Rajah’s take on the apocalypse

AFRICAN Fashion International (AFI) Cape Town Fashion Week has had fashionistas, influencers, designers and photographers flocking to the Cape Town International Convention Centre to check out their favourite designers and to discover new talent.

Well-known South African designer Gavin Rajah opened Cape Town Fashion Week with his collection titled Must there be more?

Rajah offered some insights into what inspired his collection.

“The collection is inspired by sustainability and posing a question which is ‘Must there be more?’

“This open-ended question challenges us to think about a future that is devoid of the worldly perils we need no more of – child abuse, violence, war, waste, the spread of viruses. These are the horrors we wish to see disappear and this is the noble wish that inspires this collection.”

“We’re celebrating 20 years in fashion and I’m collaborating with Alwijn Burger the Blomboy.

“We went back 20 years and looked through the archives and pulled out looks and re-did them. In a way, we recycle some pieces. We mixed in old pieces with the things we’ve created which are new for this show.

“Make-up artist Raine Tauber has been amazing because she managed to take the vision and extend it to the make-up. Make-up is such an important thing. It’s important as an accessory to a garment or to complete an entire story” said Rajah.

Tauber said: “The inspiration for Gavin’s make-up is all around the concept that these girls were at a disco party and then the apocalypse hits, these are the girls that survived. We also wanted to convey a feeling of hope so its all glittery and crystals and really beautiful in the madness and post-apocalyptic feeling. The show itself is also a commentary on excess.”

This evening the fashion week concludes with shows from designers such as Maxhosa and Imprint.