Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Moleka: designs on Cannes
CAPE Town designer Daniel Moleka, 19, is living the dream. The owner of RedThread Apparel X has been invited to showcase his IMMORTAL collection at the Cannes Film Festival in France.
It is the most famous film festival in the world and the who’s who of the film industry and celebrities descend on the French Riviera each year.
This year the festival will host its first Fashion Street
Show in collaboration with the international TV channel LUXE TV, with the support of City of Cannes. The Fashion Street Show is sponsored by Maison Prada.
This is a major opportunity for Moleka to focus and develop his collection and earn the brand international recognition.
Moleka studied at Fedisa, a fashion design school in Cape Town. He said: “Fedisa has taught me so much in the two months and it has made me realise there is a lot I didn’t know about the industry.
“My inspiration for collections hasn’t changed since leaving school but it has become much more complex, with more sophisticated thought process going into each collection.”
Some of his garments are being worn by celebrities such as MTV presenter Kim Jayde Robinson. Donovan Fernando, host of SA Men’s Week, wore RedThread during the event.
Added to his busy schedule is a recent collaboration with designer Jean Paul Larmy.
He said Larmy has a feel for haute couture and a good knowledge of the industry – they create garments that appeal to both young and old when they put their ideas together.
Moleka had a baptism of fire last year when he showcased selected garments at the No Zleep Fashion Show at The Castle of Good Hope. It was his first show. He enlisted rapper Si Xiazi, to perform during his show.
Moleka has two collections under his belt so far – Elysian Fields and No Zleep. IMMORTAL will be a mix of street wear and haute couture.
For now his designs are purely unisex but in future he plans to design solely for women. Moleka – who says the design comes first for him, then he goes out looking for the best fabric for the design – aspires to just do what he loves doing all his life.
“I’ve been looking for a specific purpose as everything has always been chosen for me… I didn’t really have much of a choice.
“RedThread was the first thing I decided to do on my own. When I started it I didn’t know much about the fashion industry. I just had the passion for it. I keep learning new things every day and it’s something I love to do.
“I love RedThread and I hope that I can get far with it. To me it’s not about the money or the fame, it’s all about getting my vision and my art out there, and I appreciate all my clients and I’m really thankful to them and a few people who are helping me realise my vision.”