Day 2 of SAMW arrived with a
cold bang. Cape Town weather was acting up but the fashionistas were out in
full force to ensure their dose of menswear was filled to the brim once more. A
few shows stood out for us, a little more than that of Day 1, so it was
definitely a great day for fashion for gents. Here’s our take on the labels
that made an impression on Day 2 of SA Menswear Week, at Cape Town Stadium.
Mo’ko Elosa by Julia M’Poko
A collection titled ‘Shibui
Kanzo’; Mo’Ko Elosa presented a well-crafted and simplistic menswear
collection. Keeping in-line with Japanese inspiration, it featured clean,
understated and uninterrupted lines and geometric shapes. The silhouettes were
skinny, tall and edgy. The colour palette was a muted white and black with a
dose of eclectic army green linens. The collection was an easy kind of cool,
with one or two pieces also bringing in an element of sports luxe.
Imprint by Mzukisi Mbane
Imprint’s second showing at SA
Menswear Week was a presentation of ‘Roots’; a collection drawing its
inspiration from the Mother as the singular source of birth and creation and
heritage as the source of identity and pride. The collection hosts pieces easy
for the beach or cosmopolitan resort life we all strive to live. Accessorized
by a local eclectic brand, Sticky HodgePodge, the collection is light, playful
and uses print to explore volume and silhouette for the new African man. The
man bags, big and small, also didn’t hurt the collection. There was a pair of
red sandal-style shoes that we are definitely going to get our hands on.
OATH Studio by Rich Mnisi
OATH Studio by Rich Mnisi is
always a favourite of ours. The designer definitely didn’t disappoint. With a
beautiful sleek silhouette, the OATH man is all about colour and monochrome
print-on-print with a possible dash of orange just to further ensure your
attention. There is an introduction of volume, which we didn’t see much of in
his AW15 collection in Feb but this time around, if the jacket isn’t oversized,
the pants are: AND WE’RE LOVING IT! The hot orange sleeveless biker jacket also
does a little twirl in our books. Great cuts and styling with beautiful
standout looks and pieces; overall a great collection once more.
Shirt & Co. by Korbla Dzotsi
The use of light natural
fabrics in earthy colours always hints towards African forests and sunsets.
Trips to the Serengeti and being modern-man about it. Korbla Dzotsi’s showcase
for his label, Shirt & Co., presented just that, with what we deem to be a
touch of India. Safari jackets with slightly tucked in waistlines to create
shape and form, extra-length shirts with fabric belts knotted high waist and
high-waist drop crotch pants modernized to support the growing sports luxe
trend – these are all small identities of Indian attire. Essentially, some of
the looks we could have done without, but the collection in its entirety was
well-finished and introduced a fresh silhouette for the city man.
Projecto Mental
All the way from Angola and
fresh from the Florence catwalk for Pitti Umo’s first ever Constellation Africa
showcase in conjunction with Ethical Fashion Initative, Projecto Mental was a
rather fresh surprise for us; particularly due to the fact that their focus is
on men’s suits. We’ve done enough of that, so we generally switch off the
second a suit comes onto the runway because, unfortunately, very few menswear
designers locally know what to do with a suit other than to make it in navy
with a slim leg. Projecto Mental on the other hand had us in awe with the first
look – a pinstripe jumpsuit. Well sized, cut and styled, this opening look set
the precedent for what would follow: slim cut + tall silhouettes + easy
formalwear + chic casual items + colour plays + mixed fabric and print choices.
It was an utter kaleidoscope of texture and colour and we loved it. It represented
a young man who understood the need for a finely cut suit without apologizing
for his enjoyment of fun and interesting fabric and colour choices.
#menswear #SAMW #ss16 #runway
#blackmalemodels
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