophisticated line of dresses and jackets
Colleen Eitzen's sophisticated line of dresses and jackets

While some designers played it safe, others dared to play around with textures and prints. 

Ephymol closed off the week with his artistic designs on Saturday night. His models showcased bespoke shirts, jackets and pants and his signature poloneck as part of an eclectic winter range.

"The aim was to fuse fashion forward trends with the usual classic pieces people love in order to cater for the daring man and the man who is accustomed to the classic look. I tried to move away from the usual style I go for", said Ephraim Molingoane, who is known for his bold and individualist design philosophy.

Ephymol fused different material and patterns such as quilt and leather to make the two worlds collide. He used his signature winter colours of red, black, grey and white.

In addition to Ephymol, other designers such as Lyric, Roman Handt and Naked Ape embraced the leather phenomenon.

The designs seemed to be mimicking the international trends of bright colours spilling over from the winter season. Paledi Segapo of Palse Homme said he was "tired of the dull grey, sad-looking colours".

The influence of neon was showcased by designers such as Gert Johan Coetzee and Katharin Kidger, while other designers embraced burnt orange, pink and green.

For the men, the focus was on the cut of the clothing and slim silhouettes. Many designers shied away from ankle-cropped trousers and embraced longer pants, while maintaining a focus on tailored, slim-fit clothing. Classic Dutch fabric, houndstooth and leather were big winners, topped with red and burnt orange.

Women had a vast variety of trends, from an ethereal look with raw silk designs to woollen dresses with mostly green, yellow, grey and nude pallets. I saw soft asymmetrical silhouettes from designers such as Sies!isabelle, whose models carried leather bags and wore bronze jewellery, complementing the handknitted scarves and impractical shoes.

Designer Colleen Eitzen showed a variety of coats and jackets to suit all occasions. Her range was smart, grown-up and sophisticated, while still maintaining her customer orientated style.

New designers to look out for are Zano Sitheto — winner of the new talent search — as well as Kathrin Kidger, Bianca Warren and Hanrie Lues.