Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
AFRICA’S COOLEST STRUT IN CHINA
SOUTH Africa’s very own fashion elites, Rich Mnisi and Trevor Stuurman, were in the capital of China for Harbin Fashion Week and took the Chinese fashion scene by storm.
The duo showed them how it’s done in South Africa. Photographer and stylist Stuurman, who’s no stranger to “best dressed” lists, served the hottest street style looks, while Mnisi, who recently dressed Beyonce for the Global Citizen Festival, took his designs to the runway to showcase his Nwa-MulaMula: Lobola ’19 collection.
Mnisi’s collection tells a universal story of keeping a memory alive.
It is a symbolic representation of African mothers in all their glory, undocumented and buried in the depths of the heart.
“In this collection, I seek to imagine her into existence, through a daydream of her role as a matriarch set against the backdrop of a Lobola ceremony.
“Lobola is a ceremonial rite of passage in African culture that brings two families together through marriage. I draw from the visual elements and nostalgia of being a little boy running wild in the midst of a celebration.
“In this childlike dream, I am engulfed by Nwa-MulaMula’s stature and only awaken to pieces of memorabilia. My pieces reflect colour, textures, gifts and prints that are reminiscent of this daydream. They are symbolic of packaging that transports me back home,” says Mnisi.
Drawing inspiration from the streets by spotting people who are doing or wearing unusual things, Stuurman has been changing the way the world sees African fashion.
Monochrome looks and stylish bomber jackets are what rocked throughout Harbin Fashion Week.
One of our favourite looks is the all-green outfit by Amos Ananda. Stuurman wore a cream soda-coloured tracksuit, pairing it with an ankle length puffer jacket and Versace sunglasses.
Both Stuurman and Mnisi are Africa’s coolest kids in the fashion world. Their creativity and talent continue to stand out.