Cape Town - Standards of beauty are questioned in the latest menswear autumn/winter 2016 collection by avant-garde fashion designer Jenevieve Lyons.
The collection, titled Macula, is built on a concept of ambiguity and anonymity focused on the beauty brought through from what is viewed as the “ugly”.
The word is taken from “macule” which translates to a spot or blotch, especially on one’s skin.
Lyons’s work over the years has always explored a visual parable or human concept and this collection is no exception.
The idea of spots, freckles and albinism is highlighted and reinterpreted through classic design, paying homage to the notion of the other.
The collection takes the form of a campaign to raise awareness and convey the true beauty of, for example, albinism as well as the individualism of having freckles.
Lyons was first inspired after watching the film Moshanyana, which explores albinism, to create a collection that celebrates something often regarded as an imperfection.
The collection also has military references, interpreted as a shield that individuals have to carry in society.
The collection is kept minimal with fabrics made of silk and traditional felt in muted tones of khaki, brown and beige combined with freckled wool prints.
Each look is layered on many dimensions.
These are in the form of trench coats, layered fabrics, asymmetrical pieces and trousers.
Lyons is based in Cape Town. The debut for her collection was at the SA Menswear Week earlier this month.
l Macula autumn/winter 2016 is available on pre-order from [email protected]. See www.jenevievelyons.co.za.
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