Cape Town – South African designer Hendrik Vermeulen started sewing at age 6 and by 15 he had sold his first evening gown.
Since then he has gone on to grace the catwalks of the world’s fashion capitals – Rome last year and New York and Milan this year.
The Free State-born Vermeulen showcased his ready-to-wear 2015 autumn/winter collection at the Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week.
With his collection themed “Smoke and Mirrors”, Vermeulen took inspiration from the reflection one sees when looking in a broken mirror – embracing the beauty such an image can portray.
“We always want to have a little message behind our collections. This time around, in a subtle way, we wanted to expose the truth of the fashion industry which is all smoke and mirrors, an illusion. What you see is not always what you get,” he says.
For the finale at the Lincoln Center, in New York, the design house collaborated with Global Disability US and had wheelchair-bound models taking to the runway to raise awareness of individuals living with spinal cord injuries.
Managing director of Hendrik Vermeulen Couture, Jean-Daniel Meyer-Vermeulen says their unexpected finale carried a special message. “This was not only to raise awareness about spinal cord injuries but to also show that beauty is seen from different angles.”
Models wore garments made of custom-printed silks, springbok leather and Italian double-knit virgin wool.
The collection follows a 20-piece couture collection Vermeulen presented at the Alta Moda Alta Roma (Rome Fashion Week) last year, titled “Insecta Mirabilis”. Its message was about finding beauty in the most unlikely of places.
“There aren’t many platforms to showcase the art of couture in South Africa as most fashion weeks are sort of geared towards ready-to-wear. Being invited to showcase in Rome was a huge opportunity for us,” Vermeulen says.
Swiss-born Meyer-Vermeulen says they chose insects, “the worst possible thing”, as their inspiration because they believe there is certain kind of beauty that is not necessarily seen unless highlighted.
We met the design team at their flagship boutique on Heritage Square in the Cape Town CBD. The elegantly decorated studio is home to Vermeulen’s exclusive Prêt-à-Porter label, “Simply Vermeulen” – consisting of women and menswear, resort wear and accessories.
Meyer-Vermeulen says social media have played an important role in getting their brand noticed outside the country.
“It turned out that one of the organisers of the Alta Moda Alta Roma had been following the evolution of the brand on our Facebook page. She invited us to take part in the fashion show when she felt that we were ready,” says Meyer-Vermeulen.
“It was an extraordinary moment for us. Italians are very expressive and fashion is embedded in their DNA, so it was crucial for us to listen to what they had to say about us. At first we thought they were flattering us when they congratulated us. But when a number of them repetitively congratulated us, it sank in. Some even told us that they have been waiting for someone like us to give some sort of revival to the artistry and creativity of the fashion world in Italy and Rome.
“What makes us different from other designers is that we are designers for people. People don’t have to fit into our clothes, it’s the other way around. We make clothes that flatter women’s bodies,” he says.
“Most people have this misconception that couture wear is expensive, which has contributed to the growing number of cheap ready-to-wear exports which is killing the industry. We are proud of the fact that we don’t mass produce. There is nothing wrong with making money, but mass producing garments outside the country and labelling it as ‘Made in SA’ is a horrible trick that should come with a heavy penalty. It does not create any jobs or make the fashion industry evolve in any way.”
As someone who has been in the industry for almost three decades, Vermeulen says these are exciting times in the country’s fashion industry.
“Previously most South African designers were under the impression that European designers were better and a lot of designers copied what they were doing overseas. But now I see a Iot more identity coming through, a younger generation that is saying: ‘You know what, local is lekker. We have our own style and flair and we are pushing that further’.
“I am very excited about the future of SA fashion,” Vermeulen adds.
Nontando Mposo, Cape Argus