So, the objective was to create a shoot and
a look that depicted what the average woman in Johannesburg wants to wear and
what she wants to look like. Because ours is a city that is so busy with
everyone rushing up and about to make an extra rand, women often forget what
they really and truly want. Glamor!
Often times the stilettos are substituted
with flats and the much dreaded wedge. I conducted a research of my own. I
started talking to female friends, being more aware of what women wear on a
regular basis on the streets and at events. It’s amazing how I discovered that
every woman, rich or poor, black or white, has the burning desire to always be
desirable and sexy. I also realized that, frankly, every woman has some amount
of interest in fashion. You know why? It’s simple really. Fashion is the only
thing that can make a woman feel the way she wants. Sexy and desirable!
I went into leading retailers to check what
it is that they design for women. I wanted to see what stores do for women in
terms of the colors, the aesthetics and fabrics. I wanted to see if the market
was as versatile in catering for women of all shapes and sizes and if they catered for
their common needs. ZARA, Democratic Republic, Forever New. I studied it all.
Seeing that these are the most common retail options in women’s wear, I was rather
surprised to see that everything looks the same. It literally is the same as
shopping in one store.
Is it for this reason, perhaps, that women
opt to have things custom made by designers? Is it a need to look different or
just the sad fact that retail stores do not cater for EVERY woman? How do we
put a size 16 woman in a spandex body-con? It makes absolutely no sense. In my experience of customizing clothes
(predominantly for women), I realize that almost 80% of my clients are plus size
women. It’s the same old argument all the time. Stores do not cater for South
African women. Asian sizes are the most common patterns cuts in South Africa.
Truth is, Asian cuts are not kind to local hip lines and busts.
So? What happens to the basic desires of
sexiness and desirability of our women? Local designers certainly try to breach
the gap and demand. Problem? Designing bigger is expensive and price points
then become tricky. The demand for the skill is undeniably high but the funds
seldom are.
Anyway, I took some of my own designs, fused them with basics from thrift shops, got additional wardrobe from other designers to compile a semi-glamorous shoot of what I think women in modern day South Africa really desire to wear. The point was to create a ‘functional fantasy’. I mean nobody really wears a floor sweeping gown in the city, but…’fantasy’!
So I got
together with Nku Hlatshwayo, Thula Ndema and the talented Zakhele Maseko on the rooftop of The Mills in Newtown over
some Coca-Cola (later Smirnoff) and this is what became of three hours on the
rooftop under the burning Jo'burg sun. The results were what we all agreed women want to look like. The bonus, for me, was the background of the city. For me, it allowed for my "fantasy" to be practical because these women exist in the madness of the city. The noise, the traffic, the unemployed majority sitting on balconies and minding other people's business. The whole thing. Its an idea that I'd hoped the intended market would recognize and relate to. Here...
*additional
wardrobe by t.o.b, ndalisa and scalo. Make up- hectic DIY (nailed it after some trial and error trhough). Styling and coordination-
StateOfGvru. Photographer- Zakhele Maseko
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