Precious metal Gert-johan Coetzee launches a signature scent that pays homage to his childhood
Gert-johan coetzee’s signature scent, double platinum, pays homage to his childhood.
award-winning fashion designer Gert-johan Coetzee is arguably the South African who’s dressed the most celebrities on the red carpet. His eponymous brand’s been worn by incredibly influential personalities in media, business, politics and entertainment. The likes of media personality and businesswoman Bonang Matheba, actress Nomzamo Mbatha, media executive and TV producer Oprah Winfrey and TV host Minnie Dlamini, are just some of the women who’ve worn Gert-johan Coetzee’s iconic creations. His pieces are bold, flamboyant and excel with delicate and intricate details. The acclaimed designer recently celebrated a decade in the fashion business by launching a one-of-a-kind, unisex eau de parfum that he named Double Platinum. He chats to us about how he started in the industry and created his signature scent.
What’s your first fashion memory?
My passion for fashion’s been coursing through my veins since I was eight years old. My first memory of it would have to be designing dresses for my pencils, made out of tissue paper, followed by creating outfits for my sister’s dolls. After my first sewing class, I made my mother a dress with R30 fabric that my father bought for me. I still have the dress today.
how does Working in fashion today compare to When you started 10 years ago?
Social media didn’t exist back then, so trends were predicted in forecasts and set by the fashion-forward. Today, social media influences trends and people value authenticity, choosing to wear what makes them feel good, rather than what someone tells them to wear.
What made you Want to expand your business from designing clothing to creating a signature eau de parfum?
They say you’re never fully dressed without perfume, so I felt it was naturally the next step for me. It allows men and women to wear Gert-johan Coetzee anywhere, at any time. This is the beginning of a new direction for the brand.
tell us a little about the process of creating it.
It’s been a passion project of mine. The eau de parfum was expertly crafted in the heart of Grasse on the French Riviera, the perfume capital of the world. This collaborative process took over a year from conception to fruition, and
I spent a lot of time working with the finest French perfumers to educate and equip myself to create a superior product for my clients. The brief specified ingredients that would also tell a story, and from the very first sample, the fragrance was tweaked until we’d created a signature symphony of success. The platinum coating on the beautiful bottle pays homage to my childhood because it’s reminiscent of Rustenburg’s signature platinum mines, where I grew up. I designed the matte-black, crystal-effect bottle to look like a magic potion, birthed from African soil. We produce only 50 bottles a month.
you’ve styled african stars and helped shape pop culture. how do you feel about it, and how do you Want the Women you dress to feel When they’re Wearing your clothes?
To have created some of South Africa’s most memorable masterpieces and dressed some of the country’s most newsworthy women is an honour. I style women according to how they want to be addressed. I want them to use fashion as a powerful form of expression: to be the best version of themselves, and feel confident and strong.
as a fashion designer, how Would you define your role in society?
Anyone with a public platform has a responsibility in society. I’ve used the power of my platform to highlight social issues, from my very first show. My bi-annual collections, shown at SA Fashion Week, have sparked conversations around social issues, including breaking down prejudices, raising awareness of breast cancer, endangered wildlife and eco-consciousness in fashion, championing education and addressing violence against women.
designers are under a lot of pressure to launch an even better collection at the start of each new season. What advice Would you give to young designers new to the industry?
First and foremost, you must be passionate about design. You need to love what you do because pursuing a career in fashion is 98% hard work and 2% glamour. If you’re a young designer looking to make it in the fashion industry, you need to define who you’re designing for, and what they need. Start by finding out who your target audience is before you come up with a product to start selling.
lastly, your most memorable career highlight so far?
It’d have to be picking up the phone and hearing Oprah Winfrey’s voice on the other end of the line. She visited my studio for a fitting, and to dress her was a dream come true and a humbling experience.