Fashion may change daily, but Shoelaced
Clothing has proven that style is eternal. The Shoelaced Clothing fashion show,
a highlight in the #ProjectScouted calendar, took place on Saturday night at
The Factory Café in Glenwood and pulled out all the stops once again to show that
Durban is not falling behind in any way.
Ryan Francis, designer of the label, was
the man of the evening as all his dedication and hard work came to fruition as
the stunning #ProjectScouted ladies walked the range, specially designed for
them, and captivated the huge audience that turned up for the show. Before the
show, amidst the madness of hair, makeup, and rehearsals, one would never have
said that this relaxed guy with his easy smile was busy preparing for a major
showcase. “There's no stress, hey. We've all put in a lot of hard work but it’s
all worth it. I know it’s going to be an awesome show!” he said. And it
certainly was.
The Factory Café is one of those few
Durban spots that manage to transition from a chilled daytime hangout to a metropolitan
night time hotspot. Having chosen the venue for its uniquely urban atmosphere,
Ryan also wanted to honour one of the great artists who had marked the space
with his work. He said, “The café having one of Pastelheart's pieces here
definitely played a role in us choosing the venue. He was a historic Durban
artist.” Shoelaced Clothing is also the first label to host a fashion show at
The Factory Café and having now set the standard, it will not be the last.
With his inspiration for the line
stemming from the Black Fashion movement, Ryan focussed his attention on the
dramatic and the striking in his pieces. The breathtaking makeup, done by the
talented budding artists, and some established graduates, of Make-up theCollege, was futuristic and on trend as seen at the recent Tokyo Fashion Week.
Ryan's designs paired with gorgeous custom-made Becca Blair bags accessorizing
the girls' looks, these elements put together created an edgy, daring and magnetic line-up.
The special surprise appearance of the Brissett Twins, ambassadors of the
Shoelaced brand, also created quite the stir and added a new dimension to show. An even bigger surprise, one that no doubt did not get noticed by many, was the front row visit from the only Durban based judge in project;
Owner of the college, the lovely Jacqui
Bannerman also stopped by to show her support to her girls and to offer a
little advice here and there, “This is the best kind of practical work our
students can do. Being at a show like this exposes them to the working world of
make-up and that's why we're so enthusiastic about being involved in the
Project again this year”, she said.
With Just Green, our Project DJ, and
Ryan Rockwell on the decks; the Firmin Twins, two of our scouts and also uber
talented musicians serenading the audience; and the fantastic services of Cathy
Vere owner of Hedgehog Party Services enhancing the venue with her professional
and perceptive touch; this was a night to remember. Mithesh of Sound Solutions supplying the Sound and lighting that provided that professional finish rounded up a night to remember. The skilled videographers
Mdumisi Nxele, Robbie Muller, and Brittany Hurrell were also there capturing
the hype of the day that ran from a 10AM call-time for the Project ladies and
crew to 11PM when the party ended. And, of course, our awesome photographers –
Roy Esterhuysen, Simphiwe Mkhwanazi, Jerome Stoffels, Nilufer Yucel, Dalton Green, and Zaheera Engar – were all over
the show getting you those behind-the-scenes shots.
Nothing is impossible when the right mixture
of elements is combined. The Shoelaced Clothing fashion show is testament to
that. It’s going to be extremely difficult for our judges to eliminate 10 of
these lovely ladies, but this is where the best are separated from the good.
But having reached here, these girls now have an experience of a lifetime
already along with beautiful images to recall every moment by.
Behind the scenes images used here are from Roy Esterhuysen. More images can be seen on his facebook page and also the facebook page of Simphiwe Mkhwanazi.
The first video done by Mdumisi of MEL Media & Productions can be seen here: https://vimeo.com/125405325
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