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 mind.
