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Runway Report

26 April 2012

We spoke to four local designers about their Winter 2012 collections.

By Chu & Deryn King

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In the May issue of FAIRLADY, our fashion director, Chu and fashion assistant, Deryn King chatted to the designers of some of the hottest Winter 2012 collections at Mercedes Benz Joburg Fashion Week (p93). We decided to continue the conversation online with four of South Africa's most exciting designers. We asked them three questions:

1. What inspired this collection?
2. Is there a new trend this season that stands out for you?
3. What, in your opinion, are the must-have pieces for Winter 2012?

Here’s what they had to say:

	David Tlale 1. Glam Intersection. 2. Layering and a dash of colour, infused with houndstooth. 3. A David Tlale houndstooth dress with bow – accessorize it with a bright yellow belt and matching stockings.
	Danielle Margaux 1. I was very inspired by a mix of things; mainly the 1920s and the 1950s. In the 1920s was the dropped waist was very popular and in the 1950s they accentuated the waist, so I did a bit of both in this collection. I watched a lot of old movies when creating this collection and that’s where I think it comes from. 2. What I envisioned as the trend for winter is one-colour dressing, but still bringing in the colour blocking trend here and there. I used a lot of red with contrasting cream in my collection. Fur is also very big for winter, and strangely enough sequins are another big trend; we saw a lot of them on the overseas catwalks. 3. A beautiful tailored coat.
	Abigail Keats 1. This collection focuses on the dynamic psyche of the modern woman. Inspired by ‘girl meets boy’, the collection juxtaposes power and femininity and draws these together through romantic design and old Hollywood allure. 2. Fur – it’s a huge global fashion trend at the moment, New York, London and Paris Fashion Weeks have embraced it wholeheartedly. Be loving towards our environment and celebrate this trend through the use of vintage and faux fur. 3. Definitely a classic tailored coat dress with metallic trimmings and interesting design details.
	Avant 1. We started off being inspired by architecture and the structural elements of steel, concrete and the shapes/forms/structures that are born from them. There’s a play on ‘stiff’ and ‘flowing’, which concrete has the ability to do when placed in certain moulds – it can be smooth and feminine or angular and masculine. The colours are also derived from the concrete, and enhanced by the extreme black and white. 2. Winter whites. It’s always about dark and black, so the white trend this season is very evident and we think it makes for an amazing change. 3. Definitely a trenchcoat. An extended length, luxurious leather-trimmed trench coat.