I always have high expectations of Anisa Mpungwe's Loin Cloth and Ashes show, but this weekend it was the first one that was in Cape Town. And for that, we had slightly different expectations. I thought that things would be more simple — and they were — at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Cape Town 2013, but I would never have guessed that we were going to be taking it to the streets.

I know that Anisa grapples constantly with the gigantic 'what next' question. And so, always driven to show progression and capturing the zeitgeist, the LCA shows always feel like answers to me. There is something incredibly satisfying in that. The answer this time around was younger, fresher, more sporty and definitely street. You know exactly what statement you are making when you wear this collection. And it is an urban statement. A challenging statement. A statement of intelligence all wrapped up in a fashionable answer. I really loved the more modern take on her aesthetic.

I loved the more slouchy trouser. The more boxy, voluminous silhouette of the dress. The asymmetrical hemline that is exquisitely on-trend. The new print, which is altogether less organic and now much more geometric. And in that, almost more Southern Africa, rather than Anisa's native Tanzania. I think we may be rubbing off on her...
All told, I think that this was a refreshing lurch forward for LCA. I can always live without the stretchy metallic stuff — the stretchy stuff in general really. But the power that those print pieces packed was more than enough to satisfy me and demonstrate the talent at work here. Excellent stuff. Bravo.
PS: Obviously I totally LOVED the Pichulik neckpieces that were used to accessorise the collection.
All photos courtesy of SDR Photo