CHRISTIAN DIOR FALL 2010 - BACKSTAGE
Loved the plait and the controlled messiness.........
LANVIN FALL 2010 BACK STAGE
Very Pulp Fiction...........................Sunday, March 7, 2010
PARIS FASHION WEEK FALL 2010 - BACK STAGE
Loved the plait and the controlled messiness.........
Very Pulp Fiction...........................
Friday, August 28, 2009
GAVIN RAJAH COLLECTION 2009/10 - FINDING BEAUTY IN NEGATIVE SPACES
Photographs: Simon Deiner
COLLECTION COUTURE
‘FINDING BEAUTY IN NEGATIVE SPACES’
INSPIRATION
‘FINDING BEAUTY IN NEGATIVE SPACES’
INSPIRATION
Strange it would seem that in the 1980’s developing countries across the world faced economic and social difficulties as they suffered from multiple debt crises, requiring many of these countries to apply for financial assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. Ethiopia witnessed widespread famine in the mid-1980s, resulting in the country having to depend on foreign aid to provide food to its population with the worldwide efforts of the famous Live Aid concert in 1985 to address and raise money to help Ethiopians, …………Rock Hudson died of AIDS and thus started an epidemic the world cowers in fear of even till today…………Madonna rocked the underground clubs and gave a new expression to the social scene ………South Africa was fighting human rights abuses……..……history is repeating itself in similar ways in many parts of the world in 2009. This season my inspiration is taken from the 80’s. Think underground sub-cultures, fetishes, synthpop, bold graphics, music videos the birth of ‘straight edge’, arcade games, MTV, new romanticism and nights in clubs………..the quest to find beauty in places often filled with darkness and negativity. The collection is an interesting mix of new takes on references to this era. “The good thing about fashion repeating itself is that you can simply leave out the naff stuff and focus on breathing a fresh life into the cool stuff!”
This season we have custom designed prints, embroideries and even some textiles for the collection – all of which will soon be able to be purchased by consumers to create their own garments! This season also sees a collaboration with uber cool denim brand Levi's®.
Silk taffeta, cotton tulle, wool and cashmere tweeds, denim, silk duchesse, silk stretch twills, satin finished wools and wool blend knits are integral to this collection. Gilded corded laces, Spanish cotton lace, hand fringed textiles and delicate paillette embroideries make this collection one which is labour intensive and focused on surface details.
This season also heralds a collaboration with the Levi's® brand and one of which we are exceptionally proud of. The collection will feature our take on a Levi's® inspired denim collection for men and women together with their signature silhouettes.
I am thankful to my dear friend Bastien Gonzalez, a more kind and talented soul the world is yet to discover. His creative genius and inspiration has made it possible to collaborate across continents. Finally Reverence de Bastien has arrived on South African shores and I am proud to be previewing his new product range on the models for this collection.
DEDICATION
The 80’s was a period I grew up as a kid and looking back now, it was a time that I was exposed to many places, books, ideas, forms of music, art and theatre. All of this I have my parents to thank for. This year also marks a loss for me which will never be replaced….the death of my Dad to whom I am eternally grateful to for exposing me to the fashion industry and supporting my quest to be part of it. This collection is dedicated in memory of him and his influence on my life and work…………..and to my mum who has taught me to endure adversity with courage and strength………..
Sunday, June 21, 2009
INSPIRING ME THIS SEASON
I am currently working on a new collection and I thought I would share some interesting things that I have come across and that have been inspiring to me:
Austrian born violinist and composer Fritz Kreisler - sketching is a quiet activity and illustration of collections needs very little distraction other then that on which you are focusing on. His music has been very soothing and done this so effectively that I often find myself in the 'zone'. I found that Rachmaninov interpreted the 'Liebeslied' for piano.........full of complex nuances. It has kept me company through many a long hour of sketching and on my travels to Europe this month. You should try listening to it. Whilst you at it listen to Shostakovitch's interpretation of 'Tea for Two' also known as the Tahitian Trot. Music has always been integral to my creative process and somehow neo-romantic composers have brought out that sense of dark, melancholic, lonely clouds looming over the horizon of unrequited love type stories.
Far from being a depressing collection though I think that it has evoked some kind of deep need to interpret the music in a more happier and less sombre tone.
Working with students
I have been working with a group of young students and even though at times I come short of committing some unforgivable sin I have to say on the whole it has been inspiring and at the same time disappointing. I think inspiring because its great to see young minds who have no constraints in the way they design and don't really have to worry about commercial success of the garments that they design.
On the other hand I am in shock at just how little they know and how little effort they seem to put into their work. I often think that the reason we have young designers who don't go further then a few half arsed attempts at showing a fashion weeks is because I think that they are plain lazy. So I think they all think that fashion is easy and impervious to the requisite hard work that goes with many other professions! On the whole though they are challenging but I do find their inquiring minds inspiring......
LIST OF OTHER INSPIRING THINGS:
FABRICS:
Silk Gaberdine - I love the weight of this fabric in constructing fluid jackets
Tulle, tulle and more tulle especially cotton and silk ones.....
Double faced tweeds in cashmere
Heavy weight silk/wool blend jersey
BOOKS
'The Hour I First Believed' by Wally Lamb
'La Fleur du Mal' - Baudelaire
'Couture Culture - A Study in Modern Art and Fashion' by Nancy J Troy
MUSIC
The Three Penny Opera - Kurt Weill
'Tonight I Burn Brightly' - Bill Ricchini
'El Hotel 2 - Segmento' - Various
WATCHING
Chanel Signe
Shameless Season 5
Austrian born violinist and composer Fritz Kreisler - sketching is a quiet activity and illustration of collections needs very little distraction other then that on which you are focusing on. His music has been very soothing and done this so effectively that I often find myself in the 'zone'. I found that Rachmaninov interpreted the 'Liebeslied' for piano.........full of complex nuances. It has kept me company through many a long hour of sketching and on my travels to Europe this month. You should try listening to it. Whilst you at it listen to Shostakovitch's interpretation of 'Tea for Two' also known as the Tahitian Trot. Music has always been integral to my creative process and somehow neo-romantic composers have brought out that sense of dark, melancholic, lonely clouds looming over the horizon of unrequited love type stories.
Far from being a depressing collection though I think that it has evoked some kind of deep need to interpret the music in a more happier and less sombre tone.
Working with students
I have been working with a group of young students and even though at times I come short of committing some unforgivable sin I have to say on the whole it has been inspiring and at the same time disappointing. I think inspiring because its great to see young minds who have no constraints in the way they design and don't really have to worry about commercial success of the garments that they design.
On the other hand I am in shock at just how little they know and how little effort they seem to put into their work. I often think that the reason we have young designers who don't go further then a few half arsed attempts at showing a fashion weeks is because I think that they are plain lazy. So I think they all think that fashion is easy and impervious to the requisite hard work that goes with many other professions! On the whole though they are challenging but I do find their inquiring minds inspiring......
LIST OF OTHER INSPIRING THINGS:
FABRICS:
Silk Gaberdine - I love the weight of this fabric in constructing fluid jackets
Tulle, tulle and more tulle especially cotton and silk ones.....
Double faced tweeds in cashmere
Heavy weight silk/wool blend jersey
BOOKS
'The Hour I First Believed' by Wally Lamb
'La Fleur du Mal' - Baudelaire
'Couture Culture - A Study in Modern Art and Fashion' by Nancy J Troy
MUSIC
The Three Penny Opera - Kurt Weill
'Tonight I Burn Brightly' - Bill Ricchini
'El Hotel 2 - Segmento' - Various
WATCHING
Chanel Signe
Shameless Season 5
Monday, February 2, 2009
GAVIN RAJAH EVENTS
We are back in the swing of things with events.........Here's some of our latest work done for the J&B Met - Client Jaguar
Monday, January 26, 2009
COPING WITH DOOM & GLOOM - PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS IN FASHION BUSINESSES
Last year saw the first panel discussion hosted by African Fashion International on the global recession and it's impact on the fashion industry.......
I thought it was a brilliant start to the fashion week and a great initiative given the economic climate and that everyone is scaring each other with impending doom and gloom scenarios.........right down to the cash bar in the VIP lounge and soggy Nik Naks on offer.....;-)
Anyway be that it as it may it was a great start to something which could turn out to be something finally worth anything to designers. Off course I really think that many of the panelists had some great takes on the current situation and offered great perspectives on the global impact of the economy.......included in this was the usual brain flexing dull as bricks factual blah blah which clearly had gave some the fashionistas in attendance a half glazed, deer with headlights type of expression.....it simply flew over their heads and kicked the living daylights of the person behind them.
For me it was really interesting but I sat there wondering whether any of these people were offering any practical solutions to the fashionistas who awaiting with bated breath for the panacea.........the promise of a future lined in silk and edged in mink. Again I found it interesting bar the regurgitation of some boring rant on the quotas etc etc and some trend person who spoke about the shoulder of the Balmain jacket (see my blog on Paris Fashion Week) - the good Lord only knows how a trendforecaster could look at the last Spring/Summer (ready to wear) collections and base predictions moving forward..........should we not be looking at Spring/Summer 2010 already and be assessing how they would impact on us commercially - her observation was as about relevant to the discussion as an ostrich would be to a Japanese tea drinking ceremony! One thing I would have agreed on was her constant mention of the word 'relevance' (see below for explanation)!
What I found interesting was that most people were predicting the end of luxury brands......yeah right.......and were implying that Chanel should go Walmart! Luxury brands stand the test of time.....its their thing and most of them whilst cutting back on retail expansion, jobs or their ad spend......don't really cut their price. Consistency even through adversity is what makes them brands that withstand the test of time, Madoff scandals and recessions.
Moving on though I did find some of the points that were made exceptionally relevant to our current situation. What we did forget is that to a large extent many of the fashion businesses in SA are SME's and have the ability to adapt to market conditions and demands far more easily so there are ways to try and combat the effects of a recession. Most of these businesses are not in such great shape to begin with so this compounds problems.......
What would have been nice is if people had practical suggestions/ideas that fashionistas could use in the daily operation of their businesses.
For me I had a few things but since we gave air time to more statistical jargon I never got to say what I wanted to say so here goes:
1. Spend on your brand
During a vibrant and growing economy consumers spend without question. Having an unclear brand position, while not the most ideal situation, therefore is not as risky as during a recessionary period such as the one we are encountering. In times of growth and expansion, the brand’s weakness in the marketplace is less obvious, as consumers tend to be more forgiving and are not so price-conscious. When times get tough however, consumer spending habits change dramatically. With negative news percolating from all media avenues the consumption fear sets in and they require much further motivation for spending. In recessionary times, consumers, not only spend less overall, but they become far more selective in how they spend. They gravitate away from brands that fail to provide a clear, meaningful, relevant and emotional engagement.
Conventional wisdom suggests that in times of recession it is better to tighten the belt and cut costs and most companies immediately cut their marketing and branding efforts. For me this is when opportunity presents itself. When others are cutting their spending and loosing the emotional engagement with customers, it will pay in the longer term to spend on the brand.
2. Spend on brand relevancy
The brand spend doesn't always mean monetary spend in every case. It is about generating a buzz around the brand and with the present day technology such efforts can be choreographed much easily than one can think. Think of online marketing for instance......the internet! A word-of-caution however for those over eager brand managers. When you create and open these new avenues of communication understand the limitations of it and the manner in which customers will engage in it. History of such communications is littered with companies overdoing it and in turn failing to become relevant. Relevance is extremely important to luxury brands and therefore you should tread carefully. During economic slumps it is the best time to build this brand relevance as it will entrench these brands long term. So ask yourself a simple question is whatever it is that you intend doing relevant to your brand.......does imbue the core values upon which your label is built on? Does it differentiate you in the marketplace and emphasise your unique selling point.....is it RELEVANT to your business? If yes then proceed.......
3. Avoid the SALE mentality
The increasing 'Wall-Street' driven short-term mentality to outperform competitors everyday is another pitfall associated with most marketers. I do not believe that there is a single business out there that can do this. Remember that proverb 'every dog has its day'. This is how simple it is. You cannot outperform the market everyday and every time. It catches up on you. In recession times short-term focused marketer go on sales promotion overdrive. This has a direct impact on the brand erosion and consumers get confused as to what the brand stands for.
Instead of sales promotion spend on engagement. Make your brand relevant. Cement the position of your brand in the customers' minds. Stop the sale mentality. However, simple and logical this may sound, most marketers who are continuously involved in operational thinking miss this and kill their beloved (mostly by the consumers) luxury brands.
I thought it was a brilliant start to the fashion week and a great initiative given the economic climate and that everyone is scaring each other with impending doom and gloom scenarios.........right down to the cash bar in the VIP lounge and soggy Nik Naks on offer.....;-)
Anyway be that it as it may it was a great start to something which could turn out to be something finally worth anything to designers. Off course I really think that many of the panelists had some great takes on the current situation and offered great perspectives on the global impact of the economy.......included in this was the usual brain flexing dull as bricks factual blah blah which clearly had gave some the fashionistas in attendance a half glazed, deer with headlights type of expression.....it simply flew over their heads and kicked the living daylights of the person behind them.
For me it was really interesting but I sat there wondering whether any of these people were offering any practical solutions to the fashionistas who awaiting with bated breath for the panacea.........the promise of a future lined in silk and edged in mink. Again I found it interesting bar the regurgitation of some boring rant on the quotas etc etc and some trend person who spoke about the shoulder of the Balmain jacket (see my blog on Paris Fashion Week) - the good Lord only knows how a trendforecaster could look at the last Spring/Summer (ready to wear) collections and base predictions moving forward..........should we not be looking at Spring/Summer 2010 already and be assessing how they would impact on us commercially - her observation was as about relevant to the discussion as an ostrich would be to a Japanese tea drinking ceremony! One thing I would have agreed on was her constant mention of the word 'relevance' (see below for explanation)!
What I found interesting was that most people were predicting the end of luxury brands......yeah right.......and were implying that Chanel should go Walmart! Luxury brands stand the test of time.....its their thing and most of them whilst cutting back on retail expansion, jobs or their ad spend......don't really cut their price. Consistency even through adversity is what makes them brands that withstand the test of time, Madoff scandals and recessions.
Moving on though I did find some of the points that were made exceptionally relevant to our current situation. What we did forget is that to a large extent many of the fashion businesses in SA are SME's and have the ability to adapt to market conditions and demands far more easily so there are ways to try and combat the effects of a recession. Most of these businesses are not in such great shape to begin with so this compounds problems.......
What would have been nice is if people had practical suggestions/ideas that fashionistas could use in the daily operation of their businesses.
For me I had a few things but since we gave air time to more statistical jargon I never got to say what I wanted to say so here goes:
1. Spend on your brand
During a vibrant and growing economy consumers spend without question. Having an unclear brand position, while not the most ideal situation, therefore is not as risky as during a recessionary period such as the one we are encountering. In times of growth and expansion, the brand’s weakness in the marketplace is less obvious, as consumers tend to be more forgiving and are not so price-conscious. When times get tough however, consumer spending habits change dramatically. With negative news percolating from all media avenues the consumption fear sets in and they require much further motivation for spending. In recessionary times, consumers, not only spend less overall, but they become far more selective in how they spend. They gravitate away from brands that fail to provide a clear, meaningful, relevant and emotional engagement.
Conventional wisdom suggests that in times of recession it is better to tighten the belt and cut costs and most companies immediately cut their marketing and branding efforts. For me this is when opportunity presents itself. When others are cutting their spending and loosing the emotional engagement with customers, it will pay in the longer term to spend on the brand.
2. Spend on brand relevancy
The brand spend doesn't always mean monetary spend in every case. It is about generating a buzz around the brand and with the present day technology such efforts can be choreographed much easily than one can think. Think of online marketing for instance......the internet! A word-of-caution however for those over eager brand managers. When you create and open these new avenues of communication understand the limitations of it and the manner in which customers will engage in it. History of such communications is littered with companies overdoing it and in turn failing to become relevant. Relevance is extremely important to luxury brands and therefore you should tread carefully. During economic slumps it is the best time to build this brand relevance as it will entrench these brands long term. So ask yourself a simple question is whatever it is that you intend doing relevant to your brand.......does imbue the core values upon which your label is built on? Does it differentiate you in the marketplace and emphasise your unique selling point.....is it RELEVANT to your business? If yes then proceed.......
3. Avoid the SALE mentality
The increasing 'Wall-Street' driven short-term mentality to outperform competitors everyday is another pitfall associated with most marketers. I do not believe that there is a single business out there that can do this. Remember that proverb 'every dog has its day'. This is how simple it is. You cannot outperform the market everyday and every time. It catches up on you. In recession times short-term focused marketer go on sales promotion overdrive. This has a direct impact on the brand erosion and consumers get confused as to what the brand stands for.
Instead of sales promotion spend on engagement. Make your brand relevant. Cement the position of your brand in the customers' minds. Stop the sale mentality. However, simple and logical this may sound, most marketers who are continuously involved in operational thinking miss this and kill their beloved (mostly by the consumers) luxury brands.
GAVIN RAJAH SPRING|SUMMER 09 COUTURE
This season is inspired by Victorian novelist Sir H Rider Haggard, with particular reference to his ‘lost world’ novel “King Solomon’s Mines”. With origins in Durban, moving inland and then to a ‘lost world’ type civilization loosely based on the Zulu Kingdom. Whilst the collection is not solely based on the novel, the descriptions and impressions of the book by Victorian society in 1885 is what captured my attention. The impressions of African cultures and the perceptions of London society at that time were triggers for this collection. Whilst not devoid of racism in anyway the book was seemingly less racist then many books of this genre to follow it. One thing that was evident is that he portrayed the African characters as having pride in their culture and even went as far as elaborating on the beauty and allure of the African female characters in the novel.
So with this in mind my collection is inspired by a singular theme ‘African pride’. I wanted to design a collection that showed various elements used in traditional cultural dress but with a new take to it. The collection is based on fluid fabrics which really are an antithesis to the often rigid fabrics used in traditional dress or the animal hides that form part of it. Soft silks with hand painted detail done in freehand and animal prints lend a strong African/Tribal element but hopefully not in a trite way. Mother of pearl buttons, cowrie shells and other elements are used as embellishment but in combination with modern Swarovski components. Bronze finished chain mail, Chantilly lace, silk chiffon and
This season the focus on the collection is evening dresses that are simplistic in silhouette but are embellished richly. I wanted the collection to not look like traditional garments but more couture and delicate. I wanted this to be a wearable collection which had great aspects of craftsmanship to it and artistic merit. The end result was collaboration with a great African accessory designer based in Paris, Mikael Kra. Mikael listened to what I wanted and interpreted some of my crazy sketches into beautiful pieces together with designing some special pieces for the collection. Mikael has designed collections for luminaries such as Azzedina Alaia in Paris and I have for the last ten years waited for an opportunity to work together. I am thankful for his time and the effort he took to get inside my head to understand what I wanted!
I would be amiss in not mentioning a South African fashion luminary, Dicky Longhurst (one of the reasons I am a designer today) who painstakingly hand painted silk taffeta inspired by the rich cultural mix of Durban.
This season is about colour for me. Africa is not always about disease, poverty, dictatorships or crime……….its about celebrating the cultural diversity and the pride we share despite whatever adversity we have. This is what I wanted to show in Paris this season……….we are capable of so much more. ‘Eau Sauvage’ was perhaps a cheeky title for the collection but it was a really jab back at those who often think so little of what comes out of our continent and those on it who think that anything not out of Africa has to be better!
Special thanks go to Catherine Le Sueur of the Bead Merchants for her assistance and unconditional support in contributing to this collection with her wealth of expertise and amazing selection of beads from all over Africa. I look forward to great collaborations with you!
Photographer: Simon Deiner
So with this in mind my collection is inspired by a singular theme ‘African pride’. I wanted to design a collection that showed various elements used in traditional cultural dress but with a new take to it. The collection is based on fluid fabrics which really are an antithesis to the often rigid fabrics used in traditional dress or the animal hides that form part of it. Soft silks with hand painted detail done in freehand and animal prints lend a strong African/Tribal element but hopefully not in a trite way. Mother of pearl buttons, cowrie shells and other elements are used as embellishment but in combination with modern Swarovski components. Bronze finished chain mail, Chantilly lace, silk chiffon and
This season the focus on the collection is evening dresses that are simplistic in silhouette but are embellished richly. I wanted the collection to not look like traditional garments but more couture and delicate. I wanted this to be a wearable collection which had great aspects of craftsmanship to it and artistic merit. The end result was collaboration with a great African accessory designer based in Paris, Mikael Kra. Mikael listened to what I wanted and interpreted some of my crazy sketches into beautiful pieces together with designing some special pieces for the collection. Mikael has designed collections for luminaries such as Azzedina Alaia in Paris and I have for the last ten years waited for an opportunity to work together. I am thankful for his time and the effort he took to get inside my head to understand what I wanted!
I would be amiss in not mentioning a South African fashion luminary, Dicky Longhurst (one of the reasons I am a designer today) who painstakingly hand painted silk taffeta inspired by the rich cultural mix of Durban.
This season is about colour for me. Africa is not always about disease, poverty, dictatorships or crime……….its about celebrating the cultural diversity and the pride we share despite whatever adversity we have. This is what I wanted to show in Paris this season……….we are capable of so much more. ‘Eau Sauvage’ was perhaps a cheeky title for the collection but it was a really jab back at those who often think so little of what comes out of our continent and those on it who think that anything not out of Africa has to be better!
Special thanks go to Catherine Le Sueur of the Bead Merchants for her assistance and unconditional support in contributing to this collection with her wealth of expertise and amazing selection of beads from all over Africa. I look forward to great collaborations with you!
Photographer: Simon Deiner
Sunday, November 23, 2008
TOP 25 FASHION CITIES IN THE WORLD
Atlantis Hotel Launch in Dubai
Plaza Leading to Red Square in Moscow
Faena Hotel and Universe in Buenos Aires
The Global Language Monitor has brought out its list of the world's top 25 fashion cities:
- New York (1) - 5th year in a row and probably supported by the ease of internet access!
- Rome (2) - Expected but thought that Milan would take this spot!
- Paris (3) - In terms of our fashionistas probably is NO. 1 but not in the survey!
- Milan (5) - Hmmm it reigns over London....
- London (4) - Still within the Big 5 but slowly dropping.....not surprisingly if you saw the last collections at fashion week.......
- Los Angeles (6) - Not suprising considering it hosts Chanel's Cruise collection launches...
- Sydney (12) - Fashionable??????? Not convinced. Fab location and social life but fashion?
- Las Vegas (9) - Elvis regalia reigns supreme and 60 sec marriages.......go figure....
- Berlin (11) -This should have been higher up........such a cool city!
- Tokyo (6) - Capital of Asian luxury brands.......
- Hong Kong (8) - Poor step cousin to Tokyo!
- Dubai (24) - Hype, more hype and even more hype.......advertising pays!
- Shanghai (14) - This should be higher up........although the polluted air could be keeping fashionstas at bay........
- Singapore (10) - Hmmmm again I think its about the advertising and hype....
- Madrid (New) - Hmmmm not convinced of this at all thought that Rio would hit it here
- Moscow (16) - New luxury market capital.........would have thought that it would have gone higher?
- Santiago (19) - Is this for real? Although with the amount of investment in this part of the world it does make for a serious contender....
- Melbourne (15) - Geez another Australian city........
- Stockholm (New) - In fashion? Most boring fashion ever........fashionable furniture and clever interior concepts yes but fashion?
- Buenos Aires (22) - Hmmm not convinced that it has such a strong fashion presence however with new design hotels like the Faena Hotel and Universe it just might be deserving of this position.....(its awesome hotel by the way and I highly recommend it!)
- Johannesburg (23) - Joburg improves two spots......a climber which bodes well for SA!!!
- Mumbai (18) - Great entry and with the introduction of more luxury brands into the Indian market this should head up on the the list in the future....
- Cape Town (New) -Hot new entry! Love this and its a firm prediction that this will push out JHB in the future....
- New Delhi (New) - The Indian capital makes a fashionable entrance and trust me will be moving on up in this list in years to come
- Barcelona (18) - huge drop for this city that will surely be taken over by Rio and Sao Paolo in years to come........
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