‘Fashion is a means to expressing your wildest fantasies and aspirations’, says local fashion designer Thabani Mavundla. We chatted to him about working with Nkhensani Nkosi from Stoned Cherrie and his collection for the Paris catwalk…
iafrica.com: Firstly, how are you feeling? Has it hit home that you are going to Paris in less than a month? Are there a lot of last-minute preparations?
Thabani: My feelings change by the hour, my heart still skips a beat every time I think about being in Paris, and then I have to breathe and just remind myself to just focus on the work at hand, especially all those last-minute preparations.
iafrica.com: Do you feel you are ready to go to Paris in July this year? Do you feel that your designs are on track and are you confident that your collection will do justice to the ultimate catwalk?
Thabani: I doubt anyone ever feels totally ready for that particular catwalk, but the guidance that I’ve had through the design and production process has given me a lot of confidence in my collection. I’m very fortunate to have people with a wealth of experience guiding me.
iafrica.com: You have designed for the popular South African fashion brand, Stoned Cherrie, for five years. Did you work closely with local celeb designer Nkensani Nkosi and if so what did you learn from her and your experience with this label? Do you think she had an influence in bringing you to where you are today?
Thabani: I consider myself very lucky that I had the opportunity to work very closely with Nkhensani, as well as the rest of the design team at Stoned Cherrie. The fact that the label was just starting gave me the opportunity to be as creative as I wanted to be.
From Khensi I learned the value of looking at fashion as part of a whole, living organism in terms of the arts, self-expression and being able to keep it relevant to real life and its demands.
For example, I was able to really put a lot of focus on dealing with the fact that not all real women have the same body shape, as well as finding solutions to the challenges of fitting and bringing the best out of any body type instead of forcing women to conform to trends that may not flatter their bodies.
iafrica.com: Marie Claire South Africa bestowed upon you your latest South African fashion award, which you added to your already huge collection. They have singled you out as South Africa’s ‘Best Emerging Designer’. Why do you think you were selected out of so many others?
Thabani: Winning the Marie Claire Best Emerging Designer Award was one of the highlights of my career. I would like to think that my being selected had something to do with the effort I have made to not only follow European trends in my designs, but to start drawing the attention to the uniquely African and especially South African design aesthetic in a way that is relevant to the sophisticated tastes of today’s South African.
Though I may not be sure of the reason for the selection, I’m very happy with the vote of confidence that comes from having my work recognised and appreciated.
iafrica.com: Do you feel a lot of pressure to perform, having been selected as ‘Best Emerging designer’ by Marie Clare and the fact that you have been chosen to show in Paris? How do you cope with the pressure?
Thabani: Fashion as a career is very intense and generally quite pressured. The best way to deal with the pressure is to surround yourself with good people for support and to keep reminding yourself to enjoy and always have fun with your work and not take yourself too seriously.
iafrica.com: Your designs have been showcased in South Africa, Madagascar and Moscow. What did you learn from showing in each of these places?
Thabani: The most important lesson was coming to the realization that South Africans are actually doing quite well as far as design in general is concerned, when playing in the international field. It’s also important to concentrate on our strengths and what makes us unique rather than trying too hard to copy other countries.
iafrica.com: What do you hope to gain from showing in Paris?
Thabani: For me the process that I’m going through in preparation for the show would be impossible to put a price on. Above any opportunities that may come as a result of the show, just being in Paris is the kind of paradigm shifting experience that only comes once in a lifetime.
iafrica.com: Gavin Rajah helped you prepare for your debut in Paris. How much of an influence did he have in your new collection? Do you feel that it is still your own personal creation or did Gavin’s decisions dominate the process?
Thabani: Gavin’s advice has added so much value to the collection and his experience has afforded me that objective second opinion that is so important in keeping my collection focussed. Instead of dominating the process, Gavin’s involvement has given me the confidence to push myself even further and do things that I may not have done without a second pair of eyes.
iafrica.com: It is sometimes difficult for a successful creative person to accept criticism. Did Gavin criticise your initial designs for Paris? How did you feel about it? Did you two ever have a disagreement over the collection?
Thabani: I’ve actually had very good feedback on all the designs for my collection. Instead of disagreements, Gavin has brought my attention to how putting too much emphasis on certain aspects for the range change the direction and basic essence of what I’m communicating with the collection. His respect for my creativity makes it very easy to make those decisions.
iafrica.com: Please tell us a little bit about what the world can expect from the collection you will unveil in Paris.
Thabani: I think people will find a closer relationship between fabric and the body, as well as a bolder use of design as a means of communication.
Source: lifestyle.iafrica.com
iafrica.com: Firstly, how are you feeling? Has it hit home that you are going to Paris in less than a month? Are there a lot of last-minute preparations?
Thabani: My feelings change by the hour, my heart still skips a beat every time I think about being in Paris, and then I have to breathe and just remind myself to just focus on the work at hand, especially all those last-minute preparations.
iafrica.com: Do you feel you are ready to go to Paris in July this year? Do you feel that your designs are on track and are you confident that your collection will do justice to the ultimate catwalk?
Thabani: I doubt anyone ever feels totally ready for that particular catwalk, but the guidance that I’ve had through the design and production process has given me a lot of confidence in my collection. I’m very fortunate to have people with a wealth of experience guiding me.
iafrica.com: You have designed for the popular South African fashion brand, Stoned Cherrie, for five years. Did you work closely with local celeb designer Nkensani Nkosi and if so what did you learn from her and your experience with this label? Do you think she had an influence in bringing you to where you are today?
Thabani: I consider myself very lucky that I had the opportunity to work very closely with Nkhensani, as well as the rest of the design team at Stoned Cherrie. The fact that the label was just starting gave me the opportunity to be as creative as I wanted to be.
From Khensi I learned the value of looking at fashion as part of a whole, living organism in terms of the arts, self-expression and being able to keep it relevant to real life and its demands.
For example, I was able to really put a lot of focus on dealing with the fact that not all real women have the same body shape, as well as finding solutions to the challenges of fitting and bringing the best out of any body type instead of forcing women to conform to trends that may not flatter their bodies.
iafrica.com: Marie Claire South Africa bestowed upon you your latest South African fashion award, which you added to your already huge collection. They have singled you out as South Africa’s ‘Best Emerging Designer’. Why do you think you were selected out of so many others?
Thabani: Winning the Marie Claire Best Emerging Designer Award was one of the highlights of my career. I would like to think that my being selected had something to do with the effort I have made to not only follow European trends in my designs, but to start drawing the attention to the uniquely African and especially South African design aesthetic in a way that is relevant to the sophisticated tastes of today’s South African.
Though I may not be sure of the reason for the selection, I’m very happy with the vote of confidence that comes from having my work recognised and appreciated.
iafrica.com: Do you feel a lot of pressure to perform, having been selected as ‘Best Emerging designer’ by Marie Clare and the fact that you have been chosen to show in Paris? How do you cope with the pressure?
Thabani: Fashion as a career is very intense and generally quite pressured. The best way to deal with the pressure is to surround yourself with good people for support and to keep reminding yourself to enjoy and always have fun with your work and not take yourself too seriously.
iafrica.com: Your designs have been showcased in South Africa, Madagascar and Moscow. What did you learn from showing in each of these places?
Thabani: The most important lesson was coming to the realization that South Africans are actually doing quite well as far as design in general is concerned, when playing in the international field. It’s also important to concentrate on our strengths and what makes us unique rather than trying too hard to copy other countries.
iafrica.com: What do you hope to gain from showing in Paris?
Thabani: For me the process that I’m going through in preparation for the show would be impossible to put a price on. Above any opportunities that may come as a result of the show, just being in Paris is the kind of paradigm shifting experience that only comes once in a lifetime.
iafrica.com: Gavin Rajah helped you prepare for your debut in Paris. How much of an influence did he have in your new collection? Do you feel that it is still your own personal creation or did Gavin’s decisions dominate the process?
Thabani: Gavin’s advice has added so much value to the collection and his experience has afforded me that objective second opinion that is so important in keeping my collection focussed. Instead of dominating the process, Gavin’s involvement has given me the confidence to push myself even further and do things that I may not have done without a second pair of eyes.
iafrica.com: It is sometimes difficult for a successful creative person to accept criticism. Did Gavin criticise your initial designs for Paris? How did you feel about it? Did you two ever have a disagreement over the collection?
Thabani: I’ve actually had very good feedback on all the designs for my collection. Instead of disagreements, Gavin has brought my attention to how putting too much emphasis on certain aspects for the range change the direction and basic essence of what I’m communicating with the collection. His respect for my creativity makes it very easy to make those decisions.
iafrica.com: Please tell us a little bit about what the world can expect from the collection you will unveil in Paris.
Thabani: I think people will find a closer relationship between fabric and the body, as well as a bolder use of design as a means of communication.
Source: lifestyle.iafrica.com
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