When reviewing young designers, particularly graduates, it is a genuine treat when they take the fabrication of their collection seriously. And Jane Elizabeth Kotze has not only taken it seriously but made it the point of departure for her final collection as she completes her fashion design qualification at Elizabeth Galloway Academy of Fashion Design.
Which is not to say that the design conceptualisation, construction and narrative of the collection isn't equally strong because it is, but her love of fabric and the story that it evokes, the construction detail it demands, is really the hero of this small collection.
Taking old tablecloths and doilies from her grandmother and mother (who never throw anything out) and combining it with vintage fabrications from second-hand store, Greensleeves, Jane tells a tale of modern nostalgia and the optimism of childhood.
By using reclaimed fabrics there is a unique quality to her collection, a quirky tone and it speaks volumes about the designer's tactile nature and the design process. I imagine the challenges presented by working with the fabric she had, mixing it together and making it work was a great preparatory step for a new designer.
It is seldom you come across a designer with such a clear voice at this stage of their career. One to watch out for I believe.
Photographer: Theunis Stofberg, Assistant: Marilize Uys, Model: Ane Strydom, Hair: Natasha at Mince, Location: Mad about Junk, Somerset West
