And the winner is…
We have deep admiration for the people in our society who dedicate their lives and academic careers to gifting the world. These are gifts of their passion and creativity that they pour into their essays, sketchbooks and exams. Students who attend classes to refine their creative gifts that form part of the fashion world are amongst those we are in awe of. They tear apart the societal boxes that restrict us. They say no to what society wants us to say yes to: the standards set on our success in academia. And as such, fashion students at Stadio School of Fashion (formerly LISOF) do not only think outside the box, they do something with (and about) the box. Here is to them! This is for their no to society and their yes to themselves. This is a celebratory article for the hours and energy that they put in every single creation not only for school, but for us. It a huge a congratulations to the winners of The 2021 Stadio School of Fashion Lookbook.
A few weeks ago, SA Creatives had the honour of publishing an article introducing the transformative phase of Stadio School of Fashion’s fashion extravaganza. This year saw the fashion extravaganza transform into a lookbook! The past quarter of a century saw Stadio students showcase their garments physically before a panel of renowned industry judges, at the school’s prestigious fashion show annually. And the COVID-19 pandemic did not stop the people we are in awe of from showcasing their work.
Put your hands together for the creators of the 2021 garments that stole the show and made a fashion statement, literally.
From the Pretoria campus, in the category of Best Commercial Range, Siyabonga Mnguni’s East Formal ranger stole the show!
View the full range here: https://stadiodesignspace.co.za/2020-pta-3rd-year-siyabonga/
Siyabonga: ‘My design philosophy is simple, minimal and effortless. My aim is to create clothing that can help women to be taken seriously both in and out of corporate settings. Clothing that can be worn in any environment. I strive for comfort-ability without compromising on style, elegance, sophistication, classiness and timeless pieces. Considered comfort looks at the relationship fashion has with the home and how fashion responds to this changing relationship, as it shifts to become multi-functional system of living(Ross,2019). You can expect multipurpose pieces that are comfortable to be worn indoors but still look smart enough to be worn outside as well, pieces that work with the body rather than against the body for easy movement, supporting work, play and rest.
Staying in the same campus, the Most Public Votes award went to Micaela Alves and her Stately Soiree range!
View the full range here: https://stadiodesignspace.co.za/2020-pta-3rd-year-micaela/
Micaela: ‘Reconstructed Legacy is a trend that has been on the rise for a few years now. From full sleeves to corsets, everything we loved about our favourite decades are all coming back into fashion with a modern take. In times of uncertainty the past offers a rock of comfort with consumers clinging to the nostalgic feeling that fashion brings. Within this trend a sub trend for party wear has been on the rise celebrating historical details and all the glamour of a sophisticated past. The trend, Stately Soiree has been inspired by baroque interiors and quilt finishes together with fuller proportions and high necklines, imbued with a sense of nostalgia.’
From the Randburg (Johannesburg) campus for the category Best Conceptual Range, Ronaldo Engelbrecht’s Urban Utopian won!
View the full range here: https://stadiodesignspace.co.za/2020-jhb-3rd-year-ronaldo/
Ronaldo: ‘Tech-tility is how the industry inhabits and explores the lines between authentic and virtual. Tech-tility should be seen as futuristic as apparel will shift to drive a more fictional and fantasy take on what clothes could be. As “everyday wear” become more extreme, simple concepts are explored with the tech-tility trend. The body is reshaped and out of place, created with structured silhouettes, reimagined construction that entirely ignores the concepts and fundamentals of traditional pattern making and garment construction. The tech-tility trend as a whole is used in the interpretation of the designs. The collection inspires to give a fictional take on what a utopian future could be, Surreal shapes and silhouettes inspired from Japanese origin to create almost like a 3D surface from the body. This can be seen in the collar and shoulder detail as well as the jingasa (“camp hats”) that spiral into the shoulder detail. Black represents how the colour can be modest yet arrogant at the same time. It symbolises mystery, darkness, class, power and luxury. The Blackness is infinite in the collection and contributes to the utopian society it wants to create. The Blackness of the collection makes a point to focus more on the shapes and proportions as colour tends to disturb the essence of silhouette and design.’
And on the same campus for Best Interpretation of the 2021 WGSN Trends, Michael Eric Weightman’s Raw City: A Canvas Paradox took it home!
View the full range here: https://stadiodesignspace.co.za/2020-jhb-3rd-year-michael/
Michael: ‘Amongst the myriad of sights and sounds within the city we find ourselves absorbed in a multitude of emotions and instincts. The city possesses a kind of energy that cannot be seen in any other landscape in the world. This inspires the collection as I seek to offer a perpetual link to the experience of an urban environment. From a birds- eye-view the city has a seemingly perfect grid-like structure. However, once within the physical space of the city, the perfection disappears into a raw expansion of dirt, rubbish, danger, and intense energy. This creates a catalytic phenomenon: a super- imposition of garments, patterns and cultural reference as a visual maneuver suited to concurrently blending in and standing out within the city (Beckwith, 2010). The city becomes a global playground for the youth and a multitude of cultures, creating a kind of duality as each group sets aim of the collection is to comment on this duality through design and capture the juxtaposition of perfection and organization to the raw attitude of the city. A vision of a group of smartly dressed people amid the dirt and grime of the city comes to mind as a semantical attempt to represent this juxtaposition. The physicality and emotion of the city will be represented by the design elements within the pieces and includes links to the texture and working/decorative details of the garments.’
Congratulations to all the winners!
