Durban Fashion Fair is over and a week full of exciting shows
and events went by. With their brand new collections, the designers had us in
‘awe’. Each of the designers had a unique point of view for their collections,
which made each show interesting and great to watch.
The Swag Craze Team have spotted the following five biggest trends from
Durban Fashion Fair:
Afrocentric
The Afrocentric trend is a key favorite for designers. The
colours usually pop and the prints are bold.
The following designers showcased the trend on the runway: Bhekisisa Langa, Black Pepper, Abrantie
The Gentleman, Clemas (Menswear); Ruutz, Afrolicious, Aimsworth Design,
Mo’Creations & Couture, Ralfe (Women’s wear).
Monochrome
The simplicity of monochrome makes it a timeless classic, and once again it remained a key trend at Durban Fashion Fair.
The following designers showcased the trend on the runway: House of St Luke, Black Pepper, CSquared, Palse, Shadow by Sidumiso (Menswear); Tiba-Sheena, Zarth, Jamal Taslaq Couture, Thula Sindi, Shadow by Sidumiso (Women’s wear).
Soft Colours
Soft tones remain in style and are always great for Spring/Summer collections.
The following designers showed us how to wear this trend this season: CSquared, Viyella, Kuene,& Sons, Terrance Bray (Menswear); Ruutz, Bamboo Hill, Khanyi, Amos, Ralfe (Women’s wear).
Transparency
Transparency is a great trend for Spring/Summer. Designers showed see-through sleeves, skirts, shirts, etc.
The following designers showed us how to rock this trend: Lekonic, House of St Luke, Black Pepper (Menswear); Sanah Designs, Tiba-Sheena, Jamal Taslaq Couture, Nonkosi (Women’s wear).
White
White is a classic color that is always in style.
The following designers showed us how to rock this trend: Viyella, Lekonic, Life by Andre Martin, Palse and Shadow by Sidumiso (Menswear); Zarth, Jamal Taslaq Couture, TDZ Designs, Kathrin Kidger (Women’s wear).
Earlier this year adidas Originals kicked off a
global campaign with a star-studded TVC that challenged the notion of what it
means to be a superstar.
The push – one of the largest ever for the Originals
brand – celebrates the 45th anniversary of the Superstar, adidas Originals’
most iconic and one of its best-selling shoes. It features Rita Ora, David
Beckham, Pharrell Williams and Damian Lillard together in the ad and plays with
the idea of self-expression while challenging conventional definitions of
superstardom.
The campaign sees a number of further collaborations
with two of the artists who appear in the advertisement, Pharrell Williams and
Rita Ora. The Pharrell drops have seen unprecedented success in South Africa
and after the groundbreaking Supercolor release in April, Pharrell is back with
the FW15 release of Supershell.
As the creator and curator of this fresh new
concept, the Supershell Collection sees Pharrell hand-pick friends and
creatives from around the world to reinvent the shoe for the very first time.
The result is the Superstar shelltoe coming alive with these creatives’ bespoke
artwork, joined by six of Pharrell’s very own designs. Along with Pharrell’s,
the collection of NYC contemporary designer Todd James and Japanese artist Mr.,
will be available in South Africa.
“Supershell is all about evolving the Superstar shoe
into a canvas for creation. It’s the third part of our #OriginalSuperstar
campaign and it is aimed at giving those with creative courage the platform to
express themselves without being swayed by opinion” says Ricole Green,
spokesperson for adidas Originals in South Africa.
“We wanted to bring the global campaign to life
locally, so we went about looking for an opportunity to work with artists in
South Africa who personified the essence of the Superstar.”
The result is a powerful documentary style short
film titled ‘It’s Not About Us’ which follows the journey of The Sartists, a
Johannesburg-based creative collective, who aim to recreate and communicate
authentic and untold African stories through fashion and photography.
It’s an intimate portrait of three unique characters
- Kabelo Kungwane, Wanda Lephoto and Xzavier Zulu – and their shared passion
for creativity which is brought to life through the photographic lense of
Andile Buka. The film reveals their motivations, fears and dreams as they work
tirelessly towards their first ‘big break’ – a collaboration with adidas
Originals for the launch of Supershell in South Africa.
“The Sartists have been on our radar ever since they
showcased their curated vintage suits and leather brogues with the iconic three
stripes at one of the very first STR CRD’s in Johannesburg. Their passion for
adidas, the product and the brand’s heritage is so inspiring and we’ve been
waiting for the right opportunity to work with them. We believe that The
Sartists are the perfect translation of the Supershell’s meaning on a local
level – giving credit to artists that have developed their personal style in an
effort to create for themselves without the need for external validation. They
share a consistent trait with the creatives selected for the global Supershell
campaign having developed their personal style with a commitment of creating
for themselves – a commitment to creating for an audience of one” explains
Green.
Drawing
from local stories for inspiration
With The Sartists’ personal creative work spaces,
the streets of Jozi and their community hangouts as the backdrop, the film
captures how Kabelo, Wanda and Xzavier came to meet, where they find their
inspiration and how they express their creativity without restriction.
“This film isn’t about us,” says Xzavier.“It’s about the people who will be inspired
by this. People that are going to take away from it that ‘this is possible’,
even for them.It tells a collective
story – of the aspirations of our youth, of young creatives in South Africa
finding their true voice and not surrendering their talent to conform.”
Wanda adds: “We’ve always been inspired by our
environment and we saw it as a way of giving back – an opportunity to somehow
pay creativity forward while celebrating our stories of heritage and culture.
adidas Originals is for individuals whose contribution sets them apart and we
wanted to do something that is going to matter to the people who see it.”
The Sartists took their inspiration for their
Supershell collaboration from their influences during the kwaito era when
artists like Alaska and Trompies, who played a significant role in putting the
spotlight on the Pantsula sub-culture in the 1990s, were some of their favourite
artists.
“Pantsula is an expression of cultural roots for
many South Africans – from fashion, to music and dance. We wanted to celebrate
it as a strong story of our country’s style heritage. We took that pantsula
aesthetic and added them to deconstructed adidas garments to pay tribute to our
culture. The collaboration was a natural fit for us. It represents our approach
as creatives – we’ve been adidas fans since we were kids and we love the rich
heritage it has,” explains Kabelo.
Their personal style shines through in the campaign
with classic adidas Originals pieces like the Superstar track top and track
pants have been transformed into customised pieces with Supershell being the
undeniable inspiration. The custom garments include dungarees, one pieces,
jumpsuits and bucket hats while some of the pieces also reflect iconic
barbershop style paintings on the backs of their outfits.
In addition to the short film, the collaboration
further includes a look book with The Sartists’ final custom creations photographed
by Andile Buka, as well as an installation at AREA3 featuring the three
artists. The installation was conceptualized by ANDPEOPLE, the activations
agency behind the film.
The collaboration between adidas Originals and The
Sartists was recently launched and celebrated at an exclusive event at AREA3
located in Braamfontein, a suburb regarded as the epicenter of South Africa’s
growing street style culture.
Visit www.adidas.com/originalsuperstar for more
information. Follow adidas South Africa on Twitter (@adidasZA) and Instagram
(adidasZA) or join a conversation with The Sartists by using #superstar
#supershell and #adidasOriginals.
This summer Bronx Woman invites you to celebrate your personality – in
style! Hum of city life music to your ears? Gentle lapping of the ocean a sweet
lullaby? Don’t fret; Bronx Woman has an array of gorgeous styles to suit every
girl this season. From pastel platforms to bold heels and pointed kitten heels
to metallic sliders, the SS15 Collection has it all. The only question left to
ask is which Bronx Woman girl are you?
For S/S ’15 Bronx Woman took inspiration from the global fashion and
street culture capitals, New York, Milan and Paris, the Bronx Woman SS15
Collection explores a fierce, yet fun approach to summer fashion with an
emphasis on slick metallic colourways and vivacious floral prints. “My aim this
season was to avoid the norm and explore new avenues by taking stylish risks
with colour and print combinations. We want to stand out!” explains designer
Wayne Roos.
The collection was built around a core colour palette of red, black and white with touches of metallic, nude, print and patent. Wayne added key floral prints to amplify styling without detracting from the shoe styles.
“The SS15 Collection just says summer. All of the elements used in the shoot speak to the summer lifestyle of an urban princess or laid back beach babe. Palm trees, lazy bicycle rides, celebrations, renewal and exotic destinations,” says Robynne Kahn, creative force behind the Bronx Woman summer campaign.
Shoes pop against an all white background and take centre stage in this season’s campaign. The collection is perfectly partnered with minimalist styling that celebrates long summer days and event hotter summer nights.
Which Bronx Woman girl are you?
The Bronx Woman Beach Babe is known for her effortlessly undone look and love of strappy flats and pastel espadrilles. Her look goes from beach to beach bar with effortless ease, hitting a wardrobe home run every time.
Whether in Jozi, Paris or Prague, the Bronx Woman City Girl is always clean cut and on- point. Nails freshly painted and hair styled to perfection, this urban gal seeks a sleek finish above all else! Sliders for rooftop bars and heels for dance floors, turn down for what!
Prices and Stockists
Styles from the Bronx Woman SS15 Collection start at R299.00 and the Westee boot from R549.00. For stockist information kindly visit the Bronx Woman website: www.bronxwoman.com
PUMA collaborated with luxe
streetwear brand STAMPD on a dope collection. Merging a reinvention of PUMA’s
sporting heritage with STAMPD’s knowledge of modern youth culture, to create
the cutting edge street style of the future.
Chris
Stamp, a west coast ‘Avant Street’ influencer, founded STAMPD
in 2011 and received the GQ award in 2015 for Best New Menswear Designer in
America. His line has evolved into contemporary luxury while retaining its
iconic styling cues. STAMPD embraces modern youth culture, creating high
quality streetwear products mixed with simple forms for the every-day consumer.
The
PUMA x STAMPD collaboration boasts a luxury performance athletic line that
appeals directly to the modern high-street trend of today.
The footwear collection encapsulates
the collaboration, combining the development of classic sportswear with the
creation of new innovative streetwear. STAMPD has
included key silhouettes such as the R698 and developed an entirely new shoe in
the Trinomic Sock.
The R698 x STAMPD is a perfect mix of
PUMA performance technologies and iconic running heritage, featuring rich soft
leathers and an embossed STAMPD logo at
the tongue.
In contrast to the R698 twist on a
PUMA classic, the Trinomic Sock is sport-meets-fashion
– exhibiting the cutting edge nature of the collaboration.
The
STAMPD Athletics by PUMA apparel range pushes the boundaries of streetwear. Staple colours grey,
black and white occur throughout, pulling focus towards the impressive design
and forward thinking features.
Key styles include STAMPD
Tech Leggings (R799), constructed with yoke panelling with a hidden back pocket
featuring embroidered eyelets. Other standouts include the STAMPD Windbreaker (R3
999), Oversized Tee (R799), Nylon Gilet (R2 699) and Baseball Tee (R899), executed
in sport fabric with a high-end fashion twist.
PUMA x STAMPD can be found at PUMA SELECT stores in Cape Town, Bree
Street and Johannesburg, Braamfontein, as well as X–Trend and Lyme, from tomorrow
(3 September 2015).
You have the opportunity to see and shop the collection tomorrow at PUMA
SELECT stores in Cape Town (Bree Street) and Joburg (Braamfontein) as it is
#FirstThursdays. Drinks will be available in both cities and @fratpacker will be
performing in Joburg.
Follow
@PUMASouthAfrica and #stampdPUMA and/or #PUMASelectZA to join the conversation.
On 22 August 2015, the Swag Craze team attended the inaugural 2015 SA Beauty Blog Awards in association
with TanOrganic South Africa.
The inaugural awards attracted nominations from more
than 100 bloggers around the country. The shortlist was determined by the SA Beauty Blogger team,
where each blog was rated according to content (grammar, quality of writing,
and creativity), design (look, aesthetics, use of elements on the page), author
experience (past articles written, quality of articles and reviews), and social
media (the BuzzSumo algorithm was used to calculate a rating including the
number of followers, friends, quantity of posts, favourites, and social media
shares).
From there, a panel
of independent judges, chosen on the basis of their
knowledge and expertise in their particular fields, scored
each blogger according to specific criteria. The judging panel consisted of
South African blogger, actress and TV presenter, Stevie French; entrepreneur
and TanOrganic brand creator, Noelle O’Connor; CEO of IAB SA, Josephine Buys;
and journalist and PR specialist, Mariska van Rooyen.
“The event was a great success and we feel delighted
to have been involved in the first ever South African Beauty Blog Awards where
we raised money for the cancer charity ‘Look Good Feel Better’, which helps
women through the trauma and stress of cancer a cause close ot our hearts,” says Greg Gunner,
Executive Director TanOrganic South Africa, title sponsor for South African
Beauty Blogger awards.
The Beauty Blog awards
ceremony was held on 22 August at Movida in Rivonia, Johannesburg. All
finalists attending celebrated the best in SA blogging while enjoying delicious
food and drink.
Each winner
received a hamper from the Category sponsor as well as a trophy. All bloggers
who attended the event received a goodie bag filled with products from the
various sponsors.
“There is such
fantastic talent in our country which must be celebrated and we look forward to
growing these awards in the years to come”, concludes Gunner. The SA Beauty Blogger
team is thankful to the Headline sponsors NYX Cosmetics, Johnson & Johnson,
EasiHair Pro, and Glam Palm, and to all the Category and Goodie Bag Sponsors as
well.
Thank you to
everyone for making time to read our posts on Swag Craze! We really appreciate
your love and support. We have huge plans for the rest of the year and can’t
wait to share our amazing content with you!
