By the looks of things, fashion brands and designers have taken some inspiration from the past this season, with a lot of nostalgic, vintage styles doing the rounds. That, and the trendy colours of the season, like citrus, whites and all kinds of bright, as well as beautiful, bold patterns. Because, of course you want to shine this summer!
A collection of local fashion brands under one roof
The 93-year-old fashion emporium, Edgars is hard at work, growing its local fashion portfolio, which ultimately also allows South African designers to showcase and sell their luxury garments through formalised retail.
With the growing pool of talented local fashion designers in South Africa, it’s only natural that fashion brands like Edgars will take notice and jump at the opportunity to collaborate. Edgars has recently committed to supporting the local fashion industry and now offers designer brands in an emporium setting nationally. I was lucky enough to see some of the garments at the launch of this exciting colab.
There was Leigh Schubert, Jo Borkett, Amanda Laird Cherry, Colleen Eitzen, Adore Couture (by Joy-Lee Coco), Mila (Khanyi Malimela), Storm (Chantelle Storm), Royal Moosh (Bayanda Buthelezi) and Igoda (Zola Shabangu) – ample to choose from in various styles, fabrics and hues. And, these are just some of the designer labels you’ll be able to find at Edgars. Yup, Edgars is now all about supporting #madeinSA, opening up floor space for quality chic, elegant and unique, on-trend fashion wear for Edgars stores with locally designed couture.
The Romantic Collective
Actress Donnalee Roberts’ fashion ranges are always filled with romance and she combines it with inspirational stories, always. With spring and summer being the perfect seasons for dresses, The Romantic Collective has got you covered, that’s for sure.
If you’re one for picnics in fields filled with wild flowers, The Romantic Collective is your go-to fashion brand this season.
Some of my favourites include the Blossom Bow-Tie Dress, the Frida Kahlo Cut-out Jumpsuit, the Lavender Gingham Dress and the Perfect Picnic Back Tie Dress.
Explore your inner fashionista with Naak International
Speaking of romance and florals, Naak International has just launched their Naak Summer Range ’22 too, and I am smitten! It’s 90s inspired and comes with all kinds of nostalgic twists. Inspired by high ponytails, pink chappies, the Macarena playing in the background and fun mini skirts and dresses, their summer range is all the rage.
Of course, Naak’s garment names also add to the fun of shopping fashion with them. I am in love with their Kateriena dress, their Naak roller-skates, the Patrys summer dress, and of course their dress called Die Lyf-flouser (or the body fooler in English).
The fashion brand also has a blouse called the Witborskraai, which is perfect for that brunch meeting.
Pringle of Scotland South Africa
Pringle of Scotland South Africa, which forms part of the FrotnierCo stable, has returned to its roots with a modern, contemporary twist to its Pringle Summer 22 Collection. This coincides with their recently opened store at Cresta, with the items available in stores and online.
What I love about the collection, is the pallet of warmer hues like yellow, blue and red and fresh sorbet colours which bring a crisp, clean look to their generally rather classic garments.
Think guipure lace, soft flowing organza and crisp cotton sateen for this summer with Pringle. Their Summer 22 collection is all about iconic, timeless style with a feminine twist, offering classic silhouettes with trendy details.
Opari
Famous for their luxury wear, Opari brings all kinds of prettiness this summer. From mesmerising Mediterranean outfits and midi dresses (I am in love with their Ruched Mesh Maxi Dress) to really unique dresses like their Flower Petal Mini Dress – they’ve got it all. Here, you’ll find floral top and skirt sets and fashion graphic T-shirts for Saturday morning markets, but at the same time also magnificent rose gold sequin detail evening dresses and bodycon dresses for special events.
Old Khaki
I’m totally in a summer daze with Old Khaki’s new summer range. From bold prints to beautiful pops of colour, you can easily bring your wardrobe to life with a couple of staple items from this fashion brand. It’s also good to know that sustainability takes the lead for each summer piece. In this range, you will find the perfect vintage and exotic items to compliment your holiday looks, with retro key items that will turn heads.
Mix and match some of your favourite holiday pieces with Old Khaki’s vacay-inspired linen shirts and dresses and play around with accessories and headwear designed to suit your style. From the classic bucket hat to the perfect fedora made for every summer, as well as carefully selected straw hats and handbags.
Go old-school with fashion brands like Hi-Tec
For the more sporty look, opt for Hi-Tec’s all-new SS22 Heritage Collection. Reimagining classic aesthetics through a contemporary modern-day lens, this range is fashion-forward, yet technically sound, capturing the brand’s heritage, the past, the passion and performances brilliantly.
Says Louise White, Hi-Tec’s Integrated Brand Manager: “This collection is a sporty and smart-casual warehouse; it features a bold, paneled colourway that gives it a retro feel and trendy twist.”
Functionality and technicality is what this collection is all about, while being trendy and stylish at the same time.
Keep an eye out for their 100% cotton tank top for ladies – perfect for hitting the gym in. I also love their HTS RGS Shadow high-drop unisex sneakers – a nostalgic, vintage athleisure style with a lifted, bulkier rubber sole which gives it a modern twist.
What will fashion brands bring in #AW23?
The recent SA Fashion Week, hosted at the Mall of Africa, had me in awe. Michael Ludwig Studio‘s bright colours and interesting patterns and detail had me imagining all kinds of mood boards. The blue flutter top and skirt were probably my favourites from this range, as well as the bright orange and mint green dresses.
The DROMe collection was also a hit on the runway. It formed part of the ‘Fashion Bridges – Ponti della Moda’ project, which was launched by the Embassy of Italy in 2021, in partnership with the Italian fashion school, Polimoda and Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana. What stood out in this collection, was leather, large prints, mesh and over-sized garments.
I was sad to have missed ERRE‘s collection, but from the photos and videos I’ve seen, this is one of the fashion brands whose collection is bound to be a hit next season. The designer duo, Carina and Natasha are no strangers to SA Fashion Week and together they create powerful silhouettes which are still wearable in classic, figure-flattering style. Their range is also an inclusively sized range and the Pretoria-based fashion brand provides employment to a diverse team of dedicated women.
Black Coffee‘s AW23 collection stole the show with an impressive intro. The fashion brand’s latest collection is all about reimagining closet basics.
Fresh white garments dominated Helon Melon‘s range, complimented by shoes from FOM Brand and while Rubicon also featured lots of whites, black leather and bright, bold prints were also prominent.
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