Audi-Joburg Fashion Week, Winter 2009-Gavin Rajah

Innovation remains one of the hallmarks of a great designer. Gavin Rajah has such innovativeness. Each season it is clear Rajah challenges himself and pushes the creative envelope to produce must have designs fitting for every Ladybrille woman’s wardrobe.

For Winter 2009, for Rajah, it was all about, ‘African Pride.’ Inspired by Victorian novelist Sir H Rider Haggard, Rajah takes traditional cultural dresses and infuses a healthy dose of modernity to it, a collection he calls ‘Eau Sauvage.’

While silhouettes are kept very simple, traditional culture is demonstrated with bold colors that include yellow, orange, green and gold. His use of silk chiffons and taffetas creates a seamless intersection of comfort and fluidity. Special attention to details is seen with his hand painted animal prints complemented with embellished cowrie shells and swarovski.

Photos: AFI/Simon Deiner