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By: Vincent Zondo Mhlanga – @StyleJoburg
SA Fashion Week kicked off last night at the Crown Plaza in Rosebank where some of the very best SA fashion designers showcased their latest spring/summer collections.
The first day hit the spot with a lot of the fashion editors and bloggers who were on my radar. With the most loved collection being the ever so fabulous Black Coffee. I later caught-up with Jacques van der Watt’s to get his perspective on his collection, “The starting point were the mud cloths from the Makuba tribes in Congo – the workmanship has been passed down from tribe to tribe” he said.
The collection illustrated a lot substance with the shapes that were almost marking the body as he worked with a lot of positive and negative shapes. But above all, the headgear really stole the show and served as the one golden thread within the collection. “It was a cross reference of a strong equestrian and gladiator feel juxtaposed with African masks in the front as I tried not to be too literal in my interpretation” he concluded.
Clive Rundle also showed his collection through a live installation reminiscent of a magazine fashion shoot with a voice over seemingly trying to interpret what the viewer could be seeing from the collection as models took to the stage platform for the presentation. “It examined a person’s personality, character, and emotional functionality. Since most people are reluctant to describe their thinking process.” He said.
Sheldon Kopman concluded the night with his installation that featured a few key pieces, curated through a video that was about the rural-urban migration of a young man. And in true Naked Ape style, pieces are made from natural fabrics like woven bamboo, organic cotton and hemp, accented and layered with fine perforated leather.
Arise magazine took a few South African designers to Paris last weekend to exhibit at Paris Fashion Week. Team SA consisted of Clive Rundle, Karen Ter Morshuizen from Lunar, David Tlale and Malcolm Kluk and Christiaan Gabriel du Toit from Kluk CGDT – and Jan Malan and Juanita Daniel who put the show together.
We’ve yet to get news of any major deals going down, but they were definitely hob-nobbing with the best.
Pictured above are (top) David Tlale, Jan Malan and Juanita Daniel with the godfather of French fashion Didier Grumbach and (bottom), Jan introduces him to Clive Rundle.
As head of the French Fashion Federation M. Grumbach can make or break your career in that town.
I hope to post some pictures of their fashion soon.
Here is more Clive Rundle footage…
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So this was definitely the most talked about show of the week. Clive Rundle proved once more that at least for him fashion is a cerebral undertaking. This season he tackled nature and the state of play in the mammalian subsector as determined by David Attenborough – his relentless voice over spliced with a Buddhist chant was enlightening if a little intense for a Friday night. Rundle’s designs channeled mammals big and small from the snow fox to the platypus. I am feeling that one of those towering fur hats is just the thing for the Durban July.
I believe Clive is going to start blogging soon, which makes me super happy. He may have caught the disease when guest blogging for the Frock Report from Paris – I’m just speculating here.
In the interim here is a small vid he made at the fittings for tonight’s show…
Last one
Clives comments: That’s so last week. And
Are we so the next best thing !!!!
Ephraim’s comments : Things have their own value. I won’t compromise on quality. Anything is possible. We have got the tools for a break! Mission complete now its up to us!!
Karen’s comment: MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!!!!!
To read the rest of the Paris Diary of Clive Rundle,Karen Ter Morshuizen of Lunar and Ephraim Molingoana of Ephymol
go here and work your way through to Day 7 – I fear I still have the jealous:
Day 1
Welcome back guys can’t wait to see the Winter Collections – starting on the 1st of April
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Well sort of Sanlam SA Fashion Week is sadly not flying Simon and me out to that delightful city, but we are all going to vicariously experience the joys of Paris through the eyes and blogging talents of three of SA’s top designers Clive Rundle, Karen Ter Morshuizen of Lunar and Ephraim Molingoana of Ephymol.
They arrive in Paris today in the thick of Paris Fashion Week for a ten day stay. The idea is to spearhead a research collaboration between the Sanlam SA Fashion Week (SSAFW), a leading French design academy – GIH Mode and the Department of Arts and Culture (DAC), to make international fashion industry savvy available to South African designers. For ten intensely exciting days they will get the inside track on important aspects of the European fashion design and retail environment under the expert guidance of GIH tutor, Marie Faure.
The Frock Report is proudly collaborating with the intrepid three, we look forward to experiencing the delights of Paris with daily updates from each designer. I believe they are off to a heady start with some intensive market research this morning – in other words they are going shopping.
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DAY 1….
Read more about the programme after the break . Read More…
For Clive Rundle, one of the vanguards of SA fashion, Summer is about the simple pleasures to be found sitting in his garden.
