ISABEL DE VILLIERS

‘Body positivity’ is something Pretoriabased designer Isabel de Villiers was pushing for long before it became a thing. ‘My main inspiration has always been the curve of a woman’s body,’ she says.

Her garments ranged from size 32 to size 48 from the get-go, although being able to send plus-sized models down the runway took longer. But earlier this year, models of all shapes and sizes showed off her Spring/Summer 2019 collection at SA Fashion Week. ‘I’ve wanted to do this for a long time, but the model pool presented to us at the time didn’t include any curvier models,’ she explains. While booking plus-size models proved a financial challenge, Isabel was determined to use models her clients could relate to. ‘We need to celebrate curves,’ she says.

Her decision to produce only a limited number of garments per style is an informed one. ‘The most sustainable thing we do is that we only produce on order. Some of our fabrics are natural-based and we try to create timeless designs – something that can survive a couple of years,’ she says.

When people hear ‘eco-fashion’ or ‘sustainable fashion’, their minds immediately turn to shapeless oatmeal-coloured shift dresses and Birkenstocks, but this is not the case with Isabel. ‘Our colour palette for spring is red, pink and coral. My mom always told me that pink and red don’t go together, so it’s kind of an inside joke,’ she laughs. ‘There are also a few bursts of florals. We have a lot of bougainvillea around Pretoria and the way the pinks and reds go together just inspired me.’

Find Isabel’s designs at Convoy (JHB, CPT), Diana Loon, Eva Boutique, Superbalist, BScene Boutique, WearSA, Gestuz Boutique, Jola Boutique, Fenn + Ivy, Biagi’s Boutique, The Collective (Namibia) and Lady Africa (Netherlands).