There was a huge hype in Durban town last week as the runway was set out for the 031 Collection show presented by Mr Price; a first of it's kind for our city.
I managed to score two free tickets to the opening night last Thursday, and took my good friend Jessica along with me. The pre-show vibe was amazing, and very fashion Tv-ish. All the Durban trendies had come out to play and everyone looked very chic and glamorous, showing the world that we too, can play the style game.
The show began with a dramatic, high energy dance performance on the runway that I absolutely loved, and then, lights, camera, action and the first of the models struttedd down the catwalk. The Mr Price collection was the first to be showcased, with the models styled by British Supermodel, Agyness Deyn who was watching from the front row. The Mr Price clothing was definitely a favourite of mine, and I loved the casual-meets-stylish approach to the clothing and styling. Two thumbs up to Agyness and the Mr. P design team.
The entire night, my eyes were glued to that runway from my amazing seats that gave me a full frontal view of the entire show, so much so that I barely took any photos...
Some of the stand-out designers for me included Claire Mackenzie who's clothes were so beautifully constructed. I loved her neutral colour palette, clean lines and feminine garments that suit my style of dress down to a tee. I had the strong urge to grab the clothes straight off the catwalk and take them all home with me.
My favourite designer of the show, Cindy Armstrong actually won the 'Best New Designer' award, and I couldn't think of a more fitting winner. Cindy's collection was unlike anything I've seen before, and was completely unique and fresh. Her collection was incredibly styled and just oozed 'trendy' without trying too hard. It consisted of gorgeous brown sandals, turbans, harem pants and jumpsuits all in neutral tones. Her clothing was almost Middle East casual-wear meets Durban style. Immaculate and very interesting. Well done to Cindy.
The Holmes Brother's collection was another stand-out of the show with their 'preppy punk' outlook on fashion, with fun, quirky styling. I loved their overall show which was oh-so-durban (think: surfboards, nerd glasses and trucker caps) and almost theatrical with their actors/models putting on a very amusing show. I loved the florals, the fun stripy tights, the blazers and also the nautical-style pieces that were woven into the collection. Nobody does it quite like the Holmes Brothers do.
Finally, the show ended with a bang as the final designer, Francois Vedemme sent the most gorgeous collection of evening gowns down the catwalk. There was silence and awe as the models glided down the runway wearing the most elegant dresses that all complimented the female figure superbly. Francois stuck to very plain colours (whites, beiges, creams) which gave the collection a whimsical feel and added to the femininity of the dresses. One day when my ship comes in, I'm getting Francois to design my wedding gown.
And that's my 031 Collection experience summed up into a post. Below are some of the photos I captured during the evening. I need to invest in a better camera, but anyway, I had to make do with what I had. Apologies for the not-so-great quality.
