It is fitting that my last review from Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Joburg is that of the Gavin Rajah show. Fitting for many reasons. First because it was accomplished and mature and sophisticated at a level higher than most. Secondly because it always elevates a fashion week when the big names are there, and Rajah is one of the biggest. And finally because it was a show that for many was an education in fashion. And so it would be assumptive of me to try and explain it. But I will try and tell the story. A story that began, as the great stories often do, with romance and femininity. Which fed into a stripped-back modernity that brought minimalism and style together into the most sharply elegant pieces I have ever seen from the house of Rajah.

And then there was the beauty. There was so much that was beautiful about this collection. It was the only adjective that I had to hand when I saw Gavin the next morning. A dose of beauty is like a tonic in the midst of a fashion week. It gives you energy to carry on. It puts things into perspective. And it breathes life back into the heart of someone who loves fashion. And so it was with this show.
Gavin gets his inspiration from the greats of haute couture. He aims high and expects much of everyone that works with, and for, him. And what we get as a result is a show of this calibre. One that will carry us forward with passion and commitment when we realise what is possible to achieve in this tiny industry that we live and die by. This was fashion by someone who lives and breathes it. And as someone else who does the same, it was a revelation.
All photos courtesy of SDR Photo