You think you know what you are going to get with a Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Cape Town show from Lalesso, and then the designers Alice and Olivia go and surprise you. On the weekend they opened their show with swimwear — a move so unexpected and yet so obvious a brand extension you wonder how it hasn't happened before. Before you know it you have stumbled into a constructed jacket — what? And then slapped in the face with a brown and neon print so beautiful you can't conceive of it being inspired by a traditional African print and start to think it must have been left there by the angels. Yes, I can safely say that the Lalesso show was full of surprises.

Of course all the standard little Kenyan print rompers and sundresses were there as usual. New, fresh prints of course, but there was a professional consistency with the silhouette. They were very nice and I particularly appreciated the slightly more accessible pieces — above — where black and print were mixed and an average woman could wear it. If I was going to critique anything about the Lalesso show it is that 80% of the garments can't be worn with a bra. Which is limiting as 80% of women need to wear a bra. So that may be something I would really like to see change.

Aside from that, the hipster backpacks done as a collaboration with Rowdy were fabulous and got the entire front row excited. And also props to the production — I loved the opening animation and the cool vibes of the show. Really very, very nice. Played.
All photos courtesy of SDR Photo