The SA Fashion Week SS16 Collections – Part 6: Athleisure, Edge & Glamour
The common problem with fashion writing is that we either overlook the most brilliantly conceived and painstakingly produced elements of a collection – or we ramble on, praising, criticising, fainting and gasping to a point where it’s no longer clear whether we’re talking about coats, shoes or an obscure branch of 19th Century philosophy. So we set ourselves this challenge for the SAFW SS16 Collections: reveal the essence of each collection – in less than 50 words. AfrikanSwiss SS16 A hardcore collection with lots of denim, stiffened leather and heavy zipping. Harsh paint splash detail, black ‘oil streaks’, exaggerated patchwork and rough dye patterns on overalls and jumpsuit-styles come together to create blue-collar chic. Esnoko SS16 Relatively plain and conventional arrangements are cut from fabric printed with kaleidoscope patterns. Old school lines and newspaper boy caps contribute to the fanciful mood of the collection and remind of carnivals and colourful townships. Touch of Bling (ToVch) SS16 Looks from 80s New York street-style (think Beastie Boys) gradually merge into sleeker, classical cuts with African hints. Sharp, cool and very much for the night. D.O.P.E. SS16 The perfect streetwear collection for residents who live in cities where temperatures skyrocket in summer. It’s nonchalant, unconcerned and breezy. The racquetball prints on pale colours are fun and pretty without being childish, and the cuts comprise the best of shapely athletic...
The SA Fashion Week SS16 Collections – Part 5: Scouting Menswear in Association with GQ Magazine
Words by Ludwig Spies Photography by Simone Oranje Additional photo edits by Stuart Hendricks The common problem with fashion writing is that we either overlook the most brilliantly conceived and painstakingly produced elements of a collection – or we ramble on, praising, criticising, fainting and gasping to a point where it’s no longer clear whether we’re talking about coats, shoes or an obscure branch of 19th Century philosophy. So we set ourselves this challenge for the SAFW SS16 Collections: reveal the essence of each collection – in less than 50 words. Floyd Avenue SS16 The winner of SS16 Scouting Menswear presented a relaxed collection of manzanilla-toned khaki. Apart from some Indian silhouettes, the palette, overall-style suits and leather strap harness details are solidly located in the safari trunk of a gentleman explorer. Hombré SS16 Poison green, black and snakeskin warn onlookers that a bite from a boy who wears this collection will take you down in 10 minutes. Dangerous, seductive and slick. Non-European SS16 The calm silhouettes and light fabrics contain hints of Asia and Africa, but the collection strongly hearkens back to North America before the arrival of Europeans. Feather accoutrements, and bead and embroidery detail around the collars adorn the garments with a dreamy, mythic quality. Zamaswazi SS16 Zooty blocks and strips of colour, pleats, grid patterning, and unusual Springbok skin detail offer the perfect ensemble to the modern dandy. It’s uptown funk with a slightly inflated ego. House of St Luke SS16 This collection is a vibrant, heady mix of tropical prints and colours. Afro-Asian headdresses are combined with candy-coloured sport shoes and country club shorts. It’s the kind of psychedelic you’d expect from African expats on the Paris art scene. Martelle Ludik SS16 Dark, brooding fabric, dishevelled layers, tears and largeness create a heavy, gritty and aggressive collection that unashamedly seeks to arouse and challenge anyone who sees it. The collection boldly moves beyond androgyny towards genderqueer and gender-bending. Rogue SS16 The winner of Scouting Menswear AW16 returned with another collection true to the post-apocalyptic, urban inspirations of the brand. The palette and cuts are cool, stark and functional, and this mood is entrenched by the plastic buckle-clip details. Grey concrete and windswept coastlines come to...
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