BIG IS ALSO BEAUTIFUL
DURBAN brand Ruff Tung’s designers Bridget Pickering and Ludwig Bausch will launch their latest range at the Mercedes-benz Fashion Week in Johannesburg (MBFWJ) this weekend. The collection is celebrating women of all shapes and sizes.
Fuller-figured women often battle to find trendy clothes. Like most women, plus-size women want to own a designer garment but are unable to do so due to the limited size range available on the market.
They are not motivated to attend fashion shows or follow runway trends since most of these cater for the slim and tall.
Ruff Tung is changing that. Their Inclusive collection aims to go from the runway into any woman’s wardrobe... no matter what their size. Their design ethos is to celebrate and reflect authentic women.
“Casual sophistication is always the focus of our design as we draw inspiration and energy from the women we dress,” says Pickering.
“So often we hear women saying that they are working towards their ‘ultimate goal weight’ but our brand mantra has always been ‘live your best life now’.
“A positive self-image is all about confidence and we’ve come to understand how to create pieces that really work for women with curves.”
Ruff Tung collections are designed to flatter curves and to find the balance between comfort and style, while remaining true to the brand heritage through bold statement colours and prints.
We chat to the design duo ahead of their fashion week showcase.
What lies at the heart of Ruff Tung designs?
Creative collaboration, inspiring a collection that empowers the contemporary woman.
In Women’s Month what is your take on “power dressing”?
Power dressing is a state of mind! As designers, we’re inspired by confident, contemporary women. But women are always trying to change something about themselves. Our brand mantra is “live your best life now”.
A positive self-image is about confidence, so our view on ‘power dressing’ is ‘wear your confidence like Wonder Woman’s cape and you’ll conquer the world’.
How does Ruff Tung cater for the South African woman?
Our collections are designed to flatter curves and to find the right balance between comfort and style, while remaining true to our South African heritage through the celebration of bold colours and prints.
What inspired you to design an all-inclusive collection?
Our aim is for all women to experience fashion in the same way, without compromising on the ultimate fashionable look. Our size-inclusive collection aims to empower them to do just that.
What is the biggest challenge women find with clothing today?
We think it’s a combination of factors – price point, quality, choice and sizing. We seriously think about the ‘cost per wear factor’ in our design process: What value for money is our customer going to get out of her Ruff Tung purchase?
We aim for our customer to get the maximum wear out of her chosen style.
What can we look forward to this summer?
Our aim is to energise your new season’s fashion fix with bold blooms and eye-popping bouquets of iconic statement prints mixed up with our signature silhouettes – all things kimono, statement kaftans, twist detailing and tulip shapes embrace the joy and romance of the season.