I will say up front that I am biased on this one. Having watched Dax Martin swimwear shows for years, this one at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Cape Town on Saturday, was the first one that I got to do a bit of PR work for. And the reason why I was really happy to do so is simple. This one was totally authentic. Stripped of the over-the-top showmanship and huge sponsorship trappings, this was pure and simple swimwear, standing alone on its design merits. And standing proud, as it turns out.

The story was Flavia d'Afrique and this was completely evident in the modern interpretation of the traditional African geometric prints. Colour was bountiful as it is here on our continent. And every single element of the show — sunglasses, shoes and swimwear — was all completely made right here in South Africa. Which is as authentic as you can get really.

So instead of just talking about my feelings on this one, why don't I apply the exact same three-pronged critique to this collection as I do to every other collection: fabrication, construction and narrative. It turns out you can easily tick the boxes on all three. The cozzies were beautifully fitted, extremely professionally produced, delightfully arresting to the eye, fresh and exciting for the new season and have a clear point of view that amply reflects the designers. That's exactly what you want from every show. Sure, it wasn't as flashy as usual. Sure it wasn't chock-a-block full of hard-to-identify-local-celebs. And sure it wasn't lengthy and packed full of all sorts of smalls. But it was beautifully produced, perfectly conceived, and entirely credible. For me — and most of the fashion front row — that is more than enough. In fact it's pretty much a total win. Fashion triumphs over flash. Winning.
All photos courtesy of SDR Photo