Life as a Bespoke Suit Tailor in Pretoria is fantastic, and expensive at the same time. Welcome to my personal behind-the-seams blog, from Bespoke Suits to Trends in Men’s Fashion and…

 

 

Indebting Myself for Fashion

This year’s Menswear Pop Up Shop was such fun to attend. Now that I’ve survived a few years in the industry I’ve started to know people, and be able to have decent chats about each designer’s collection. In the mayhem of that day (we had so much to get done) I unfortunately didn’t sex up everyone, but here are some of the clothes I absolutely loved.

Leaf Letlhare

 

Lesego continues to make a stamp on the industry, from his obscenely ingenious morphometric clothes to his local collaborations in art and design, this man is a true visionary. Inspired by a combination of traditional and modern African attire, the brand sources only local materials. Check out the Home Page and shop till you drop!

Zamaswazi

I know I ripped on these designs previously, but seeing them in real life made it apparent how beautiful they are. The clever mix of traditional fabrics into classic garments, and the deconstruction of some technological staples are, if nothing else, very eye-catching. Maintaining the essence of bespoke, while adding a splash of African cultural heritage. Check out their facebook page here.

Butan

Using some quintessential local imagery, this guy’s clothes drew me in the second I saw them! Butan is an anagram for Bantu, with the brand remaining true to it’s African heritage, while focusing on a modern change. If you’re not a cool South African; this tank’s print is a barber’s display board hung outside the shop, or next to his work station on the sidewalk. There’s also hand-painted shop signs from the inner city, and stylized Ndebele graphics on socks.

What more could you want out of life? Check their shop here

Original Kasified Clothing

Some sweet asymmetry and interesting bleach tie-dye, they’re aiming for a stylish, comfortable and durable aesthetic. Check their facebook page is here.

Vintage Zionist

There were so many clothes here I wanted, and I can’t lie I felt a little guilty (I am mormon after all) about buying this hoodie tank…but I couldn’t help myself! Stop judging me! Focused on deconstructing vintage clothes, the brand is set to usher in a new era of style appreciation. Check out their facebook page here.

Klipa Jeans

A fellow mormon actually, I love that traditional fabrics (here some awesome shweshwe) are becoming more prominent in ready to wear fashion. Their facebook page here.

 

I hope you enjoyed seeing what fabulous fashion South Africa has on offer, let me know who your favorite is and I’ll see if I can convince him to do an interview.

 

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