Fashion Week- Sylvester Falata

Newbie Sylvester Falata had the honour of closing Fashion Week with his men’s only collection. The collection had the traditional suit but feminine details like high waisted belts, shoulder pads and floral prints would seem a bit avant-garde for some or a new frontier for male fashion. I had a quick Q&A with him.

Mas: How do you feel now that the show is over?
Sylvester: Excited! I was nervous in the beginning but now that it’s over and the response was great, I’m excited.
M: What was the inspiration for the collection?
S: I was inspired by the recession, us surviving it and the move forward. The feminine details were international, I was going for an über-sexual look not only focusing on pink but also offering florals’ as an alternative for men. The theme was urbane safari- sophisticated safari, jungles and the urban setting we find ourselves.
M: Where too next?
S: Bryant Park, New York.
M: Why Fashion Week?
S: I was an exhibitor last year and the response was great so I said I have to do the show this year.

I’m not quite sure I’m ready for the new über-sexual but if women can pull off suits then, maybe men could pull off high waisted belts. Maybe not.

Fashion Week Day 3- Darkie

Darkie’s collection was probably the closest to South African basics than any other collections. The show had South African “country music” and a nice break from grey and peach. Orange and green were the colours of choice and the print was a variation of either their trademark afro comb or African artefacts. Overall the show was nice to look at and totally different from previous shows, mainly due to the print and colours.

Fashion Week Day 3 Evening session

Night time at Fashion Week and one show stood out- Thunderstorm. Showing a Mens only collection, Thabo Maserumule put a nice twist into the traditional suit, with industrial references like work helmets and paint brushes and see through cases with “packed lunches” in them, the collection made reference to migrant labourers in the 1960s and equated them to the modern GQ man. There’s only so much one could do with a suit and Thunderstorm did it all with class and elegance. Beautiful show.

Fashion Week Day 3 Afternoon session

Collections by Colleen Eitzen, Soda and Terrence Bray on Day 3 and the shows didn’t disappoint. Colleen focused on basics, barefoot models, linen and leather sandals. The collection was light and flowing, (the power of linen). Colours of the moment: grey and peach as well as a light rosé pink.
Soda used unusual prints; everything from animals like rabbits and panda’s to Japanese Geisha girls. Unusual but well executed.
Terrence Bray also focused on prints- less animal more earthy. He broke from the common grey and peach and focused on brown and the different variations of it.

Fashion Week day 2 Evening Show part2

Collections by Two, Rjkay Creations, Gugulam and Loxion Kulcha

Fashion Week day 2 Evening Show

We missed the evening session, but these were the highlights from the Chimera and Karen Monk Klijnstra collections

Fashion Week Day 2 recap

Afternoon session at fashion week and while two collections emphasised elegance, class and femininity, the other was a tribute to Africa. Rubicon’s summer collection was about “taste” and class according to designers Vuyokazi Keke and Raymond Matukane and Sies! Isabelle designer Isabelle Lötter wanted a “new way to interpret absolute femininity”. Both collections were beautiful and well made, the grey, white and touches of peach were soft and feminine.
Mantso’s collection was about creativity, designer Palesa Mokubung drew inspiration from her journey from South Africa to Nigeria, which is easy to see- from the African prints to the ‘Gaddafi’ sunglasses, all the models looked like dictators. Power dressing for the female dictator.

Follow this girl too

Thanks to Maserati Motloung who’s holding the fort this weekend as I don my mother’s hat and head out of town for the school holidays. I’m devastated to be missing the rest of the SA Fashion Week shows but at least I can visit Mas’ Frock Report and stay in the loop.

Follow that girl!

If you want to follow all the action at SA Fashion Week, through the eyes of our very own Style Rookie, then don’t miss Paris B’s posts on the SAFW blog, http://safashionweek.blogspot.com/
Beautiful Paris is the teenage daughter of Annemarie Meintjes, Visi magazine’s design visionary, and it appears those genes have done exactly what they needed to do – been passed down.

Here’s what Paris has to say in introducing her blog:

Just like every story needs a beginning, so does the magician his introduction.
I’m not the magician however.
Just a teen growing up in e’mam Jozi.
And because I have, just like every other teen up here, I understand the city
- correction-
we understand the city.
So it’s not wonder that by bringing us an event so close to its heart
- SA Fashion Week Summer Collections (25 – 27 March) –
we understand the city’s beauty even more.
From it’s ‘Explosion in the sky’ sunsets, to it’s history-stained bulidings, the Chicken Licken round the corner and the constant hum of cars, feet and autumn air;
there’s just no better city to host it in.

What sort of ramblin’ is this you ask?
My name’s Paris
(no, not like the Hilton – kinda leaning more towards the city)
and I’m a teen growing up in Jozi.
I’ll be here over the next few days giving you the down-low on what’s happening over here at the Turbine Hall in Newtown, JHB.
So swing by, there’ll be pics, short summaries of the shows, hope-to-sound-ok insight and more rambling’s worth reading for all you fashion junkies.
And if you’re looking for some hot ‘scandal’ gossip,
then forgive me but I must point out that you are on the wrong website.

For those who are sadly missing it this year… this one’s for you.

Au Revoir for now,
Amanda Laird Cherry next
Back in a bit.

Lovage
Paris B