MTN Dbn Fashion Week: Ifa Lethu Heritage Collection
She chants the sacred verses in a barely audible voice… She sways the sacred whip from side-to-side…She walks up and down in a circular trance like manner… She looks up to the heavens and seeks the ancestor’s blessings…No, we are not at an African tribal ceremony but instead at the Ifa Lethu Heritage Collection where a sangoma is blessing the collection and transforming the catwalk into a sacred site.
This is the second Summer collection unveiled at the MTN Durban Fashion Week by the Ifa Lethu Foundation, South Africa’s largest heritage development organization. The collection has been titled ‘Voodoo Picnic’ (alas, to my dismay, there were no dolls, pins or food to be found anywhere) that takes a ‘socially reflective slant on Durban fashion.’ The range was designed by Karen Monk Klijnstra, Bonga Bhengu and Gugu Msimang, under the watchful eye of Ifa Lethu Fashion Consultant Greg Wallis.
The show has been divided into four scenes with musical interludes. The first, titled ‘Picnic Chic’ is a 50s inspired scene that is crisp and fresh. Here we see gingham in bright colors. The second scene is titled ‘Durban Tribe’, is tribal tattoo inspired street wear that is versatile and ready-to-wear. This scene has an unusual palette of sienna, olives and ivory. The third scene is titled ‘Voodoo jol’, and reflects Durban’s vibrant colorful personality. This scene is colorful, jazzy and intense with a palette of oranges, azure blues and purples. The final scene rounds up the collection with the inclusion of celebrity models Parsons (Tshepo Maseko) and Nandipha (Hlubi Mboya) from the soap opera Isidingo. Here we see a gentleman trying to woo his love interest but is mischievously rejected by her repetitively, only to succumb to his charm – in the form of sensual kiss. Overall, the Ifa Lethu Heritage Collection was mix of fashion and theatre, a blend the ancestors will be proud off.
Words by Aarif Saib. Images courtesy of the MTN Durban Fashion Week photographer Simon Deiner.
