South African Fashion Week A/W 14 Collections

South African Fashion Week presented Autumn/Winter 14 Collections from October 3rd to October 7th in Johannesburg. This edition was particularly strong in ideas and creativity highlighting the hottest trends in South African fashion. While some designers were reluctant to take excessive risks, others banked everything on illustrating their trendy vision. Sometimes, it turned out well, sometimes it was way over the top and difficult to envision the pieces as a future outfits. Many of the 30 designers present drew our attention. Our favorite 10 collections were Suzaan Heyns, Gert-Johan Coetzee, Naked Ape by Shaldon Kopman, Roman Handt, Skorzch, Black Coffee, Ephymol,Rubicon, and Narainsamy. With a special mention to the Renault Talent Search Winner: Laz Yani, creative director of Cutterier, who received R15000, a Renault Mégane Coupé, a free space in the Buyers Lounge, the South Africa Fashion Week Pop Up Shop, and representation from The Fashion Agent for one year.

Yani stated, " [I was] Born in Mdantsane, a humbling township in the Eastern Cape, home to where my creativity is rooted. From a young age design became an integral part of my life. [I] Moved to Port Elizabeth where I studied fashion and fell in love with pattern engineering. This love propelled my move to Johannesburg with a bursary and a two year internship at an acclaimed fashion brand where I was awarded the chance to showcase in Vienna last year. [I'm] Currently working at a respected stretch specializing CMT with the hopes to gain a thorough understanding of the diverse commercial production system.” Cutterier is definitely a label to keep an eye on. Yani unveiled a feminine collection with a cameo feel, featuring some great lines that retained a masculine touch.

As to Suzaan Heyns, inspired by Minnie Mouse, she presented an ultra-feminine collection questioning, in a splendid and deeply reflective way: How would Minnie Mouse will dress if she was a grown woman? Meanwhil,. Gert-Johan Coetzee used fashion as a tool to contribute to the fight against cancer, collaborating with the Pink drive, a company which runs mobile breast-check units in South Africa. We loved the rigid corset on a couple of her dresses. Naked Ape, a menswear brand that lives between casual and classy is probably one of our favorites of these collections. The edgy scarf piece and the way he's positioned the zippers provides a impressive structure to some of his attire. Skorzch staged the dapper man with well-tailored suits and hats. Skorzch is designing for the gentleman. Superimposing huge pieces, structures, and geometry, Roman Handt made his point by almost stating Whether you like this or you don't, we do!  Black Coffee showcased an all black and sheer collection, theresulting pieces were stunning and embraced a woman's body perfectly. You'll find a perfect blend between classic and streetwear with Ephymol. As to Rubicon, you'll discover a stunning sophisticated feminine collection where you don't need to show a lot of skin to portray a feminine silhouette. Narainsamy is telling us that red and pink will be trendy in a year. The suits are perfectly tailored and spotlight different skin tones. Scroll through our gallery above and tweet #pretapoundo if you want to talk about it.