The countdown is officially on for the next edition of the South African Menswear Week (SAMW).
The best in Africa’s menswear designers will present their spring and summer over four days at the Cape Town Stadium.
While the limelight usually shines on the designers, models and the fashionistas, there is an entire production team that works tirelessly behind the scenes making sure that each show is flawless.
@mokoelosa finale models at #SAMW AW16.
A photo posted by SA Menswear Week (@samenswearweek) on Feb 26, 2016 at 3:27am PST
The work towards creating an unforgettable show begins with a consultation between fashion show producer and designer, says production director Deon Redman [CORR] of Deon Redman Creative Production [CORR].
“The designer’s vision informs the choice of model, the styling, hair and make-up, music selection as well as the production design. The focus is always on bringing that vision to life in the venue, evoking the tone and feeling of the collection so that the audience understand the concept behind the garments,” explains Redman.
Durban-born Redman, a former model, started producing shows by default, he says.
“I just kind of jumped into it. I started with a showcase in Durban called the Durban Designer Collections with a ramp laid out in the middle of the City pool. My first fashion week show I worked in was for designer Craig Native [CORR];
“After I moved to London things really took off, I was fortunate enough to work with and learn from a a number of top international production companies, lighting directors and designers. Since then I have worked in 36 cities around the world on various fashion week shows and fashion related events,” he says.
A great show producer is someone with a really broad knowledge base of not just fashion but also of the technical elements of the industry such as lighting, sound, stage and set design. Also keeping abreast of most aspects creative industries from art to history, it will allow you to work from an informed point of view, explains Redman.
“The key is being able to understand and translate a designer's vision into their live show. Wether the production is simple and minimal, or on a grander scale with a large complicated set and production design, the key is to transport the audience into the designer's mind, to create a coherent context of the collection they are seeing,” he says.
As a head of production for SAMW Jennifer Deiner [CORR] who also heads up the Group of Creatives (GRP/cr8/) worldwide [CORR] it’s also all about taking the designer’s brief and transforming the space and experience into something magical for the audience by working using sets, music, lighting and choreography to match the vision and collection of the designer.
“Whilst we need to make it great to watch, we always need to remember the shows are done for the media and photos so that the designers can sell their garments,” says Deiner.
The Group of Creatives production company based in Cape Town produces fashion weeks in Africa and Europe such as the Lagos Fashion and Design Week, Swahili Fashion Week, Africa Fashion Week Nigeria, Africa Fashion Week London and Durban Fashion Fair.
“I love the challenge of creating new and exciting experiences for each show...building on what we have done the previous season to elevate the platform. We are fortunate to work on a number of high profile fashion weeks from Lagos to London, and each one being so vastly different is always a pleasure to work on,” says the senior producer for London Fashion Week.
A photo posted by ChuSuwannapha (@chusuwannapha) on Jul 2, 2016 at 11:59pm PDT
Fifty carefully selected designers will showcase their collections in the fourth instalment of the menswear focused fashion week, the only one in Africa, from Wednesday until Saturday. (July 6-9)
5 Designers to look-out for
1.Jenevieve Lyons
2.Chu Suwannapha
3.Rich Mnisi
4.Maxhosa by Laduma
5.MO’KO ELOSHA by Julia Mpoko