Durban designers, emerging and established, made their mark at South African Fashion Week (SAFW), held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Rosebank, Johannesburg, at the weekend.
Among them were Life by Andre Martin, Colleen Eitzen and Amanda Laird Cherry.
Emerging designers sponsored by the KwaZulu-Natal Fashion Council included Hombre by Vanessa Pillay, Duke by Sandile Mngadi, Mapitso Mokhele, Nicole Hoyer, K2Designs by Khanyisile Khoza and Freddy Fashion by Siyabonga Mngadi.
The designers were part of the four-day showings, bolstered by a buyers’ lounge and, for the first time this year, an online store that allowed the public to buy off the runway.
The aim, as always, was to strike the fine balance between commercial appeal and creativity, while creating clothing for the conundrum that is winter in South Africa.
Eitzen, who dubbed her collection, “Tree of life”, said, “My two children are grown and entering adulthood. My daughter is in matric. My personal life and circumstance have always had a profound impact on my work. This is where the ‘Tree of life’ comes from. It happens to be in beautiful autumn colours. The silhouettes challenge the idea of conforming to shape, while remaining current.”
She designed her own fabric for the collection and expanded a bit on this process, which appears to be a new frontier for fashion designers looking for autonomy.
“I’m not a textile designer, so it has been a challenge. Printing in South Africa is also costly. I’ve opted for a process called sublimation, which is a kind of paper transfer and is feasible for manufacture in our country.”
Another designer inspired by his children this year is Martin.
The men’s streetwear designer recently launched a boyswear collection, fashioned on his little son Cole.
However, at fashion week he presented a mature collection, as usual with just a few key/statement pieces for the season.
Cherry, meanwhile, always embraces winter with an array of practical jackets, which she feels the full brunt of in the US, where she is located.
Fashion week director Lucilla Booyzen said fabrication was a clear focus for many designers at this year’s showings and helped give many collections a strong individual identity.
Emerging designer, Vanessa Pillay of Chatsworth, incorporated scuba fabric into her men’s streetwear range.
“My collection is predominately in black, but with shweshwe fabric used for hems on pants and collars as well as pocket linings.”
Mapitso Mokhele also opted for black, but presented an elegant, eveningwear collection.
As did Nicole Hoyer, who catered for a more feminine audience. Her floral-inspired collection, with cinched waists and billowing skirts, tapped into a more romantic fashion movement.
KwaZulu-Natal jewellery designer Khanyisile Khoza of K2 Designs and Siyabonga Mngadi of Freddy Fashion featured in the buyers’ lounge this year and presented an African aesthetic which was another clear trend.
However, menswear appeared to steal the show this year and if fashion week is anything to go by, will surely be interesting come winter 2016.
Sandile Duke Mngadi explained, “Menswear is increasingly drawing on womenswear for inspiration.”
The uMlazi-born designer predicts longer length tees, leggings and even kilts as genderless clothing advances.