mot selefi by Marle Drotsky

I always get VERY excited when I see what my students get up to.

Last year, Marle Drotsky attended my lino block making class to learn how to do her own print detail on her garments. She is an up-and-coming young fashion designer in Gauteng.

I popped in at SA Fashion Week Pop-Up Shops this weekend and was delighted to see how she has used the knowledge.

I just love her "Bokkie" design, and the way that she has detailed it with a screenprint and felted heart. She has used this on her childrens' wear to embellish tops and hats.

She also printed bows and roses using the technique.

SA Fashion Week is going from strength to strength and this year's Pop-Up Shop concept was a hit that I am sure will be repeated in years to come.

Well done Lucilla Booyse. You are an invaluable resource to the South African Fashion industry. Your event creates an amazing platform for young designers to get exposure to their target markets. I look forward to seeing what new innovation next year will bring?

Have a great day in full colour!

Kind regards

Melanie

+27835689150

Slipstream On Facebook

Although a website is an essential tool for entrepreneurs, Facebook offers a convenient, free solution for getting your message out there. I also like the fact that it creates an interactive platform for my customers where we can chat and share experiences where a webpage is just a static brochure that shouts about what we do, but nobody can talk back. I prefer two-way communication and find myself working in Facebook far more often these days than on my website.

Facebook offers the opportunity to create a page for your business, much like a website. Take a look at mine at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Johannesburg-South-Africa/Slipstream-Fabric-Finishes/89726683342?ref=ts

I also have a Fan Page where my students get together to talk about what they have made and show off their latest pictures. You will find it at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Melanie-Brummer-Fan-Club/266623571663?ref=ts

Finally, there is Colour SA, a group that I created for all colour enthusiasts who want to share their colourful experiences. You can find it at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=6675658393

I would love to chat with you in one of these interactive places. If you have any colourful stories, experiences or pictures to share, please join us and help us to create a vibey, interesting space for everyone.

Have a great day in full colour!

Kind regards

Melanie

+27835689150

Sun Goddess 2005

Hippy tie-dye or couture chic? The debate continues... I was determined to prove the latter true and set out to supply many top local designers to prove my point.

In 2005 Sun Goddess commissioned this T-shirt for their SA Fashion Week Collection. They were looking for an interpretation of the sun in their season colours. I tied very tight elastic bands in rings and then added the yellow, red and brown using a syringe to make sure it went only where I wanted it. The sun motif is only on the front of the T-shirt and the back is plain brown.

The headscarf is a chiffon silk. I have always found the shapes of Ndebele patterns inspirational, and I had a vision to create a diamond pattern in colours that came from our national flag. I called the piece Rainbow Nation. This was the first time I made this pattern and Vanya Mangaliso was excited to snap it up for her collection.

I just made it again for Contemporary Dyecraft (Metz Press) and you can now learn how to make it for yourself, using the step-by-step photos in the book. Rainbow Nation will always be one of my personal favourite patterns. I had a lot of fun inventing and refining it, and I am always delighted with the outcome.

I have dyed chiffon silk, raw silk, habotai, T-shirting, linen, muslin and twill for Sun Goddess over the years. Tie dye is an opportunity to create something distinctly unique. It is an opportunity to choose pattern and colourway. It is an opportunity for designers to create limited edition custom cloth, on-demand.

When I first began to understand the implications for manufacturers, it blew my mind. Many years later, the possibilities remain endless.

What do you think? Hippy tie-dye or couture chic?

Have a great day in full colour!

Kind regards

Melanie

Picture by Ivan Naude http://www.planetivan.com for SA Fashion Week