Not sure how this is going to go down but I suppose I have done this a few times before and more then anything found it cathartic in the extreme........alternatively I pissed off a few people oh and I think made some good friends out of it. So if you are wondering if this is an attempt at giving you my opinion on fashion, posting pictures of badly dressed people or snappy dressers or just a platform to share my opinion.........well you darn right!
As opposed to many other PC blogs I hope this does not deteriorate to a dreary expose of Long St in Cape Town, exalting badly designed (or made) product or even worse a saccharine coated showcase of the mundane and mediocre.
Having said all of this please don't feel obliged to follow this blog nor think it's a panacea to fashion in SA or your personal wardrobe crisis........I hope it evolves into something more then just hemlines for the season..........
So lets get started...........
I think that this blog will feature things that interest me as a designer and hopefully will give you some insight into what makes me do the things I do, say the things I say and the myriad of things that inspire me. Yeah as I said you don't have to read on.........you might do better and start your own blog!!!!!
Oh and do feel free to comment after all I like healthy discussion and debate........
Let's start with fashion since I am a designer and its something that consumes most of day........
Post fashion week malaise has set in for many designers in SA and whilst some of us are riding the success of our shows I can't help feeling sorry for those that are sitting back wondering ...'What now...?' This season was possibly the weakest line-up we have had in years ....and we all sit back and ask ourselves why? Well it would seem there are numerous reasons for this:
As opposed to many other PC blogs I hope this does not deteriorate to a dreary expose of Long St in Cape Town, exalting badly designed (or made) product or even worse a saccharine coated showcase of the mundane and mediocre.
Having said all of this please don't feel obliged to follow this blog nor think it's a panacea to fashion in SA or your personal wardrobe crisis........I hope it evolves into something more then just hemlines for the season..........
So lets get started...........
I think that this blog will feature things that interest me as a designer and hopefully will give you some insight into what makes me do the things I do, say the things I say and the myriad of things that inspire me. Yeah as I said you don't have to read on.........you might do better and start your own blog!!!!!
Oh and do feel free to comment after all I like healthy discussion and debate........
Let's start with fashion since I am a designer and its something that consumes most of day........
Post fashion week malaise has set in for many designers in SA and whilst some of us are riding the success of our shows I can't help feeling sorry for those that are sitting back wondering ...'What now...?' This season was possibly the weakest line-up we have had in years ....and we all sit back and ask ourselves why? Well it would seem there are numerous reasons for this:
- Fashion Week organisers are bound by sponsors to include young designers
- Be overtly politically correct. Lord forbid they (orgainsers/selection committes/fashion councils or any other wannabe owners of fashion) should not be seen to be supporting crafters or unknown brands fresh out of fashion school
Off course most of you would know that I have already been attacked for being 'arrogant' and misquoted as not being supportive of young designers. Quite the opposite I would say as I am all for supporting young designers and giving them a break but I am also all for making sure that they are well equipped to sustain the hype of showing at a fashion week and they have a life after fashion week. Its not easy producing a collection...........its harder to make sure that you have all the elements to make for a commercially viable collection and beyond your wildest dreams to expect that your first collection will be a sell out and that it will cover the costs of manufacturing your garments for the show. I wonder how many of those designers will be mentored and assisted in transforming their creativity into businesses that are successful and sustainable.......
Who will be there when things unravel? The sponsors that sponsor a fashion week? The organisers? No one wants any fledgling business to fail but what are the chances that these young brands will survive without the continuous support. Are we allowing designers to show under the banner of development in the industry? What are the criteria for designers showing on a fashion week?
Just in case anyone feels that I have no idea of what its like to first enter the industry let me remind you that I burnt my fingers a million times over and slogged for seven years before I was able to create a sustainable business. I was crazy enough to believe those many years ago that creative talent was the only thing that was needed and doing fashion shows were the ultimate solution in establishing my brand.......how wrong I was.
The purpose of a fashion week is to grow an industry and create new markets for designers. If designers are allowed to show collections with badly manufactured garments then what precedent are we setting? Are we saying that its ok...........what does it do for the overall image of the industry? Badly set in sleeves, hideous fabrication and down right bad quality is unacceptable. It's time that we stopped feeling sorry and set standards in this industry. What of the poor designers who actually are being used as vehicles to access funding for these events? What of designers that are being funded to produce collections (and bad one's at that!) for these events? What about other suitably qualified and experienced designers......... Let's not go down that road of trying to teach a man to fish.......................
For those wanting to read more on this debate/discussion read Jacquie Myburgh's opinion piece.
Who will be there when things unravel? The sponsors that sponsor a fashion week? The organisers? No one wants any fledgling business to fail but what are the chances that these young brands will survive without the continuous support. Are we allowing designers to show under the banner of development in the industry? What are the criteria for designers showing on a fashion week?
Just in case anyone feels that I have no idea of what its like to first enter the industry let me remind you that I burnt my fingers a million times over and slogged for seven years before I was able to create a sustainable business. I was crazy enough to believe those many years ago that creative talent was the only thing that was needed and doing fashion shows were the ultimate solution in establishing my brand.......how wrong I was.
The purpose of a fashion week is to grow an industry and create new markets for designers. If designers are allowed to show collections with badly manufactured garments then what precedent are we setting? Are we saying that its ok...........what does it do for the overall image of the industry? Badly set in sleeves, hideous fabrication and down right bad quality is unacceptable. It's time that we stopped feeling sorry and set standards in this industry. What of the poor designers who actually are being used as vehicles to access funding for these events? What of designers that are being funded to produce collections (and bad one's at that!) for these events? What about other suitably qualified and experienced designers......... Let's not go down that road of trying to teach a man to fish.......................
For those wanting to read more on this debate/discussion read Jacquie Myburgh's opinion piece.
