The three best and worst moments of SA Menswear Fashion Week

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Everyone was so excited to be in the presence of live fashion and models at SA Menswear Week. I was there to get down to the nuts and bolts of the show and provide you the best and worst moments of SA Menswear Week. I’m going to keep it cute but tell the truth. 

WORST: The name

The identity of the show has been up in the air for some time. Is it SA Menswear Week or is it Week of Fashion? Is it a resort or is it a Spring/Summer showcase? Am I getting menswear or am I getting a trade show?

The big fashion weeks around the world have an identity and a niche that brings in a specific crowd. Milan is where a lot of the heritage brands show — think Gucci, Prada, Fendi. London is a younger and more experimental show, including brands such as Richard Quinn, Christopher Kane and Simone Rocha. Because of this, it has become a big genderless showcase. And Miami is all about swimwear and lingerie. 

It is a big ask for a young menswear week but the question will soon come from others. 

BEST: The Influhks collective 

I will never be a streetwear person but I do have to give credit where credit is due. The collective, consisting of Lazy Stacks, Bigtynsonly, Flux Luxury and King on Horses, provided a worldly view of streetwear. Were there moments where I wished there was better construction of the garments or less of an emphasis on the monograms? Sure, but there was so much to feast on that I didn’t mind. The collections had interesting prints and exciting trims creating movement. It was evident that we had a group of people who were fans or students of fashion and wanted to bring their own take on it.

Streetwear Kings. FROM LEFT: King on Horses, Bigtynsonly, Flux Luxury and Lazy Stacks. Photo by Simon Deiner / SDR Photo

BEST: Panthers on the runway

Although there were some diabolical walks that would have Naomi Campbell laughing, we also had epic runway walks like a panther moving through the jungle. Masa Diamond opened and closed the Xolani Mawande show. Lucas Ogutu glided the runway, giving a master class on being smooth and Chad-Lee van Wyk graced the runway with a seductive strut. 

But at times I didn’t know whether some of the models were shell shocked, or vacantly trying to get through the blinding lights and stares. There is a serious “famine in fashion”, to paraphrase Andre Leon Talley, and here in South Africa, we need models with better runway walks. 

WORST: The colour pink

When Pierpaolo Piccioli at Valentino decided to lean into the barbiecore aesthetic, which has circulated on TikTok, with his Pierpaolo Piccioli Pink collection earlier this year, I knew we had a big storm coming. Now everyone wants a piece of the pie and, boy, is everyone trying. Some of the brands that fell into the trap included Habits (who created a lovely fantasy closing the show only marred by the fact that it was pink), Xolani Mawande and Ruald Rheeder. Pink is in every fashion magazine and our eyes are oversaturated. Having a fuschia so detached from a collection’s colour story feels like pandering to the buyers in the audience. 

The Pierpaolo Piccoli Pink Precedent BRANDS FROM THE LEFT: Emilia, Saarah Jasmin Couture, Xolani Mawande, Habits and Ruald Rheeder. Photo by Simon Deiner / SDR Photo

BEST: Emerging designers

Redbat Posse and the All Fashion Sourcing competition displayed the work of designers who have not had the opportunity to showcase on their own. It was refreshing to see designers who didn’t have the pressure of sales and buyers on their back. Some fantastic and innovative garments were seen on the runway.

We should always be aware of sustainability and the effect of what we make, but the panels and bodies in charge should also start being creative with the brief.

WORST: Attention (or the lack of) to detail

The construction of a garment must be clean and any deviation should be intentional. But puckering seams, problems with the fit and unintentional asymmetry were present in various iterations on the runway. Initially, I wondered whether these were the final samples. I later realised most of the designers probably didn’t have the opportunity to make more than one sample. There are many barriers in the fashion industry in South Africa but attention should be paid to detail.

There are some people who deserve a shout out who didn’t make the list. By Ele Apparel, Imprint ZA, and S.P.C.C all put on shows that were sleeper hits and deserve all of the attention. They had a refined point of view and I want to see more from them. And everyone wants me to say Ruald Rheeder because of the ABBA club remix blasting from the speakers coupled with an ostentatious presentation. The clothing was, without a doubt, incredibly made. But I yearned for introspection about their work; who the collection was made by, for whom it was intended and who it excluded.

What was sorely missing was cohesive collections. Many were chasing after trends but that is not what makes a brand that will last the test of time. 

The fact that South Africa has a fashion show like this is exciting and maybe Menswear week will become the point for emerging designers and retail to come together and build an industry that is strong and a contender on the African market.