Kicking South African Fashion Week off to the perfect start, Gert-Johan Coetzee’s A/W16 collection left audiences spellbound at the Ferrari showroom in Bryanston last night.
As we’ve seen over the years, the local designer has gone out of his way to link his magical creations to a good cause. In the past, Gert has created collections that highlight breast cancer awareness and HIV/AIDS – and this year he took it a step further.
Gert says that when he learnt that water will probably be the cause of the next world war, he knew he had to celebrate the precious commodity we all take for granted. “We’re experiencing the worst drought in 23 years; we must start paying attention,” he says.
“Water is the essence of life and we should treat it preciously,” Gert continues. “My new collection came from that: it’s a celebration of water, bubbling and flowing along a riverbed, reflecting light, cascading down waterfalls.” And Gert couldn’t have captured the heart of his theme more perfectly.
Teaming up with Ferrari (to celebrate the brand-new California T), Sony Mobile, Veuve Clicquot and Spree, Gert debuted 31 looks from his new collection, leaving fashion lovers gasping in awe.
From fluid draping, bursts of blue feathers and opulent Swarovski-encrusted gowns to figure-flattering ready-to-wear threads, this is one of Gert’s best collections yet!
“We worked really hard at this collection and you hope that people will like it,” says the designer. “It’s an honour to have a platform that allows me to talk about issues that concern me.”
Raising the bar for local fashion even higher, a handful of the items from Gert’s new range are available immediately thanks to #spreeshoptheramp. So if you want to get your paws on some of the show-stopping pieces, head to online boutique Spree.co.za.
“We love that anyone, no matter where they are in the country, has easy access to my new range, and can get the dress of their choice delivered to their doorstep by the weekend,” adds Gert. “This is the future of fashion, and is one of the reasons our fashion industry is so vibrant.”
