SPRING SUMMER 2024, 20.12, 20:00SAST

INSPIRED BY THE ARCHITECTURAL PHILOSOPHY OF GERMAN ARCHITECT LUDWIG MIES VAN DER ROHE TITLED “BIENAHE NICHTS” WHICH TRANSLATES TO “ALMOST NOTHING”

REDUCING DESIGN TO ITS ABSOLUTE ESSENCE.

A BALANCE SOUTH AFRICA RESEARCH INQUIRY INTO FASHIONS STRUCTURAL UTILITY IN DEFINING SPATIALITY, IDENTITY AND SOCIAL STATUS.

IN FRAMING OUR INQUIRY WITHIN THE ARCHITECTURAL FRAMEWORK OF OUR BRUTALIST BASEMENT, HEAD DESIGNER NTSAKO NHLANHLA MOLALA SOUGHT NOT ONLY TO SYMBOLICALLY REJECT THE BEAUTIFICATION OF FASHION BUT ALSO TO IRONICALLY CRITIQUE THE SUPERFICIAL NOTION THAT “THE CLOTHES MAKETH THE MAN” AS THIS SIMPLISTIC FALLACY FAILS TO RECOGNISE THE STRUCTURAL NORMS WHICH CONVERGE TO SOCIALLY CONSTITUTE THE “MAN”.

THAT IS TO PONDER, WHAT BECOMES OF OUR HAND TAILORED BESPOKE CASHMERE SUIT WHEN PHOTOGRAPHED IN A BRUTALIST BASEMENT, STYLED WITH BLACK LEATHER STILETTO HEELS AND DARINGLY LAYERED WITHOUT AN UNDERSHIRT BY OUR HOUSE MUSE MS AMY CLAIRE ARTHUR?

IT IS THROUGH THIS CONTRADISTINCTION, THAT FOR SPRING SUMMER 2024 I ENDEAVOURED TO SUBVERT FASHIONS’ UTILITY TO INSCRIBE RIGIDLY DEFINED SOCIAL NORMS.