Top designers make increasing use of versatile Eastern Cape product
MOHAIR shines on the catwalk as much as on bedspreads and other textile applications – with fashion doyenne Marianne Fassler the latest big name to use the precious natural fibre in her ramp collections.
Mohair South Africa (MSA) last month attended Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in Johannesburg to support Fassler’s Leopard Frock label. Fassler included mohair and silks, showing the versatility and pure quality of mohair.
MSA also supported Nelson Mandela Metro fashion design graduate Armand Dicker, who made the top four of AFI Fastrack which gives design students a head start in their fashion careers.
“It was such an honour to attend this event and see the creative and breathtaking creations of two designers who really know how to bring our brand to life,” said Lindsay Humphreys of MSA.
“This luxury fibre is seen on catwalks all over the world and is also celebrated globally, but it was a great moment to see mohair strutting its stuff right here at home.”
Dicker, a former MSA bursary student, will network and learn from some of the most celebrated designers in the industry and showcase his range later in the year on a national platform.
Previous Port Elizabeth students who have made the top 12, include knitwear designer Laduma Ngxokolo and Milk’s Ruth McNaughton.
Another top South African designer, Craig Davids, also made extensive use of Eastern Cape mohair in his Fundudzi autumn winter range. Davids favours the use of sustainable materials in his work, and swathed his winter models in shades of cinnamon, blue and grey.
-Gillian McAinsh