This week Joburg played host to fashion fundis, celebrities and guests who converged on Sandton City’s rooftop to get a glimpse of local designer’s latest collections.
Apart from this season’s showcase, celebrations were also held as SA Fashion Week (SAFW) celebrated its 21st anniversary.
During the six-day spectacle, a variety of design elements, textures and tones took shape on the catwalk.
Although some of the Autumn/Winter 2019 (AW19) ranges were in line with those seen on international runways, many were uniquely African in nature, firmly placing the continent as an authentic fashion destination.
These are some of the trends that dominated:
Mustard Yellow:
Design by Sies Isabelle. Picture: Eunice Driver
The cheerful shade not only dominated the local runway, but has consistently featured in top leading collections recently, including international brands such as Carolina Herrera, Moschino and Tom Ford. The appeal of the hue, which has been dubbed by some as the colour of 2018, is that it is bold, confident and compliments a diverse range of skin tones. It is also considered as a fun and easy way to inject a dose of vitamin C into a look.
The colour can be worn from head to toe to make a real statement, which is what local designer Thebe Magugu opted for in his Woolworth Style by SA range when some of his models took to the runway draped in mustard yellow. Some of his peers, including Cindy Mfabe and Afrogrunge, decided to incorporate elements of the shade into some of their overall ensembles.
Statement headwear:
Design by Irina Stetsco. Picture: Eunice Driver.
While covering your head seems to be in vogue, this is an everyday practice for many South Africans. This was widely reflected in this season’s collection as models walked the catwalk donning headscarves, hats, berets, beanies, hoodies and headbands. Statement headwear adds an extra element to an outfit. Some of the most striking looks came from local designer Black Coffee, who put a formal twist on the trend, while Irinia Stetsco’s models wore triangle headwear.
Monochrome:
Design by Judith-Atelier. Picture: Eunice Driver
It is no surprise that the basic yet bold black and white style is yet again one of the season’s hottest trends.
The appeal of monochrome is that it is considered the epitome of style and sophistication and can be reinvented in subtle ways.
It appears local designers could not get enough of this classic trend and many of them, including Fikile Zamagcino Sokhulo, ArtClub and Friends, Outerwear and Judith-Atelier, opted for an almost entire monochromatic collection. Many other designers also included elements of the trends into their collections but decided to add a pop of colour to the black and white ensembles.
Ruffles:
Design by Gert-Johan Coetzee. Picture: Eunice Driver
Ruffles and flounces remained a fashionable form and have appeared on major catwalks around the world, including in collections showcased during SAFW AW19. The simple but dramatic component gives an ordinary garment new life and is seen an antidote to smooth silks and long, lean silhouettes. A well-placed ruffle even does the job of statement jewellery or a good handbag. Local designers this week, including Cindy Mfabe, Fikile Zamagcino Sokhulo, Black Coffee and Mantsho, did not confine ruffle detailing to just dresses. This season they were everywhere, from ruffled pants, to collars and shoulders.
Layering:
Design by Thebe Magugu. Picture: Eunice Driver
Why wear one garment when you can put a collection together to also present an entire ensemble? This was the school of thought at Balenciaga, Simone Rocha, Missoni, who debuted collections featuring elements of layering on runways around the world.
South African designers gave it their own unique twists when their collections were presented.
The likes of The Watermelon Club, Thebe Magugu, Rich Mnisi, Ode, HSE, Ka-Sha and Amanda Laird Cherry mixed different garments, fabrics, colours and textures to present eye-catching, layered looks.