“There are four elements of fashion design: shape and form, line, colour/value, and texture.
There are five principles of fashion design: proportion and scale, balance, unity (harmony), rhythm, and emphasis.”
– Fashion Institute of Technology
The concept of Interlude has been ruminating in my mind for a very long time – mostly as a far-off dream projected somewhere in the decades to come. Only recently, with the encouragement from Connect Everything Collective founder Candice, has it become apparent that channelling the things I see and feel around fashion + design could be brought into form. The idea for this column is to peer into the most recent past in South African fashion, and as we are barely into 2022, the occurrences I have selected for Chapter 01 are all from the latter part of last year; wherein the midst of uncertainty and chaos, local designers continued to bring out collections that were visually nourishing and structurally thought-provoking. In my view, there is no real boundary between streetwear or luxury, in the sense that if a garment is well designed and contextually conveyed to its audience; it is worth talking about. In this way, the labels featured in Chapter 01 encompass both – and while this may not always be this column’s format, much of what this first edition concerns are specific garments, from specific collections. To speak about structure in fashion design, is to weave together the elements and principles noted in the introductory quote from FIT.
The very nature of garment design is the transition from 2-dimensional flat plans, to fit the curvature and contour of a 3-dimensional body – so I suppose, fashion is always a celebration of structure – and therefore feels like a fitting originating subject for Interlude | Chapter 01.
In April 2021, Yannick Ilunga (best known as Petite Noir) introduced the sartorial component to his evolving “Noirwave” landscape. The label, NO BORDERS, is an apt name – it describes a sentiment that both Yannick and Rharha (Rochelle Nembhard) draw on as part of the Noirwave ethos; the destruction of socially constructed borders and divisions. Staying true to Yannick’s artistry, NO BORDERS offers basics emblazoned with punk-esque graphics. In regards to structure – the piece from 2021 that struck me the most – was the “Novita 1” loafer. A single seam binds down the center of the simplistic, unisex shoe – beautifully crafted reminiscent of the cobbler tradition – available in black. While most loafers showcase a heel or buckle, the Novita 1 is a pared back accompaniment to layering. Honestly, the importance of an uncomplicated yet beautifully crafted black shoe cannot be emphasized enough; I hope to see more iterations of footwear from South Africa design.
It would be totally remiss to touch on 2021 without mentioning Connade – Shelley Mokoena’s made-to-order womenswear label. Having styled a few pieces last year, I can attest to the intricacies of Connade’s construction; details such as piping, pleating and ruching are fantastic ways to manipulate and elevate fabric. This is something consistent of Connade’s essence as a label; most recently, the Cleansing Collection ‘22 exemplified this – with the nature of water underpinning the contours and accentuations of the garments. Structure is created in the “Contour One Sleeve Dress” with bold piping along the seam to exaggerate the shape of the dress – with piping also added to the ruched “contour tube top” –
this creates an organic line that curves, challenging the typical straight seams one expects from pattern-making. The Paneled dress is another indicator of Connade’s consideration of form – these can be complicated engineering feats to perfect for design – strips of fabric are layered in varying heights to create tassels, with the caped sleeves bringing volume to the upper-body while the tassels cascade. I like this juxtaposition of proportion; and Connade creates statement pieces in line with a sense of minimalism; yet where minimalism can often feel dry, Connade imbues a sense of richness in the details that are worth fawning over.
Imran Mohamed’s ASA SADAN was launched in September 2021, now exclusively featured at Daniel Sher’s (GoodGoodGood) store DuckDuckGoose. ASA SADAN is an homage to the heritage tailoring of Cape Town’s Islamic community and South Africa at large; the first drop, “Dissertation Studies” combines sharp tailoring contrasted with elements of tech-wear; where so much imagining of futurism is set in outer-space, Imran has created a bridge between generations of past and present built firmly on this soil. The sage tactical vest is so good;
and when worn together with the tailored single pleat trousers, a real case is made for why great design is about perfecting base elements – and why sartorial lineages between cultures and communities will always be the original blueprint for everything we might see on the runway or in windows. Imran is an alumni of my dream school, Central Saint Martins, and this capsule collection is a follow on from his studies there; thinking about CSM having a dose of South Africa presented to them with this level of finesse gives me goosebumps.
With maximalism and colour on my mind, I have to mention Artho Eksteen’s debut at SA Fashion Week. I have spent the last few years amassing nude and black tones in everything I buy and concerning myself with brutalist ideation in design; and finally colour is calling out to me again.
Artho’s AW22 collection was print mania with layered knits – and really very interesting and joyful – it felt like a Gen-Z Chulaap with a twist, and has motivated me to be bolder in 2022 in my own style.
