One of the best parts of traveling is a renewed appreciation of your home. I have just returned from the French Riviera, where I joined the Prince and Princess of that wonderful principality - Monaco for the Monte Carlo Grand Prix.
I watched with amazement whilst sipping French champagne as Lewis Hamilton raced in the rain to win this most challenging and glamorous of Grand Prix! For a minute I thought I was in our own beautiful Cape Town – with the torrential rain not being the only similarity!
Monte Carlo is a magical dream world, steeped in history, with magnificent and awe inspiring architecture, built between mountain and sea, beautiful gardens and teeming with glamorous, famous and fabulously fashionable and friendly people. We as South Africans can hold our head up and be proud that our country is comparable to anywhere in the world – not to mention that our beaches are considerably more beautiful!
Speaking of the Mother City, AFI is proud to welcome one of the world’s leading and very fashionable brands, Virgin Mobile, as headline sponsor for the sixth edition of Cape Town Fashion Week.
Virgin Mobile Cape Town Fashion Week will present some of our very best designers as they reveal their next spring/summer range, and, in conjunction with the Cape Town Fashion Council, a new raft of exciting young design talent. We are very proud to be associated with Virgin Mobile, a brand that clearly understands fashion, design, individuality and style.
AFI, in association with VShe Promotions, will be presenting the MTN Durban Fashion Week from the 25th to 28th June. Thanks to the new partnership with the KZN Department of Arts and Culture, the search for new design talent has unearthed amazing young designers from throughout KZN who will have their own dedicated show.
MTN Durban Fashion Week will continue to attract some of our established designers who will present their mid-season “cruise” ranges. They also serve as a great inspiration to our new designers. See below for further information and a profile of our business partner in Durban, the incomparable Vanashree Singh.
Looking at recent events around the country, the beauty of fashion is that it knows no boundaries. AFI joins the many South Africans who have taken a stance against the violent crimes committed against foreigners throughout South Africa. Our goal is to contribute to the improvement of living standards of all our people through supporting the work of our designers, who will have stronger businesses that can employ more people, and to take the fashion industry in South Africa back to its original glory of being one of the country’s biggest employers.
We also mourn the passing of one of the world’s leaders in the fashion industry, Algerian born, Parisian designer Yves Saint Laurent.
I thank all of you who have taken time to give us feedback on our newsletter. Please keep sending us your suggestions!
Yours truly, Dr Precious Moloi–Motsepe
VIRGIN MOBILE CONNECTS WITH CAPE TOWN FASHION WEEK
Leading stylish mobile company, Virgin Mobile, recently secured the headline sponsorship of acclaimed Cape Town Fashion Week, to be officially renamed “Virgin Mobile Cape Town Fashion Week”. The event takes place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre from the 13th – 16th August 2008 in what promises to be a major highlight in the 2008 fashion calendar.
“At Virgin Mobile we are excited about the partnership with African Fashion International as it strategically allows us to expand our association with fashion. This partnership provides us with a platform that brings us closer to our fans, and the Virgin Mobile Cape Town Fashion Week is the beginning of great things to come,” said Peter Boyd, CEO of Virgin Mobile SA.
Says Paul Jackson, CEO of African Fashion International (owners of the event), “Virgin Mobile Cape Town Fashion Week will present some of Cape Town’s most gifted fashion designers as they reveal their latest range for the upcoming spring/summer season. We are delighted to partner with a global and iconic brand like Virgin Mobile who clearly understands fashion, individuality and style from both a national and international perspective”. For the first time, the event’s opening day will be presented by the Cape Town Fashion Council, and will feature specially selected and carefully curated new designers showing for the first time.
Once again brace yourself for packed houses as huge demand makes fashion show tickets the most sought after commodity in town. Cape Town will come alight every evening as renown designers celebrate their range launches with bespoke after parties at selected locations across the city.
2008 FASHION AWARDS SALUTE INDUSTRY ACHIEVERS AT GLITTERING GALA EVENT
The South African Clothing Industry celebrated in style as the 2008 Cape Town Fashion Awards for excellence in the industry were announced at a glittering gala event at Spier Wine Estate presided over by award-winning American actor, Danny Glover.
The annual awards, which were initiated by the SA Clothing and Textile Workers’ Union (Sactwu) to celebrate excellence in the South African fashion design and manufacturing industry, saw Amanda Laird Cherry and Thula Sindi respectively scoop the coveted titles of Designer and Emerging Designer of the Year.
Glover was presented with a Special Fashion Ambassador award by Zwelinzima Vavi, COSATU General Secretary, for his role as a committed activist for fair labour practices in the international clothing industry and for serving as an ambassador for South African fashion.
The awards serve as the glamorous finale to Sactwu’s two-week long Cape Town Fashion Festival.
DESIGNER BRIEFINGS
The designer briefings for Joburg and Cape Town Fashion Weeks took place on 3 and 6 June respectively.
Providing participating and interested designers full information on the event logistics, the briefings are a vital part of the organisation that takes place behind the scenes at the Fashion Weeks.
In addition to essential logistical details, industry experts also addressed the 50 or so assembled designers at each event in the following areas:
Dion Chang, Flux Trends - Spring Summer International Trends 2009 / 2010
Sibongile Simelane, Trends consultant and stylist - Range Planning & Styling for Retail
Grant Blackbeard, Blackbeard & Dare - Retail Ready Garments
Jackie Burger, Editor - Elle - The importance of media for fashion brands
Jeremy Briar, Total Exposure - What does PR do for fashion week and for your business
Natalia Pereira, Bowman Gilfillan - Trademarking
Deon Redman, AFI - Fashion Week Briefing
These events form part of AFI’s aim of supporting and partnering designers to ensure they receive the maximum benefit from participation at the fashion weeks. Besides this, we see these briefings as a vital part of our development work, opening up the briefings to non-participating designers so they can also receive the benefit.
WIN
MUSTAFA HASSANALI Tanzanian fashion designer www.mustafahassanali.net
to stand the chance of winning a fabulous beaded necklace and earring set from Mustafa Hassanali’s range (as pictured left). Tanzania’s top fashion designer, stylist, writer, events coordinator, culture vulture and socialite also has a reputation as a dedicated philanthropist. Mustafa’s designs have been shown widely throughout Africa and Europe and his exquisite handwork, detailed beadwork and creative ensemble embellishments have made Mustafa Hassanali a sought after brand name in the couture market.
WIN
to win 2 x VIP tickets to the finale show on Saturday 28th June at MTN Durban Fashion Week. Tickets will gain entrance to the finale show.
This is for entrance tickets only. Winners must arrange own travel arrangements. Closing date for entries is June 19th 2008. The winner will be announced on June 20th 2008.
MTN DURBAN FASHION WEEK 2008
Jointly owned and founded by African Fashion International and Vanashree Singh, MTN DFW has been billed as the cradle of South Africa’s young and emerging talent. MTN Durban Fashion Week 2008 will marry creativity with business, youth with experience, and fashion with a cause. Developing and supporting young and emerging talent is a priority for the MTN DFW. Running concurrently with their annual young designer search at top design schools, MTN DFW has embarked on a ground breaking initiative, partnering with the KZN Department of Arts, Culture and Tourism (DACT) to launch an exploratory programme across KZN, whose main aim is to seek, cultivate and nurture would-be designers who have the talent but lack the means to achieve success in the fashion industry.
“MTN Durban Fashion Week has always taken the fashion business seriously and intrinsic to the success of any business is investment at a grassroots level. KZN has a wealth of young South African design talent and this investment is making a positive impact on emerging designers by enabling them to showcase to a wide audience” said Vanashree Singh.
Evan Schiff, spokesperson for African Fashion International (AFI), “MTN DFW fulfils a vital role on the local fashion calendar which falls in line with African Fashion International’s strategic objectives of unearthing and developing young designers. MTN DFW has taken a strategic decision to focus on this potential and going forward will play an important role in shaping the future of the South African fashion industry.”
Anthony Garstang, Senior Manager: MTN Sponsorship, Events and Exhibitions said, “MTN is proud to once again sponsor the MTN Durban Fashion Week. Fashion is multi-faceted and impacts on us in different forms; this is important to MTN because as a leader in the mobile telecoms industry, we need to monitor fashion and trends to keep us at the forefront. Our consumers are fashion conscious – they want the latest in cell phones and technology to go with their fashionable lifestyles. South Africa can hold its own on the international fashion catwalks with fashion ranging from ethnic and traditional to classical and avant-garde. The 2008 MTN Durban Fashion Week will most certainly not disappoint dedicated followers of fashion.”
MTN DFW will take place from 25 June 2008 to 28 June 2008.
Tickets are available through Computicket and range from R75- R200 per show. See www.mtndurbanfashionweek.com for designers and latest show schedule.
Join the MTN Durban Fashion Week event and group on Facebook
TOP 10 FASHION DESIGNER HOTELS
You're in good company with Versace, Christian Lacroix and Ralph Lauren
At the Hotel in Miami, you'll experience Todd Oldham’s custom touches: satin-ribboned pillows, hand-airbrushed tiles and tie-dyed robes, all in a soft riot of colours. A transformed landmark building in the heart of South Beach’s Art Deco district, the lifestyle is indoor/outdoor. Coastal Living described it as 'retro chic with ultramodern amenities, friendly, and unpretentiously hip.' Photo by Michael Croteau.
What do Versace, Christian Lacroix and Ralph Lauren have in common (besides presumably impressive walk-in closets)? They all have hotels—and they’re in good company. The Italian fashion houses of Missoni and Moschino will both open fashion/hospitality hybrids this year in Milan. Giorgio Armani recently announced ambitious plans to build branded hotels in New York, Dubai and London. And Versace will add a second resort to its empire this year in Dubai (naturally).
From the whimsical styles of Lacroix to the classic lines of Lauren, how does the spirit of fashion translate to the guest experience? We went to several industry experts for their thoughts on the parallels between these design worlds and the growing presence of fashion hotels.
Style guru Todd Oldham believes that clothiers have a sensitivity to the body that is often overlooked in interiors. “Fashion designers are more sensual in their approach as to how to ‘wear’ a room,” said Oldham. “They’ll design rooms that people look good in, as opposed to rooms people litter by being in.” A crossover designer himself, Oldham transitioned from the catwalk to the reception desk when he designed The Hotel in South Beach in 1999, which he describes as both conservative and bawdy: “The tenets of design come from the same place,” he said. “I like to ask myself: Who's joining me here? How can I make this the most lovely experience possible?”
Buick Audra concurs. A New York-based designer and stylist whose clients include Joss Stone, Alison Krauss and Rachel Hunter, Audra is also a strong proponent of the holistic approach: “I am of the mind that all art is related,” she said. “Especially when you get into visuals that all break down to balance, colour, texture and structure.”
Her taste runs towards the “modern funhouse effect” of Christian Lacroix’s Hotel du Petit Moulin. “I would absolutely choose a hotel based on its fashion influence,” said Audra. “Design of a space contributes so greatly to how you feel in that space. To be able to express a vision on such a huge scale has to be thrilling for such visionaries.”
Fashion is business, of course, and a well-designed hotel can act as a live-in portfolio. “A designer hotel acts as a great branding tool for a major brand that seeks a new audience,” said Brandusa Niro, Editor in chief of TheFashionWeekDaily.com. “A hotel is a great way to open up an old-school brand to the new and the young.”
A guest at the Palazzo Versace, for example, will be immersed from floor to ceiling in the Versace lifestyle—linens, rugs, cutlery and toiletries are not only part of the experience but of course also available for purchase at the on-premise Versace boutique.
But not all designers are out to mass-market a line of furnishings. The G Hotel in Galway is milliner Phillip Treacy’s ode to his favourite artists and designers. “I want to entertain and surprise as well as delight,” says Treacy on the hotel’s web site. “But it is the impression of glamour that I most want to convey.”
Ralph Lauren transformed this former pineapple and coconut plantation into an elegant yet laid-back resort just west of Montego Bay. The 36 oceanfront rooms in the Pineapple House have been recently renovated and most of the 27 private villas have their own pool. Photo by David Massey.
Fusion of new and old elements is a recurring motif with fashion designers, who often give classic silhouettes new twists in a clothing collection. John Rocha’s Morrison Hotel in Dublin is an exercise in sleek reserve in every way that The G is not, using mostly neutral tones and organic shapes (despite being set within the façade of an 18th-century mansion). “A hotel by a fashion designer is a great way of expressing the brand philosophy and the lifestyle that a designer sees behind the clothes,” said Pia Catton, a seasoned fashion reporter and author of the book “White Shirt.” “The Ralph Lauren sense of interiors is very comfortable and what you want in a hotel is to feel comfortable and at home.” Lauren has been visiting Round Hill Hotel in Jamaica for over 20 years and is a partial owner. A recent $6-million renovation was largely dedicated to redesigning the guest rooms under Lauren’s direction. Another modern classic, Oscar de la Renta, brought a casual version of his couture elegance to the villas and rooms at Tortuga Bay in Punta Cana on the eastern coast of the Dominican Republic. Tortuga Bay is the first Dominican hotel to be included among the elite Leading Small Hotels of the World. “The de la Renta home line is elegantly tropical,” said Catton. “I think it would give you a wonderful feeling of being in Cuba in the ’50s.” The only question left: what on Earth to pack? Read on to enjoy a list of 10 hotels brought to life by leading fashion designers. Written by Kelly Kingman for Forbes Traveller
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MTN Durban Fashion Week 2008
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YDE COMPETITION
If it’s all about pleats and tucks; smocking and flocking; the bubble and the babydoll; the ruffle and the hem; the catwalk and the rail space; the look and the passion… You have found what you’ve been looking for. YDE is after the best ladies and men’s designing talent around.
Young, up-and-coming fashion talent are invited to enter the YDE Designers Competition. Submit your designs and a proposed business plan to stand the chance of having a limited range available in YDE stores as part of the RISING TALENT initiative. In addition, the winning ladieswear and menswear designers will each receive R10 000 worth of assistance to start a small commercial clothing range within YDE. WHO CAN ENTER? This is open to all ladieswear and menswear fashion designers 18 years or over.
HOW DO YOU ENTER? Submit designs of 8 – 10 garments. This must be a comprehensive range across tops and bottoms for summer 2008
Suggested design themes: Ladieswear design themes: Ethnic Quirk; Floral Fantasy; Love and Peace; Grecian Goddess. Menswear design themes: Punkadelic, Farmer Boy, Space Odyssey, Lead singer.
WHERE DO YOU ENTER? Entry forms will be available in YDE stores and online at www.yde.co.za.
DEADLINE Closing date for entries is Monday 7 July, and finalists will be notified telephonically by Monday 21 July.
For more information and rules visit www.yde.co.za. Terms and conditions apply.
SPOTLIGHT ON OUR PARTNER IN DURBAN, VANASHREE SINGH
Vanashree Singh, co-owner of MTN Durban Fashion Week has been a long time and passionate supporter of South African fashion, whether as a consumer representing South African fashion at the Oscars with husband Anant Singh, or more directly through her involvement in MTN Durban Fashion Week. African Fashion International agreed to co-found DFW with Vanashree four years ago and soon thereafter procured the required sponsorship and expertise necessary to make the shared vision come to life. The partnership has since flourished and Vanashree has proved a well respected business partner for AFI on the ground in the wonderful city of Durban. African Fashion International and Vanashree identified the need to grow Durban’s traditional role as the traditional home for fashion design institutions and billed DFW as “the cradle for young and emerging design talent” This has been one of many partnerships that AFI is extremely proud of.
Vanashree appears on the cover of the June issue of Destiny Magazine.
BIG BRANDS MOVING IN FASHIONABLE CIRCLES WITH AFI
AFI is proud to announce its association with the following highly regarded brands across all fashion weeks under the AFI umbrella; Peroni, L’Oréal Paris and L’Oréal Professionel and Nescafé. These brands have recognised fashion as a viable marketing platform and guests at fashion week events can look forward to enjoying giveaways and samples that will be available while stocks last.
PERONI NATRO AZZURRO A premium Italian beer with an unmistakable Italian style.
L’ORÉAL - One of the world's top beauty care brands.
NESCAFÉ – The taste for coffee is becoming more sophisticated and refined. Nescafé, good taste, good life.
PARIS PLANET FASHION ONLINE MAGAZINE 7TH EDITION: STELLAR REFLECTIONS
Paris Planet Fashion Magazine is a luxurious online international fashion magazine that has recently released its seventh edition, inspired by stellar reflections. It features futuristic conceptual beauty care, provocative ultra-fashion and covers the best collections, trends, personalities and lifestyles around the world.
