Last week Jasna AKA FashionJazz and I attended the David Tlale & Joshua De Bliquy Exhibition at The Bromwell Boutique Mall. It was a beautiful Cape Town evening so we enjoyed some champagne and chatted while the keyboardist played and the sun went down. Come nightfall, Tlale's models sauntered around the venue filled with De Bliquy paintings. The girls paused to pose in gowns and dresses crafted from opulent fabric. Design features included beautiful embellishments, a flirtation with ostrich feathers and fringing, high scoop necklines and white to pink ombre. I'd say David's gorgeous garments and Joshua's dreamy art are a match made in creative heaven.
Rosenwerth gave us their trademark glitz and glam with sequins, sorbet pastel silks and rectangle prints. I adored the chic aquamarine blouse/dress and I loved the silver flapper-esque mini, so cute for a wild night out. Gabi's flattering feminine silhouettes and luxurious fabrics should be kept in mind for for fancy occasions and editorials. If I were I stylist, I'd love to play around with this collection and add in tougher elements for shoots.
Klawikowski is a skilled pattern cutter. Her cuts were fresh and interesting. Symmetry, sheer fabrics, weaving and pops of color were eclectic and appetizing, I just want to see more of her work. I've seen some of her avant-garde pieces and they're brilliant. Talent!
Kim Gush stays true to her goth apocalyptic aesthetic with cohesive monochromatic menswear. I'm a fan of the bone accessories and sick leather apron, the first model looked sadistic and twisted in my favorite way. The more menswear out there, the better!
I sadly missed Goat's show but heard amazing things. Up next is Habits.
It seems to me that Hip Hop has grown up in terms of garment construction and trend direction so I quite enjoyed their collection. The models walked slowly to the end of a fan-blown runway, taking their time to pose and showcase the dresses. We were delighted with metallics, romantic prints (one of my favorites was a European architecture print maxi) and spidery sheer slips. Velvet, chiffon, buttery silks and raw satin ruled the runway while well-placed feathers and faux fur added touches of texture. As always, you can find more photos on Facebook.
Jennifer Lopez in Zuhair Murad
Rooney Mara in Givenchy
Gwyneth Paltrow in Tom Ford
Octavia Spencer in Tadashi Shoji
Milla Jovovich in Elie Saab
Cameron Diaz in Gucci
Kristen Wiig in J. Mendel
George Clooney in Armani with Stacy Keibler in Marchesa
Meryl Streep in Lanvin
Jessica Chastain in Alexander McQueen
Sandra Bullock in Marchesa
Brad with Angelina in Versace
Rose Byrne in Vivienne Westwood
Leslie Mann in Roberto Cavalli
Tina Fey in Carolina Herrera
Penelope Cruz in Armani Prive
Berenice Bejo in Elie Saab
Viola Davis in Vera Wang
Michelle Williams in Louis Vuitton
Natalie Portman in Dior
Emma Stone in Giambattisa Valli
So what do you think? After seeing all of the beautiful photos from the runways of New York and London, we get to see some dresses walk straight onto the red carpet. When I first saw the golden F/W12 Marchesa gown in runway pictures, I thought that the hip detail would be tough to pull off so I'm pleasantly surprised with Stacy Keibler. I'm kind of loving Meryl Streep just because she's beaming with such confidence. Rose Byrne does black sequins right; I excluded Anna Faris' attempt. I'm not the biggest Angelina fan but I do love a black velvet dress! Lastly, as soon as I saw Jessica Chastain I thought it had to be McQueen, he really established a unique and quality aesthetic in his much too short fashion reign...just beautiful.









