Craig Jacobs for Fundudzi

. . .The issue of designers not actively being involved in making garments for their collection is a huge point of contention in the industry. Can these people really be called designers if they can’t even sew? Enter Craig Jacobs – by day a fashion and lifestyle journalist for a leading Sunday newspaper in SA and by night, a fashion designer.  The king of network,  Craig has bulleted his way through the catwalks amidst controversy of his credibility as a designer for this very reason (being a journalist and not being able to sew). Last year, he was also one of the first designers to be chosen to show a collection at Paris Fashion Week along with Gavin Rajah (his good friend and sponsor organiser for the invitation), Thula Sindi and David Tlale, another decision which had fashion tongues wagging. Those who saw his show at last year’s Audi Joburg Winter/Autumn Fashion Week say that this year is a tremendous improvement and innovation. I agree. Craig not only conceptualised his show – there were three themes: working woman; free(dom) and couture (there goes that word again!) inspired by his grandmother, who took him to see his first Bond movie, he carried his stories consistently through each range. The working woman range played with rich browns, golds and warm fabrics contrasted with satin while the Fundudzi free range chose cerese as its signature hue, with the song Purple Rain serenading the models wearing various styled cerese dresses. My ultimate favourite was a hooded knee- length dress with an exaggerated hood that droped in to a drape with a brown lining – perfect for movnig from play to high-end networking. You can see his collection on the Designers section of FashionAfrica.com or Click THIS.

The Bond inspired Couture range used grey and black as its main colours, again playing on contrasting different textiles – lace on satin; black on black  – all big trends this winter. Noteworthy were his empire line satin and lace cocoon dress with embellishments while the black, figure hugging, rouged black gown with a silver strap leading all the way down ellicited a few wows from the crowd, too. So maybe, the question begs to be asked, if he can conceptualise an idea and direct it from paper to finish, is he not worthy of being called a designer…or would that make him a creative director?

David Tlale

. . .He recently won the Stars of Mzansi Award for being Mzansi’s favourite designer, entrenching him not only as (one of) the king of the catwalk but also a designer with mass appeal. Befittingly, his show was filled to the brim, the expectation of what he’s cooked up this season, ceiling-high. An hour and a half later than it should’ve started, the show eventually began, the catwalk dramatically turning black, illuminating the words David Tlale in gold on the mural. Out came the colonial safari  men’s suits, short and long in bright yellows, reds – a fusion of the past with futuristic neon green treggings. Kaftan scarves thrown over crisp white shirts and pants had an air of drama, while feather boa’d men with chiffon shirts and see-through lace pants as well as Persian inspired draped pants raised an eyebrow or ten. It is at this point that I realised that for all his fearlessness with colour and all things ostentatious (which is great), David’s designs are too camp (and dramatic) for the average man who wants to be stylish but not necessarily look like a drag queen. Maybe the range was a declaration of freedom after having stopped designing for men’swear label, Carducci.

The women’s range were peppered among the theatrical men’s designs – beige goddess gowns with braided belts cinched at the waist, black on black frocks with shimmery overlays and oversized colllars showed an inspired collection. David really understands what looks good on a woman and how fabrics should flow over her contours…I’m starting to think he should do more women’s wear – we love colour, volume, dramatic accessories (where applicable) and the only definition of being gay in our books, is happiness! You may see his collection on the designers section of FashionAfrica.com or Click HERE.

- Lelethu Lumkwana.