David Tlale’s The Intern program has helped mentor some of South Africa’s emerging talent, offering them theoretical instruction and avenues for practical application of design theories and providing much needed insight into the business of fashion. The annual internship culminates with a bi-annual showcase at the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week showcase. This year’s class includes emerging designer and her very technical approach to draping and design.
Angela Mafemo’s contribution to the internship program seems more at home on the set of Project Runway than an internship program as she shows advanced skills and a singularity of purpose and dedication to themes that the other designers don’t quite achieve. Her collection is simple in silhouette, there are no extravagant frills, no bells and whistles. What she does have in excess is texture and contrast, create by making layers of pleating and colour blocking. Sleeveless Maxi dresses with plunging hemlines in a muted grey are enlivened with colour blocked amethyst squares and textured with fins and layered pleating. Even the collection’s simpler pieces, a simple sleeveless shift dress has contrasting panels cut at angles to exaggerate the silhouette and created texture.
We have seen this kind of work before, many of the greats like Missoni and Blumarine have made their names through such techniques, but Angela Mafemo makes it all her own and impresses with the effort.
PHOTO CREDITS:
Simon Deiner/SDR Photo
