ALL the stops were pulled at this year’s South African Menswear Week as almost 70 designers from across Africa showcased their collections during the four-day fashion extravaganza.
Held at Cape Town Stadium, it ended on Saturday after a successful run and full-house attendance every night.
South African Menswear Week creative director Simon Deiner said this year’s show exceeded all expectations, with an explosion of talent and a range of audiences.
“We were overwhelmed. The standard was so high, with a mixture of streetwear and conceptual designs. The number of people who attended this year grew by 20 percent,” said Deiner.
More than 200 designers applied to feature at the show. About half of the applicants were from other parts of the continent.
A major local retailer was so impressed that he made a purchase immediately after one of the designers' show.
"South African Menswear Week is not where designers get an ego boost. It is all about getting buyers interested to improve their business sales,” said Deiner.
One of the popular brands featured on Friday was BLANC, with its mixture of avant-garde and streetwear. A year since Tameez Vayej and Alexandra Blanc joined forces, their signature style of layers, print and colour put them firmly on the menswear fashion map.
“We enjoy pushing the boundaries to keep our brand unique. Although we cater for the high-end buyers, we mix it with a street culture. Cape Town’s fashion industry has so many talented designers and the South African Menswear Week gives them a great platform to showcase to a big market,” said Vayej.
Lukanyo Mdinigi’s authentic clothing line received a standing ovation on Friday night. The young designer described the experience as "incredibly revealing".
“Season after season and collection after collection, I believe that there has been a sense of progression with regards to the event and the designers. I believe that it’s important that those who are showcasing use this as a platform to their businesses' benefit,” said Mdinigi.
He described the fashion industry as relentless, where depending on others is
essential.
“Walking down the runway as a singular means very little to me as it was a team effort that put the collections everybody sees walking down these ramps of fashion week.”
Mdingi recommends the platform for young designers ready to take on a financial, business, creative and personal responsibility in running a proper fashion label.