South Africa’s top designers are all set to showcase their mohair garments in the Diamond Fibre Collections – a collection of designer fashion to celebrate mohair, a soft and lustrous fibre with high dye retention, elasticity and resilience. Mohair has been nicknamed ‘the diamond fibre’. South Africa produces nearly half of all the mohair in the world.
Design studios such as Lukhanyo Mdingi, Judith Atelier and MmusoMaxwell are taking part in the Diamond Fibre Collections.
The Diamond Fibre Collections marks 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 now ready to showcase their creation in the first ever digital South African Fashion Week (SAFW) set for early October 2020.
Incorporating mohair and mohair blends, the designers have created contemporary, modern and refined trans-seasonal collections. Oversized and bulky cuts are juxtaposed against straight lines and soft, flowing creations that accentuate the human form. Traditional weaves have been brought to life through soft colours, often offset by starkly contrasted brighter shades and complementary colours, making full use of the dye retention properties of the textile.
Lukhanyo Mdingi label has meticulously made pieces. The intention is to ensure a pragmatic and mindful approach in product development. There is a collaboration with select artisans that source and create unique textiles.
Judith-Atelier label was founded by Judith Nel in 2014. Since then Judith-Atelier has 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 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.
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 fashion leaders. A panel of experienced judges selected the top three 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 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.
The initiative is meant to highlight the versatile nature of mohair, and also to support 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.
