The fashion streets were in high-spirit as celebrated designer Thula Sindi made his comeback in over a decade at SA Fashion Week (SAFW).
Sindi joined 38 other local houses including Mantsho, Ephymol, Ntando XV, Rubicon, Munkus, Black Coffee and Essie in showcasing their spring/summer 2023 collections.
Opening Sindi’s show on Thursday night was his longtime collaborator, muse and supermodel Lerato Moloi adorned in a silver metallic dress with matching kaftan ensemble. The collection then flowed into evening–wear staples, flirty cocktail dresses and brunch-worthy get-ups. Speaking to SMag before his show, Sindi said that his SAFW comeback was long overdue and he has missed the showmanship of the catwalk. The last time Sindi showcased at SAFW was in 2007. He last staged a runway show in 2018, before returning last December at Gavin Rajah’s Cape Town Resort Collections. His focus has been on fashion emporium Africa Rise.
“My coming back into fashion and showing was to celebrate me again and to focus back on what I love, which is to make clothes and showing them as collections. We do constant drops in store but to tell that story on the runway, I enjoyed it so much I was like let me do it again,” Sindi said.
Self-reflecting on her journey as a young woman, 2022 new talent search winner Thando Ntuli under her label Munkus showcased a collection that was inspired by her childhood. Ntuli’s collection featured graphic layering that accompanied feminine shift dresses, youthful ball–gown skirts and cut–out details in solid colouring.
“I wanted to mirror my younger childhood self and ask myself if I have become the woman that I’ve always wanted to be or am I still that little girl who still has big dreams... All my other collections were an ode to my mom or grandmother, this was a more personal one,” Ntuli said.
Keeping her designs in a colour palette of pink, purple and lavender; actor–cum–designer Enhle Mbali Mlotshwa under her label Essie showcased playsuits and cut–out blazer dresses for her womenswear collection. Her menswear was a remix of 1980s–inspired gym–wear.
The final day of SAFW shifted into menswear with functional athleisure and relaxed suiting taking centre stage.
Design house Refuse Clothing Brand added softness with earth tones in light knits and suiting. Ntando XV put emphasis on men’s high waist trousers and cut–outs against a strong navy and orange background. Boyde focused on tailoring and detailing to elevated classic menswear staples.
Resembling olive and sandy colour–ways, Ephymol’s army walked the runway in suits in the same hue complete with feathered and textured outerwear. Label head Ephraim Molingoane said that he had turned a new fashion leaf with less drama, but focusing more on functionality and practicality.
A re–occurring trend on the SAFW runways was the exploration of ruffling and fabric manipulation in feminine silhouettes. Durban–based designer Fikile Sokhulu and Centurion–based designer Jacque Bam are synonymous with these silhouettes. This season they introduced colour and metallic finishes that look extra–terrestrial.
Celebrities that were spotted in the front row included Nomuzi Mabena, Shamiso Mosaka, Ayanda Thabethe, Sho Madjozi, Boity Thulo, Nambitha Ben-Mazwi, Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse, Rosette Ncwana and Mihlali Ndamase.
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