South Africa Menswear Week happened just a week ago and 25 of Africa’s brightest menswear designers gathered together to show us the culmination of months of inspiration, hard work and discipline.
There were the amazing, the not so great and the head scratching kind of fashion on display. We sorted through the horde of designs sent down the runway and picked our absolute favorite ten pieces from the designers who showed at SA Mens.
This gorgeous sweater from Chulaap.
Chulaap the brand by Chulap Swannapha is South Africa’s Edna Mode. With his distinctive glasses and bowl cut and his eye for detail, Chulaap has become the label for the South African man afraid of prints and making a statement. His entire collection was a sight for sore eyes with heavy motifed blankets and Ankara print suits, but his tiger sweaters were the true star of the show, gimme’em!
This print trench coat from Martin Kadinda.
Martin Kadinda was a literal ray of sunshine in the darkened show space at the capetown stadium with his eclectic collection that almost entirely featured shades of yellow interspersed with print jackets, pants and blazers. But this mid-length print trench is the kind of piece that stays relevant in your wardrobe for decades. When does it start retailing?
This entire look from Jenevieve Lyons.
Jenevieve is the queen south african menswear minimalism and she restates her claim to the throne at SA Mens with this collection done entirely in khakis and muted olive greens. But Jenevieve is at her best when she is at her simplest as this entire look proves. I can’t imagine wearing any of these pieces anyway else. Can you?
Pleather according to Rich Mnisi.
We know, we know, pleather can come across a little tacky. And in a collection as opulent as Rich Mnisi AW16 Mens, pleather seems somewhat out of place. But that is the magic of Rich, he can bring the opulence out of anything, and he does with this pleather trousers, draping it appropriately and slapping on a cumberbund style waistband for that night out at the awards feel. We can’t wait to play the enfant terrible in this.
Crotchet according to Orange Culture.
Crotchet became a big runway trend in 2014 and hasn’t abated since, so we were excited to see a designer attempt it. And Bayo Oke-Lawal’s Orange Culture couture pieces are the very defintion of blipster chic, lived in without looking ratty, oversized and draped like a mutha. Into our lives and wardrobes, stat!
This pyjama set from Young and Lazy.
Pyjama sets are all the rage in womenswear and Young and Lazy actually went there at SA Mens. The linen, the stripes, the cut out sleeves. What’s not to love about this, about all of this, especially as we get to show some leg too.
This concert jacket from Black Dog.
While the rest of Black Dog’s new collection was decidedly ‘Bro-Dude’ uniform, this deliciously emo jacket popped up at the tail end of the show and absolutely blew us away. The fact that its loose, and the front flap is conversely asymmetrical. We can see ourselves in this, everywhere.
CSquared’s take on the white shirt.
We’re always on the lookout for reinvented white shirts, they are after all the staple foundation of any decent wardrobe (except mine, I only wear black). We were delighted to find this decidedly rockstar inspired white with cropped sleeves in a collection that was a lot more mediterranean safari. Y’all can have the Black sea, we’re going to be crowd surfing at the Foo Fighters in this.
This rain trench from Maxivive.
Maxivive knows we always make it rain so he created the perfect hybrid trench coat, hoodie and jacket, in bright orange no less. None of this should work. But it does, and we love it.
Banging briefs from Jagadi Man.
Jagadi Man’s new collection was obviously inspired by the rocker culture, there was leather aplenty, death defying drop necklines and jeans you’d have to peel off yourself with a spatula. With that much sexiness, it only makes sense your underwear should follow. Jagadi Man has us covered where it matters the most.