Stiaan, together with some of my other favourites, Christopher Strong, David West and Suzaan Heyns are featured in the latest edition of international creative collaboration magazine, Schön (a bit like our own Chew, the Magazine). Congrats to all of them.
There is just one teeny, tiny problem. The article, The Lay of the Land, proposes to discuss the state of South African fashion, how it is growing, and the tension that exists between being a contemporary fashion designer with access to first world influences — and the desire to express themselves as 'African' designers.
This is a great subject. One that is oft explored and debated with very little agreement but lots of opinion. It is an issue at the core of where many designers find themselves and what inspires much of their best work. And yet this article feels more like going down the 'You, Me, And Everyone We Know' market. There is no representative sample of wonderful SA designers — just our mates. There is no evolution of the argument and not much that makes it relevant to an international audience, rather it is a piece by a South African that reads for a local audience — which is rather a missed opportunity, don't you think? Never-the-less, I do hope that many people enjoy the exposure to some of our best fashion talents and it sparks opportunities where there may not have been before. Best of luck to all of them.