SA’S TOP EMERGING DESIGNERS SHOWCASE VERSATILE MOHAIR GARMENTS IN THE DIAMOND FIBRE COLLECTIONS
Local design studios Lukhanyo Mdingi, Judith Atelier and MmusoMaxwell have joined together to take part in the Diamond Fibre Collections, a never-before-seen collection of designer fashion that celebrate the versatility and luxury of mohair.
Nicknamed ‘the diamond fibre’, mohair is a soft and lustrous fibre that boasts impressive dye retention, elasticity and resilience. With South Africa producing around half of all the mohair in the world, the Diamond Fibre Collections are a celebration of local designers, fabrics, producers and fashion.
Receiving substantial support over the last 12 months, from raw materials to marketing support and mentorship, the designers are ready to showcase this stunning collection in the first ever digital South African Fashion Week (SAFW) set for early October 2020.
The Collection
Incorporating mohair and mohair blends, the designers have worked with the extraordinary fibre to create contemporary, modern and refined trans-seasonal collections. Through their designs, we see each label playing to their individual strengths, while making full use of the versatility of mohair.
Oversized and bulky cuts are juxtaposed against straight lines and soft, flowing creations that accentuate the human form. Traditional weaves are brought to life through soft colours, often offset by starkly contrasted brighter shades and complementary colours, making full use of the incredible dye retention properties of the textile.
The Designers
Lukhanyo Mdingi
With a profound interest in considered and sincere design, the spirit of collaboration yields the Lukhanyo Mdingi label in creating meticulously made pieces. The intention is to ensure a pragmatic and mindful approach in product development; looking into human ingenuity as the provenance in creating design that is honest, steady and strong. Adhering to a mindful approach to design the label collaborates with select artisans that source & create unique textiles, allowing all those involved to understand the essence of each step of the design process.
Judith-Atelier
Founded by Judith Nel in 2014, Judith-Atelier has since become the voice of modern minimalism. The studio is celebrated for its versatility, strong sense of sophistication, and effortless approach to providing women with the perfect attire for every aspect of their lives. Bold, intuitive and refined, each collection features the finest craftsmanship and materials, adapting Judith’s own personal style to the needs and desires of women who want distinctive, luxurious garments.
MmusoMaxwell
MmusoMaxwell is a womenswear fashion brand that creates garments inspired by African heritage and contemporary culture, with a particular emphasis on tailoring to complement the modern woman. The studio focuses on accentuating detail, practicality and wearability through a well-considered design process that gives a sense of value and quality.
The Initiative
The Diamond Fibre Collections is an initiative led by the South Africa Mohair Cluster (SAMC) in partnership with SAFW. The initiative began through a call to applicants, whereby 20 talented South African designers were nominated by recognised fashion leaders, and a panel of experienced judges selected the top 3 designers. A strategic collaboration has been secured with The Fashion Agent – South Africa’s leading fashion wholesale agency and distribution company. This provides not only a suitable platform through which the collections may be purchased, but also access to the Agency’s international, multi-dimensional distribution network, connecting the designers to new markets and channels both domestically as well as abroad.
This initiative was started by the SAMC to not only highlight the versatile nature of mohair, but to demonstrate the Cluster’s commitment to small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs), building the local mohair sector to drive access to both local and international markets, and tapping into the creativity that exists within the South Africa fashion design sector.
The SAMC is a Non-Profit Company and an official body empowered by the dti to manage and facilitate funds to achieve prosperity and sustainability in the South African mohair sector specifically. The SAMC’s primary focus is to coordinate and facilitate sector improvement and growth. A core focus for the Cluster is to implement plans that establish South Africa as a dominant and significant contributor and preferred global supplier to the mohair value chain, and to grow local value addition.
