Renaissance Men SA: #REVIEW: SA Menswear Week Day 2

Day 2 of SA Menswear Week started off a little better than Day 1. The heat was still there but there seemed to be way more order than the day before. The line-up was pretty decent, with a showcase of African (from outside South Africa) designers: Mustafa Hassanali & Abrantie the Gentleman. Craig Port pretty much dominated the line-up with two labels of his being showcased: Craig Port and Lucky Luke, An interested come-back kid brand, Magents, also graced the line-up with their presence.

Here are our highlights for the day:

Abrantie the Gentleman

Brian Lehang (BL): This was where tradition met modernity. Abrantie stayed true to his designs and his belief of the modern gentleman who knows where his origins are rooted. He kept it simple with colour: using white, black and a touch of red. However the complexity of the designs with immense effort put in every piece keeping it very Ghanaian without using his traditional colors was the boldest highlight. When one watches the shows he doesn’t have to ask, it’s in black and white.

Photo by SDR Photos

Palse Homme

BL: We often see luxury on women clothing, now right here it is luxury at first at its best. In this collection its intense high fashion yet very practical. As bold and daring as they are one can still wear them regardless of occasion or no occasion. The Palse Homme should be wearing these pieces with pride and not to seek attention because that’s a given. Every quality of the fabric used in this collection is rich and the art of prints is so narrative it was just a movie on the runway. With this collection it was not just about the designs but also the creative styling of every look was well executed.

Monde Mtsi (MM): Paledi Segapo, of Palse, delivered a well-styled collection. Combing elements from previous collections with those of the new. Models came out ablaze with fiery painted eyes and faces. It all seemed rather tribal in a concrete jungle kind of way. Palettes and hues ranged from earthy desert colours to a few cool blues. The silhouette was a strong, tall rectangle.

Photo by Larry English Photography

Magents

MM: Keeping it real to the core, Magents entered the scene some moons ago with a truckload of energy. It appears the energy levels have only increased with passing years. Stepping up to the plate as the guy’s-guy brand, Magents showcased a vibrant collection of street, sports leisurewear. Colour and activewear pieces merged to culminate in a range of great styles in genuine and comfortable fabrics. From what started out as a humble shoe brand, into now a fully fledged lifestyle brand, the collection showcased creative applications to footwear and further relived its brand ethos through branded tees reading slogans such as “Amandla Awethu” and “Do you know what a igusheshe is”. True street. True South Africa.