Arise Magazine showcased 3 notable South African Designers for it’s Fall 2010 launch at the tents: Black Coffee, Nigeria’s Deola Sagoe and Tanzania’s Loin Cloth & Ashes.
Designers Jacques Van Der Watt and Danica Lepen make up the identity of Black Coffee which debuted a wonderfully dramatic yet soft line of pleated coats and dresses. Voluminous and muted, coats appeared in shades of rose, nude, salmon, slate and putty. The designers looked to Picasso, and his cubist reinterpretation of African masks. Hence, the quiet tones, the bell like proportions, the geometric folds.
Arise magazine has managed to be the forerunners of introducing the world to global style. And it’s quite evident that South Africa has its own talent on the rise.
— Jeanie Kwak
Photos by Stevyn Llewellyn
At Venexiana the main attraction was stunning floor length ballgowns that where tiered, pleated, fishtailed, and adorned with appliques, crystals and big satin bows. The color palette was very deep and saturated, enhanced with bold statement jewelry. Designer Kati Stern played with volumes, high necklines, backless pieces and different patterns that evoked an old Hollywood glamour feel. — Maria Giannakakis
For Fall/Winter 2010, Yigal Azrouel was all about architectural tailoring that blurred the fine line between his menswear and womanswear. There was much attention to details like leather inserts and sexy back cutouts. The color story consisted of black, brown, gray, cream and flashes of color shown in a bright red coat and a magenta evening dress. Some key pieces were leather jackets, tubular knits, patchwork sweaters and strong sleek suits.— Maria Giannakakis
Architectural pleats and layers dominated Adam Lippes’ namesake label this season. Bold berry hues and rich burnt orange played right into the F/W season with neutral cool greys, black and charcoal. Exposed metal zippers and dark sequin effects added a clean line of rigidity to the feminine shapes in luxurious fabrics, leathers, and fur. The warmth of the collection waxed and waned as neutrals floated in between burst of traditional fall hues. Metal appliques gave a protective coat of armor and deliberate, sharp tailoring hinted at a fitted form. The use of clearly girlish touches in crinkle pleated skirts mixed deliciously with cozy thick cable knits coated in foil. The few but purposeful and beautiful prints in the collection shone from the subdued first plaids to the last abstract animals. ADAM’s Fall/Winter collection simply just gets better the more you look at it. — Rachel Rozzi
