Roots & Beauty Are One
Crazy, but it’s here again, another wave of runway shows and parties up and down shine upon New York City as New York Fashion Week got under way on Thursday, one of the newest, and fastest growing spots that the week long catwalk celebration of spring/ summer 2020 got underway was at Pier 59, when the destination by the water lit up for the Made In Africa collection under Laduma Ngxokolo via Maxhosa Africa, and Eliana Murargy, celebrating clothing, culture, tradition, aesthetics, et al, as a means of both beautification and body adornment as 2 types of collections were presented in their cultural sphere.
Laduma Ngxokolo portrays the regal majesty of Africans and Africa, “The Cradle of Mankind”, showcasing the cultural roots and traditions of Africa, restoring dignity to the continent, so that each garment may reflect a modern, current aesthetic, yet, with an ancient philosophy behind the brand, set in the rich African heritage with its observance of ceremony.
On Eliana Murargy’s end, “Basking In The Osun River” is Eliana’s muse experiencing a re-birth in the sweet waters of West Africa, channeling her protective diety, paying homage to the Aje, honoring the woman who yields cosmic powers and her force of creation and sustainer of life, celebrating the timeless signature of the studio, in tandem with the gentle nature of female embodiment, healing, empowerment, the delicate, day to evening collection balances fine tailoring and refined fit via flowing shapes, detailed silhouettes; soft shadings of rose, beige, wide array of blues, vivid sparkles, delicate silks, touches of silvery textures; pink accents in tandem with stark white and black.
For Creative Director, Paul Leisegang, it’s truly great artistry is not achieved through knowledge or mastery alone, but by divine inspiration from those who have come before, their spirit lives through the hands, lives and souls of our modern African ateliers.
And for Producer, Jan Malan, the glorious, complex, wonderful body is exceptionally adaptable, inherently portable, and simultaneously personal and public, using the body as the mobile vehicle, unique canvas, on which to project forms that pass between cultures and communities.
At total glance, Daniel plus Lauren absolutely loves the elegance and beauty Eliana displays with her dresses and behind the scenes, and quality from Laduma with African roots stand strong with absolute quality in the fabric used to convey African culture.