Sanlam SA Fashion Week Autumn/Winter '08 + Hot Grandmamas on SA Runway!

The message Lucilla Booyzen, the brain behind Sanlam SA Fashion Week Autunm/Winter 2008, seemed to get across this season was, fashion is business. This year's autumn/winter show had a line up of quality seminars and speakers including our friend Renato Palmi, Dion Chang [a main staple in SA's Fashion Industry and the mind behind Flux Trends, a company focused on trends analysis with a global angle] and Gavin Reddy a savvy SA entrepreneur whose resume includes local and international business accolades.While the talk on the business of fashion appeared exciting, the designs coming off the runways appeared a bit bland from color choice to design details and overall execution. But, there were some brands that made us happy! For example, we loved the big brown leather bags and boots at House of Ole, adored the use of red and tan colors at Lebo Mash, and were intrigued by Lunar. However, one unique brand truly lit our eyes up with excitement, Superella, while the other, Clive Rundle, had them rolling in our heads as we called Ladybrille Fashion Police and wondered aloud, "what was he thinking?" Check out our picks and review below. For more info. about any of the designers we review, click here. [All Photos courtesy of Sanlam SA Fashion Week photographer Ivan Naude].

Superella was definitely "ella, ella, ella, hey, hey, hey" with the decision to put these hot grandmamas on the runways. The designer Ella Butler showed a refreshing concept and also caters to a largely ignored market, both in South Africa and certainly places like the USA. From a fashion angle, these women want to look and feel great. From a business angle, there is money to be made and the fashion industry has yet to knock on the doors of hot grandmamas like the ones below; rather than continuing to make them and the rest of the world think the only people that knock on your door as you get old, business wise, are the pharmaceutical and insurance companies. Brilliant and thank you Superella!






Ruby is known for sexy lingerie and accesories mostly for women.The brilliance in the brand is not only its sexy lingerie but in its PR/Marketing and branding efforts. This season, the brand expanded into men's lingerie but we are not so sure we like. The men are hot but the designs hmmmmm . . . Would you buy one of these pieces for your guy? Guys, would you buy one of these? Why or why not?

Lebo Mash

Abigail

Artistic Soul

M.A.C Spring/Summer Campaign- MAC was there in all its glory as a sponsor and also to launch their Spring/Summer Campaign. Impressed with the colors? We like the way M.A.C has positioned its brand and even entered the South African market. Would love to see the opposite [apply] for an African beauty brand, made in Africa, to penetrate Western markets. Be sure to stay tuned [for] our April issue [where we] interview John Demsey, who is now the Global brand President for Estee Lauder [one of the world's largest firms in the Cosmetics and Fragrance Industry of which M.A.C is a subsidiary], as we talk marketing and building strong brands.

Thando Zamxaka

Ladybrille Fashion Police is on the lookout for Clive Rundle for making jagaga [as in crazy, confusing and color rioting what were you thinking] designs. Mr. Rundle will be arrested once spotted for the fashion designs below. We don't care how fashionable anyone says these are. Even if it features in Vogue, under no circumstances should you be caught in one of these. Do so at your own risk and face charges of felonious crimes against fashion. :)