david west spring/summer 2010

so, i'm pretty sure that i'm the very last to have this post up. haven't quite taken to this new found urgency that the blogging community has adopted. i still prefer to wait and let the wind of hype blow over, while pondering over things. although, have a sneaky suspicion that there's only a few of us left who actually prefer to do things at this (delayed) pace. ahh, the pressures of the blogosphere... but i digress.

back to the wonder that is david west. leaving "strictly sexy" behind, this season west adopted the pleasantries of 1 part 50s housewife, 2 parts awkward good girl. high necklines, cinched waists and full, knee skimming hemlines were the order of the day - sculpting a sweet 50s silhouette. the candyfloss pinks, baby blues, ankle socks and peter pan / frilly doily-like collars brought about a nostalgic yearning for our once frivolous childhood wardrobe.

the pretty and the lovely was clashed with references to 60s pop culture - pop art printed ankle socks and boyish shoes screamed "wham! bam! kapow!" and was perfectly matched by the cartoonish sound effect soundtrack, allowing for a few smiles from the poker-faced fashion crowd.

the conversations after the show mostly revolved around deciding among ourselves the most wearable piece in the collection - the breton stripe tee, the pencil skirts and the pleasant checkered dresses came out tops. the print posse were over heard having exactly the same conversation. my favourite of the collection was definitely the dresses made entirely (yes, he had us guessing) out of foam. an interesting fabric choice, that moved ever so swiftly. how wonderful would it be if we could all wear candy floss foam dresses and sway from side to side.

the collection was in fact hard to pin down and not as simple as a few shapes, one or two key patterns and a recurring accessory here and there. west went completely outside the lines. the collection went from simple ginghams to macro florals, pastels to blacks, full to slim and boat hats to sun hats to top hats. yet still, every look complimented the next and together formed a wondrous collection, with serious quirk.

south african fashion weeks generally tend to be more commercially-driven, which in most cases results in more leading-edge fashion, as opposed to cutting-edge. so, it's always great to see conceptual designers pushing the envelope, reminding the fashion editors why they love their job and making the buyers shift nervously in their seats, trying to eye out the most wearable piece in the show. no matter where in the fashion hierarchy you sat, everyone was on the edge of their seats, waiting in anticipation for the next look. it really always is a pleasure to view the work of david west.

a very special thank you to the lovely talitha snow, fashion and portrait photographer for agreeing to shoot the show for me at such late notice. ♥

suzaan heyns spring/summer 2010.

editors and bloggers have been raving about suzaan heyns since she first stepped onto the scene with her impressive autumn/winter 2009 collection. this year, i was lucky enough to be invited to her show to see the 360 of her designs.

this season's collection was almost a complete break away in mood from her autumn 2010 collection. no drama. no harsh aesthetics. no heavy tones. the collection was quirky, pretty and for lack of a better word, refreshing - especially in respect to heyns' past collections.

the show was accompanied by a running commentary - introducing the model, what they were wearing and amusing snippets about model. the randomness of the commentary was extremely amusing and at the same time, intriguing. a simple voice-over brought the models and the show to life - introducing the designs as well as the personalities wearing them, reminding us of the human aspect of adorning clothes and maybe even making a statement about the people who choose to wear suzaan heyns or perhaps who suzaan heyns chooses to wear her designs.

the looks were made up of a beautiful pastel palette - cool hues and fleshy tones in mostly powder blue, ostrich eggshell yellow, toned down taupe and teal, with a few complete looks in traditional khaki, which i can only assume is influenced by heyns' afrikaans upbringing. many of the looks were topped off with brown leather belts and lace-less boots and brogues. this, i was most impressed with as many local collections' downfall are their accessories and shoes... usually turning to big retailers to complete their look, which never does justice to their designs.

the collection was soft in colour as well as textures - mostly cotton and viscose, but not forgetting her textile of choice, heyns' was able to squeeze in one statement leather piece (the pale yellow leather skirt), which really stood out for me. also, the triple collars, double collars, strappy cut-away shoulders and in fact all the beautiful necklines that so magnetically draws the eye. seeing suzaan heyns on the runway really was a treat. it's inspiring to see a local designer, who time and time again shows such a well-executed collection, with clear concepts matched with a tailoring and fit that passes with flying colours, even under the exposing spotlights of the runway. heyns' presented a slightly different aesthetic this season, one which i look forward to following in the seasons to come.

CTFW. day two. david west.

CTFW. day one. front row.

suzaan heyns spring 2010 show invite.