PoseZA attended the South African Menswear Week SS15/16 from 02 -04 July, 2015.
We enjoyed the event as a whole but felt that there were certain aspects of the event that could’ve been managed better.
We were however excited to have seen growth and innovation in menswear fashion we had our favourites who we’ll elaborate more on during the course of the post, we also liked that were was the correct mix of design from street wear to Avant Garde.
These are the
key trends we picked out for the coming Spring/Summer 15/16
The Longer length top/Kaftan.
We saw that the longer length tops are still carried into the next season this time in easy breezy linen and see through fabrics like chiffon and mesh. We noticed that menswear has taken a more relaxed direction in terms of silhouettes for the coming summer/spring season we are no longer in boxy and stuffy structured silhouettes we’re seeing luxurious holiday wear being introduced and by holiday wear we’re referring to ensembles we can wear along the coasts at the end of the year we no longer have to settle for board shorts vests and flip flops we can laze around in the sun in kaftans, look great at pool parties in great cover ups after a swim, we can go to work in dressy but effortless coats in light summer fabrics sleeveless or with sleeves we think every guy should invest in one and the options are endless whether in leather as we saw at The Kim Gush (p.1) and Rich Mnisi (p.2) or tailored as seen at the Shirt and Co. (p.3) and Projecto Mental shows (p.4).
You’ll be glad to know that you can hold onto your sports inspired luxe trend items for another season we’re continuing with the trend for another season with a few updates.
Jenevieve Lyons (p.1) showed us a soft yet Avant Garde sports luxe inspired collection with colours one would associate with the natural scenery while taking a stroll along the beach, we saw great separates like the colour blocked navy and army green three quarter jacket, the psychedelic prints on the jogger pants and shorts in butter soft looking fabrics not forgetting the great attention to detail and strategic layering.
Simon Deporres (p.2) showed us a more modern city influenced sport luxe collection with pops of colour on items such as socks and bags we recommend them for core basic items like their shirts, zip up jackets, chinos and sweaters we like that they provide quality goods with clean lines.
Augustine (p.3) who are known to dress the countries best dressed fellows like Maps Maponyane and Hop Hop giants AKA and DA LES showed us a fashion forward with athletic influences but safari themed collection from the first look they sent out which was a pastel min and black paneled jacket, the white jacket with transparent pockets was an item we think most guys will want to wear it’s definitely a statement piece we also appreciated their fashion forward three toned sneakers and the cut out boots will go on our wish list.
Merwe Mode (p.4) ,Showed a more tailored relaxed but still dressy sports luxe collection they had amazing design details in their collection like their shirt with their logo print which was paired with a sporty zip up jacket that was lined with the same logo print, the bottle green raincoat with a transparent panel.
We also liked their pastel mint green items like the long sleeved draped top which probably feels amazing on the body.
For the gents that enjoy the dapper movement sit up and take note for the upcoming season we’ll be continuing with stripes there’s also lots of colour as seen in the Projecto Mental show our stand out items in the collection was the tartan emerald green and navy suit he also showed great brogues in bright colours he humored us with what we think could’ve been a scene straight out of an urban Angolan context we enjoyed how models were fitted and finished dressing on the runway it was the perfect way to end of day two.
Prints.
Safari, tapestry inspired, tribal, camo print, there were plenty of options.
Shirt and Co showed us a warm colour pallete inspired print but the item we liked the most from them was the easy coastal inspired print in green and orange.
We also have to mention Maxhosa by Laduma Ngxolo (p.1,2,3) a clear crowd and industry favourite that closed off day one we think that when a designer can introduce his cultural heritage to the world and make it innovative but still wearable and keep delivering better work each season that’s special, for the coming season he gave us functionality talk about getting more bang for your buck loved the reversible jersey that was demonstrated on the runway, the black and white shorts with the turn up detail in baby blue in the signature Xhosa inspired print as well as the cardigan with the black button stand.
Taf the Taylor (p.4,5) showed us a military/grunge inspired show with camo print being the main focus teamed with lots of black and white you could see that the collection had a strong street wear influence and we appreciated the subtle attention to detail on the turn ups and pockets.
Accessories
If you thought the only accessories for guys are limited to watches and belts well then we suggest you listen up menswear accessories are on the come up for the coming season from the likes of Jagadi Man (p.1) who showed us how to wear chunky Jewellery.
We saw great sandals and open toe shoes for the coming season so gents let’s get our grooming in order because there are a whole lot of options to consider this coming season as seen from designers like Mzukisi Mbane (p.2), Augustine (p.3).Our favourites though were at the Merwe Mode show who showed us the sporty slip on design (made popular by Adidas) but theirs came in a handmade alternative in tan and black they were paired with these matching handbook carriers also in tan and black.Kola Kuddos took us on an Indian inspired journey with sandals that had patent leather detailing on the straps.
These are the designers who in our opinion stood out and showed us innovation and pushed the boundaries.
Oath by Rich Mnisi
We felt that the collection was a breathe of fresh air we appreciate that he always pushes the envelope for menswear this particular collection could have been shown at any of the major fashion weeks internationally it was modern with a rich sportsluxe element he showed us geometric black and white prints, beautiful coats in a royal blue and bright orange option we loved the high waisted trousers with a wide leg and all of the flared silk three quarter trousers and the orange sleevless biker jacket.
Lukhanyo Mdingi
Lukhanyo Mdingi presented a collection which in our opinion was easy and effortless we felt that the attitude of the kind of man who would wear these garments is man that doesn’t try too hard that appreciates well-made clothes it was also refreshing to see what we termed as a “humble collection” the garments didn’t compete with each other but were still special enough to leave an impression and stand out from South African Menswear Week as a whole we think that his fabric choices were spot on and we liked how the clothes moved, our favourite looks were the see through lose shirts and the black jumpsuit with the mandarin collar the hats, sandals and bags were also a lovely touch we also liked that the collection was in navy blue with touches of black making them great for mixing and matching.
Kim Gush
Kim Gush an obvious favourite showed a hard and edgy collection making it stand out from what the other designers showcased it seemed to have a dark heavy-metal /musical and street wear influence we felt that the collection was ultra-trendy and modern with go getter attitude it was as if she was challenging men to take a bit more risk with their fashion choices with items like mesh and leather crop tops, our must have items in her collection are the leather dungaree which was the opening look, the slouchy black shorts with a dropped waist and the longer length top with the patent leather band at the bottom with cut outs if that was the case we heard you loud and clear and we accept your challenge.
Imprint by Mzukisi Mbane
We have reason to believe that this particular designer ventured out to an exotic part of the world and secretly found a tribe unknown to the rest of the world and spent time immersed in their culture taking note of every detail about this breed of people to find his inspiration, although his collection had a strong Avante Garde influence there were items like the pastel yellow shorts we think any man could wear, he also showed great separates that we could see at an invite only pool party during the summer time the racer back striped cover up in peach and white that glided down the runway would be perfect for such an occasion the kaftans were also to die for we feel every detail of the collection was well thought out from the tribal inspired Jewellery provided by Sticky Hodge Podge to the straw hats with the frayed brim we also need that oversized bag with the bright red binding and the red sandals.
Orange Culture
Orange cultured showed us a collection that was dainty and romantic it was definitely a collection that had a deeper routed meaning and after reading about the inspiration it became clearer.
His collection was inspired by the tales of fishermen and their relationship with their canoes, their journeys in truly finding themselves from spending so much time alone out at sea and becoming one with the elements around you with just your thoughts without the hustle and bustle of the city of Lagos the collection is based on what the Orange Culture Man would’ve worn during the 70’s in Nigeria Lagos.
He showed us see through mesh tops paired with bell bottom trousers that were reminiscent of the 70’s but the items we thought were special was the brown kaftan, we also like the black print which also had a scarf” which is of cubic paintings of a Lagos fisherman rowing his canoe under the longest bridge in Africa, The Third Mainland Bridge, as the sun sets in golden slides”
We also thought that the accessories were well thought out and linked nicely with the inspiration our favourites were the straw clutch bag, the small neck pouches in green and red and the leather chokers.
The last show for South African Menswear Week 2015/2016 was by industry vetetans Magents Lifestyle they kicked off their show with a video by South African Rapper Blaklez who gave a modern rendition of the iconic "I am an African" Speech in an urban Johannesburg Context and immediately we had the feeling that the show would be themed around being proud of your heritage as we’ve known Magents Lifestyle for who target the young man on the come up that enjoys urban street wear fashion.They showed us great sneakers and we thought the denim washes were "dope" and models walked the runway with positive message written on their chests about being proudly African and lifting their fists by the time they reached the end of the runway as a sign that they were proud of being African which couldn't have been a better way to end of the eventful three days.
We thought that menswear design as a whole is showing great signs of growth and improvement we saw a lot of talent and innovation we are super excited about the future of menswear in the country and Africa as a whole urge our readers to continue supporting local design by buying local fashion goods and we would like to thank South African Menswear Week for the event and the invite we hope to be part of the experience again.
Pic Cred: Simon Deiner SDR Photo POSEZA team…
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