Local brands around the country have spent late nights with family and friends, crafting their first pieces to display, dreaming of the day they can showcase their work at Fashion Week.
This season INFLUHKS showcased some of their in-house brands at SAMW SS23 on the 1st of October 2022, giving them the chance to shine on a runway. The brands included Lazy Stacks, Bigtynsonly, King On Horses and Flux.
These days, local brands give each other the space to share their stories and grow. INFLUHKS is based in the heart of Cape Town and is known for being a space for creatives to come together, inspire and share. And this weekend, INFLUHKS showed us the power of individuality through community, breaking away from competitive fashion stereotypes.
Viewers curiously peered around the room, ready to feast their eyes on the latest collection. There was no tension, no pretentiousness. You could tell it was a room of creators, ready to experience and support the story that was about to take over the runway.
“A lot of us here are local creatives that hang out at INFLUHKS as much as we can. We go there because it is our safe space, there is so much assistance, support and guidance that we get from being there to connect and network. INFLUHKS has really built a community that feels like family and when we saw that they were showcasing we totally had to come out to support our favourite local brands!” Says Scarlet, a member of the audience.
Lazy Stacks
Designed by Samson Ajibade, Lazy Stacks brings us a season of fresh streetwear with unexpected textures, colours and tailoring.
We spotted some sports-inspired looks, with soft metallic finishes, wholesome brown tones (that scream comfort) and a final two-piece look that had the audience gasping.
Samson Ajibade, the man behind Lazy Stacks said “The two-piece set is inspired by the 90s summer, oversized shirt and a dad wide leg pant. For something more on the daring side to complete the ensemble, I introduced a pair of yellow boots to amp up the streetwear cred of the outfit. The material is a secret, but I’ll tell you that it’s knitted cotton with light sequin detailing.”
Some people even thought it was “Aso Oke” the handwoven fabric from the Yoruba tribe, but it was actually a modern reinvented twist of the said fabric, a secret kept close by those at INFLUHKS and Lazy Stacks.
Of course, Lazy Stacks is all about supporting and showcasing local artists, so it was no surprise that K. Keed, a local rapper from Cape Town, supported the collection with a vibe of a performance.
“Nothing makes me happier than being able to support and help local brands. Giving other local brands the access the platform to really showcase their full potential.” – Samson Ajibade.
Instagram: @lazystacks
King on Horses
Next up we had King on Horses by Fortune Okonkwo. This collection was not only inspired by his childhood, but gave us a taste of the links between technology, fashion and futurism, which quite frankly is not far from where we are today.
“One thing about my vision is I try to make every outfit go together. I didn’t even plan these looks, what you see here is just pieces I made and styled together for the show.”
Throughout the collection we saw vibrate colours, often linked within the Sci-fi and gaming culture. We are talking neon pink and green paired with solid black, vibrant reds and playful orange tones. “Green is my current obsession, so I’m really happy about this look.” – Fortune.
The looks had a streetwear feel but gave us an unexpected twist by combining sandals with denim and VR goggles.
King on Horses has recognized the duality of tech in the not-so-distant future, where these wearable devices are more than just storage and transferring of data, but an emphasis on the concept of wearable tech as fashion accessories for us not only to communicate but express individuality.
Instagram: @kingonhorseshq
Flux
The Creative Director and man behind Flux Osemene Fredrick, has always been inspired by visionaries like Jay Z, Puff Daddy and Kanye West. They have truly influenced his love for luxury fashion.
“The core aim of Flux is to create luxurious garments which bring people together.” – FLUX
The collection gave us streetwear meets inter-continental traveling.
Every piece was put together with effortless luxury, international essence and just the right touch of street edge.
Halfway through, Flux also surprised the crowd with a performance from an international act DOUPBOYLASAKA @doupboylasaka who was also wearing one of the looks from the showcased collection.
A collection consisting of different styles for different occasions. A variety of Gender-neutral clothing from silk summer sets in multiple colours and prints, a baseball jacket, velvet sets, puffer jackets and of course their staple and iconic accessories.
It’s fair to say that the sweatshirts were a personal favourite of ours.
Instagram: @fluxluxury2021
Bigtynsonly (BTO)
BTO closed the show with their Courage collection, creating a full-circle narrative that not only showcases local brands, but also reminds us of the courage it takes to grow and pursue your ambitions.
The collection showcased simplicity, beautiful tailoring, and rich colour. The prints and textures definitely showcased “wholesomeness” in a fresh and unexpected way.
Our personal favourite was the reversible jacket, we love versatility, especially for the different feel the two sides give us. If you are a fan of a capsule wardrobe, let this be your unique finish.
“I want everyone to see that it takes courage to do this. It took courage to live outside society’s expectations, which is the major theme of this collection. It took courage to start this collection and get to the finish line today. It took courage for us to be here because if you believe and have the courage to start, there’s no way you won’t come out on top. “ – Creator and founder Jandy Abikwi
Instagram: @bigtynsonly
In the end, we can truly say that there is magic in working and creating together. Not only did the designers walk with their collections, but at the end of it all, they walked together. They truly showed us the impact of support, rather than the unusual competitive fashion attitude. We applaud you, INFLUHKS.
CONTRIBUTORS
Words | Wilke-Mari Hamman and Lesedi Seleke
Images | Migal Van As
