Durban - Summer styles, from botanical prints and wispy whites, to strong reds, lumo hues and denim, were on the ramp at SA Fashion Week’s Spring Summer 2015 collections in Johannesburg.
The four-day fashion showcase, which ended on Saturday, featured 57 designers who gave a foretaste of the hottest looks for summer.
Durban designers Colleen Eitzen and Amanda Laird Cherry celebrated their coastal roots on opening night, with Eitzen showing dune vegetation inspired prints and Laird Cherry’s models walking down a tree-lined runway in blue and white, beach-themed clothes.
Black Coffee’s Jacques van der Watt presented structured garments with geometric patterns and detail, collaborating with crafters from Ekurhuleni Municipality.
Durban-based Sandile Mlambo’s House of Alfalfa predominantly white range was romantic, yet tailored, while Rubicon’s sophisticated look with red, black and white impressed the fashionistas at the shows.
Craig Jacobs’s Fundudzi mixed active wear and glamour in lumo colours and AfrikanSwiss gave denim a glamorous twist.
Durban designer Thembeka Vilakazi walked off with first prize in the Lufthansa First Best Collections on Friday night.
Vilakazi’s range, Yadah Exclusive Designs, featured tangerine, turquoise and pink 1950s-inspired designs, with shweshwe fabric giving it African flair. She wins a trip to Berlin Fashion Week in July.
Saturday’s shows were dedicated to menswear, with Charthu, the label of Durban’s Mike Narainsamy, featuring beautiful tailoring in checks and plains, described by Narainsamy as “love and art”.
The SAFW Buyers’ Lounge allowed media and buyers to meet designers and place orders as SAFW’s focus is The Business of Fashion, connecting designers with customers.
Daily News
PICTURES: Simon Deiner / SDR Photo