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SA MENSWEAR WEEK: BY ELE APPAREL SS2020

  By Ele Apparel’s SS2020 Collection is more of a resort capsule than a spring-summer collection and that’s what makes it both unique and desirious. Designer Ele has steered clear of the usual tropes of your standard spring-summer collection. For that reason he is to be forgiven for his shoehorning womenswear in his showcase for the simple reason that the two together makes sense in this instance.

For ALC Man’s AW2019 Collection, designer Amanda Laird Cherry and her creative team drew mainly from two cultures – African and Asian – to further explore her new archetype of the postmodern cosmopolitan nomadic man. Namely, South African potter Frank Nthunya and Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai.

Pottery by Frank Nthunya and paintings by Katsushika Hokusai

Cherry and team continue to draw inspiration from Nthunya and Hokusai for ALC Man’s SS2020 Collection, drawing links between this and preceding collections and the philosophy of the brand through time and cultures. For, after all, the ALC Man is by definition a nomad – being a traveled man – and existentialist. The ALC Man draws wisdom for life and living across the vast tapestry of time and human cultures. This is in keeping with the ethos of the fashion label, which is effortlessly both eclectic and avant-garde.

ALC Man SS2020 Collection

The collection achieves this authenticity of design by drawing inspiration for its cuts, palette and fit not only from the two artist and their respective mediums and subjects but particularly from the work-wear of blue-collar South African workers, Pantsula dress and Japanese traditional garb. In respects of the former-most, the manual laborer’s overalls and miner’s protective wear. However, where the design source is hardy and focused chiefly on function, ALC Man elevates draping of fabric and layering, supple and flowing fabrics and a silhouette that keeps true to the labels nomadic roots without doing away with the shape of the male form.

ALC Man SS2020 Collection

Conclusion

All in all, ALC Man SS2020 Collection is remarkably both indigenous and global in outlook – exactly the mixed approach to African designer fashion that is going to be the hallmark of the continent’s fashion industry’s competitive edge.

In signing off, Ladies and Gentlemen, I encourage you to buy African fashion designed by African designers and manufactured in Africa. That is how we truly celebrate our African heritage.

© Photographer / SDR Photo

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Thank you for reading this installment of Fashionomics. I am yours truly, your most humble host and obedient servant Mr Mini. You can read the latest installment of Fashionomics weekly on Wednesdays at 12 PM Johannesburg time here on the Ask Mr Mini. #JoinTheClan; spread the word!

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SA SKINNY MENSWEAR WEEK SS2020

  ‘Tis the season of fashion weeks the world over and South Africa is no exception. Once again, without fail and few hiccups, SA Menswear Week successfully showcased their forthcoming designer collections for spring-summer 2020.

While a distinguishable feature of the fashion collections was simplicity and frugality in our depressed economic times, the purpose of this post is to review the…

Quintessentially: The Queen’s Concierge

Introduction: Quintessentially Lifestyle

Bonjour, Ladies and Gentlemen!

In the previous instalment of The Lifestyle Report, we explored the notion of concierge being the new necessity for luxury consumers. Today, we explore concierge through the industry juggernaut Quintessentially Group, the only truly global concierge service in the world.

To begin with, Quintessentially Group is of British…

#BonAKA: Sense and Celebrity

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I won’t lie, when I first heard that Bonang and AKA were in a relationship, my eyes could not roll to the back of my head fast enough. I don’t think this should come as a surprise – that is to say, my cynicism of celebrity relationships. However, once the press photography emerged from AKA’s Cruz Vodka…

Concierge: The New Necessity

Introduction

Ladies and Gentlemen, good day to you!

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Today I will be presenting what I consider to be the best collections of SA Menswear Week AW17. The team and designers behind SA Menswear Week continue to prove that are possessed of their conviction that fashion week platforms need to be more business and less spectacle.

ALC Man

ALC Man AW17 Collection.

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What is Fashion? Pt. 2: The Democratization of Fashion

Italian designer Miuccia Prada on the democratization of Fashion.

Introduction

Fashion, now more than ever – particularly high-end fashion – has become accessible to the populous the world over. If not all, then many will agree that the dawn of the democratization of Fashion and the fashion week experience pretty much certainly began with the editorial inception of Anna Wintour at US Vogue in…

Must-See Shows at SA Menswear Week AW17

South African Menswear Week AW17 Schedule

Introduction: Less Spectacle, More Fashion

With South African Menswear Week AW17 a mere four days away – Wednesday 01 February 2017 to be exact – we would be doing a disservice to reduce African menswear to the spectacle and fanfare that has become synonymous with many fashion week. We need to remind ourselves that this platform is ultimately all about…

What is Leisure? Pt. 1: An Introduction

© Moet Party Day. Introduction: What is Leisure?

You may recall that I remarked in my maiden blog post that – and I quote – “Leisure, like Design, is also quite a tricky category of Luxury to clearly define because it appears to be the exact same as Lifestyle, but I do not share this line of thinking.”

I added, “Whilst, yes, Leisure shares a great many similarities to Lifestyle, I think its…

The Faces of South African Menswear Week AW17

Models at casting call for South African Menswear Week AW17 in Cape Town.

Introduction

In merely a week’s time South African Menswear Weekwill be showcasing its designer Autumn-Winter 2017 collections. Now, while the men’s fashion will doubtless be the focus, I can at least say for myself that I look very nearly forward to seeing which male models will be walking which shows as much I do the…

SA Menswear Week: A Brief History

Introduction: Looking Back To Look Forward

With South African Menswear Week on the horizon, I considered it important that in the third year of this new baby on the fashion block that we look back on its founding and a selection of the key accomplishments during this period.

Quoting a News24 article on the inaugural SA Menswear Week,“organiser Simon Denier had said the event would be trimmed…

What is Fashion? Pt. 1: An Introduction

Introduction

Fashion! What is Fashion?

In my introductory blog post and broadcast for Ask Mr Mini I said, “Fashion enjoys, probably, the largest portion of luxury consumers’ disposable income the world over and is so large a subcategory of luxury goods that, truly, it deserves to be treated in its own right as a legitimate major category of the Luxury mix.”  I further went on to highlight that…

What is Luxury? Pt. 1: An Introduction

Mr Mini (left) interviewing men’s lifestyle curator Siya Beyile (right) of The Threaded Man in 2014 Azzaro Pour Homme Cologne launch.

Introduction

Luxury!

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Today I want to talk about luxury and, by extension, a little bit…

What is Lifestyle? Pt. 1: An Introduction

Introduction

Lifestyle!

What is Lifestyle? In my first blog post and video for Ask Mr Mini I introduced the concept of Lifestyle by proposing that it refers to quality of life or ease of (living) life. Today we go further into answering the question of what Lifestyle is, particularly as it relates to Luxury.

If there is anything on television which I think cleverly explores the subject of…

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As part of the content that I wanted produce for the Ask Mr Mini blog and YouTube channel, I really wanted to present a health, fitness and wellness show that would be a resource of information and support for anyone  who has taken the decision to be healthy, myself included.

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Good evening, Ladies and Gentlemen, tribesmen and tribeswomen!

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