SA Fashion Week 2005

SA Fashion Week 2005 was by far my most exciting season in fashion. By this time I had enough confidence in my abilities as a custom dyer, to take on all the big names in the local industry. One by one, I walked into their studios and showed them my samples, and one by one they placed their orders.

Matters were complicated when my car was stolen outside a client two weeks before the event. If it was not for the intervention of two of my very dear friends, Sandra Bennie and Tanya Healey, I would not have been able to deliver on any of my promises to the designers. They patiently drove me all over Johannesburg for the next two weeks to deliver my orders, and they made sure I got to every show that I had to see.

Looking back, I am still not sure how we pulled it off.

In the end, the outcome was nothing short of miraculous to me. In spite of the odds, my custom hand-made fabrics were utilised by six different designers at the event that year. They were, Stoned Cherrie, Sun Goddess, Black Coffee, Marion & Lindie, JJ Schoeman and Vino Moodley. (The picture is a Stoned Cherrie creation. The photo was taken by Ivan Naude and is used with his permission. http://www.planetivan.com)

I had finally proven to all my naysayers that tie dye does not belong only to the hippies. Dye techniques have been used on textiles throughout ancient history and they are as relevant in fashion today as they were thousands of years ago.

I challenge you to do a Google search. Type in "Shibori" and see what you find?

Have a great day in full colour!

Kind regards

Melanie