A Look At The Best Of South African Menswear Week SS18/19

Maxivive Shot by Simon Deiner

Fashion Enthusiasts in Southern Africa always look forward to the times when SA Menswear Week shows the best of menswear collections. The Spring / Summer collections were shown during the first weekend of July and fashion heavyweights like Chularp Suwannapha, Tokyo James, Nao Serati and Maxivive did not disappoint because their collections were great. The young talent at Menwear is amazing and makes it look forward to the future of menswear fashion in Africa.

I love the rock’n roll influence that I spotted in Nao Serati’s collection; the short shorts, the net stockings and the belts with the chains. Nao is bringing back a trend I had personally forgotten, but I was very excited to see this collection. Nao’s collection does not only make rock’n roll cool, it also tackles an important conversation around gender fluidity and I am here for it. It is great to see you wearing dresses and skirts so unapologetically and enjoying it. MX Creations is another brand that has created a fluid collection and I love the patch work all over.The tops that are “typically female” looked amazing on the men’s and the world’s collection was an amazing showcase of bright colors using a white blank canvas.

Tokyo James’ fashion shows are always something to talk about because you never know what to expect, but you always know that the collection will blow your mind. His latest collection is what I call a fusion of rock and roll and formal wear. The pastel collection brings a unique look into menswear because it is so versatile and easy to wear. The garments allow one to fit in and stand out at the same time and can not wait for these looks.

Design brand “One I Am” brought an Asian influence to their collection with big Samurai-like coats with eye catching details and the hair to match; the bob fringe cut and hair buns with chop sticks. The coolest thing about the coats is that they are versatile and can be styled in a number of different ways. Chulaap’s is one of the most popular products in the industry and its latest collection is inspired by West Africa. The colors are a bit of a chulaap collection that is widely loved.