SA Fashion Week: 46664

In the name of Nelson Mandela is hardly what you would expect from a fashion brand. But it does make us cynical fashion editors feel slightly circumspect. We expected some poor excuse for costumey tat, which we would be forced to say nice things about. Because it is for Mandela, you know. But what we got was vibrant, exciting, blossoming African fashion. What we got was brilliant and fun and totally wearable and we were all picking out the pieces we wanted for ourselves. The 46664 collection at SA Fashion Week stunned and surprised us in the best possible way and we were all blown away.

With bright, colourful, printed garments for both men and women, there was something for everyone. Whether you wanted classics for work, or showstoppers for a red carpet, there was a look for you - without losing any consistency. This was a master class of a collection. Thorough run of show. Exceptional styling.  Zeitgeist. I loved it to within an inch of its brand new life. For reals.
And the detailing was enough to make us weep. The 94 underneath the turned up collar. The 46664 imprinted onto the undercarriage of the shoe. The contrast lining of the maxi dress. The classic trench beige on the inside of the bright, reworked coat. Humorous, considered, fashionable. I was amazed.

My only tiny concern is that there may not be enough of this fabric to put it all into production. Note to the wonderful designers - don't tease us, please. We loved every bit of this and this is what we expect to see in Stuttafords. Not some watered down apology for what we saw on the ramp. This is what we are going to write about, feature on our pages and posts and get behind. Please don't disappoint us when it really counts. OK? Thanks.