Marquin Andrew Sampson’s capsule collection for the Africa Fashion International Showcase at the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Johannesburg 2016 brings only one thing to mind; a dystopian world where youth culture and organized authority have clashed and blended into a super culture. There are no lines in Sampson’s universe and the scowling models who walk down the runway attest to this.
Using a collage of graffiti, catch phrases, police cordon tape and noirish art as the foundation on which Sampson grounds his dystopian vision, the designer creates menswear pieces that are concise, provocative statements. Standout pieces in the collection include a plisse Seersucket jacket with zip closures, an olive green loose jumpsuit with tan piping for detailing reminiscent of Airforce pilot flight uniforms. These he contrasts with running shorts made by splicing strips of denim ranging from a dark wash to a near light bleach.
But that isn’t all he does with denim. Cuffed shorts and three quarter length jumpsuits are also part of his offerings this season, as well as a checkered jacket with drop sleeves and a vainglorious checkered trench with frayed edges that swishes around as the model walks. Marquin Andrew Sampson is able to sell this decadence, a rebuilding that comes after a tearing, a reworking of society where clothing is remade with no concern for the rules of the previous generation.
We are here for all of it.
Photo Credits
Simon Deiner/SdrPhoto
Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Johannesburg
Nelson Mandela Square, Sandton, Gauteng, South Africa.
