Brands embrace fashion’s new edgy look

Published Feb 11, 2016

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Cape Town - Not too long ago, the fashion world was distinctly divided into menswear and womenswear.

But, of late, the line between the two has blurred, indicating the end may be near for the traditional “his” and “hers” sections in clothing stores.

The gender-fluid look is dominating runways across the world, and brands and celebrities are embracing the movement.

Luxury brand, Louis Vuitton recently revealed their SS16 campaign starring Jaden Smith, the eccentric 17-year-old son of Hollywood stars Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith.

In the print campaign, Jaden, who is known for his “genderless” fashion choices, is dressed in a skirt to pose with three female models.

At the third instalment of the South African Menswear Week (SAMW16), a four-day event that was held at the Cape Town Stadium until Saturday, it was evident the trend has reached our shores. Thirty-five designers from across Africa presented their Autumn/Winter ’16 collections and sheer feminine fabrics, loose silhouettes and embellishments commanded the runways.

The collection by Cape Town designer Mzukisi Mbane of Imprint included a mix of kaftan dresses and a full body skirt, while Joburg-based designer Rich Mnisi’s beautifully curated “Zulu Lounge” collection of feminine silhouettes and fabrications was a crowd-pleaser.

 

“The inspiration for the collection is the Zulu tribe’s strong aesthetic use of colour and proportions, and how they just throw in a few reckless things.

“I wanted to explore the inconsistency of the aesthetic, so each look has its own personality paired with the Zulu earrings, Iziqhaza.

“Also, I collaborated with Maria McCloy on the shoes and with Navarre & Marchand on bags… It was a collaborative, long process but a fun collection to produce,” says Mnisi, who is known for pushing boundaries.

It was also the first self-titled collection for Mnisi, who is founder and creative director of the fashion brand OATH, which was part of the Design Indaba 2015 Emerging Creates programme.

“South Africa is the best place to be right now. We have so many young talented designers who are producing great work. That is the No 1 driving force for me right now,” he says.

Lukhanyo Mdingi and Nicholas Coutts collaborated to produce a standout show of muted colours and shaggy knits.

“We decided to collaborate six months ago and everything just happened organically.

“It was really great to see how the two aesthetics from our different brands just merged into one another.

“Coutts is inspired by so much African and ethnic cultures and I am a pure traditionalist, I love taking styles from the decades and making them more contemporary.

“We created each piece by merging those two things together,” says Mdingi.

Nontando Mposo, Cape Argus

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