Here's the thing, the Adriaan Kuiters show that opened Thursday's Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Cape Town 2013 could have been anywhere and yet was the very essence of Cape Town. By choosing an off-site location as beautiful as the Iziko National Gallery, the feeling of an international show was created. The production (aside from the slightly dreary music) was world class — brilliant model casting, great pace, clever use of a tricky space, just a great effort. And the collection exceeded my expectations. So far, so globally awesome. And yet there was something perfectly Cape Town about it. It took place amidst incredible local art, as a collaboration between two extremely talented natives of the Cape, designer, Keith Henning and artist, Jody Paulson. In amongst all the sophistication of the garment design, there was the thumping heart of Cape Town. Thankfully also supported by the Cape Town Fashion Council, who made this staging a possibility.

For me the collection was impressive on three key points: aesthetic, print and narrative. Let me explain. I have just been in Berlin. The style vibes there are a kind of Japanese/Belgian hybrid. There is a slightly voluminous silhouette with plenty of space between the body and the clothes. The lines are clean and sharp. And the decorative elements are minimal. I LOVE this style. And all of this applies to the Adriaan Kuiters show yesterday. In addition to this there was progress in Keith's design. It has always been classic contemporary and clean. This collection took this to the next level. It was uber clean. It was sharper than before. It was also lighter, relying less on the fabrication for the structure, rather building this structure more into the design and letting the fabric tell the story. This was about as smart a development as I have seen from a local designer.

The very minimal white and then black garments were followed by an injection of print. Instantly the Japanese/Belgian nod was infused with Africa. Mostly North Africa, but it was just so immediately transformed that we all got it in one crazy printed outfit. It all made sense. Not logically, but in our guts, as Africans. And then, for me, Keith and Jody made the entire collection the very definition of what South African design is — with a laugh. They laughed with us, at us and at themselves. The 'eyes' print was a humourous take on fashion — all eyes being on us — as they layered the eye tops over eye shorts with eye bags. If anyone ever asks me what defines SA design, I always say that it is that we can laugh at ourselves. You just have to look at these images to know this is SA design. And I loved it.

This was the first collection that Keith has done women's wear for Adriaan Kuiters. I say, 'welcome, we have been waiting for you." It was seamlessly integrated into the entire collection. It was wonderfully feminine without complying with the rules of classic women's silhouettes. This is the kind of thing I would be more than happy spending my hard earned Rands on. The run of show was elegant. We followed the Adriaan Kuiters story for summer fluidly and effortlessly. I was more than impressed. Look, this is not the kind of gear that everyone likes. And I am definitely swayed by my personal aesthetic. But there are more than enough people like me out there to render this a successful collection. It was really, really well played Team Kuiters. Thank you.
All photos courtesy of SDR Photo