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Four decades of formidable fashion with Marianne FasslerWith an illustrious career spanning 40 years, designer, icon, businesswoman, mentor and all-around creative Marianne Fassler remains a formidable force in South Africa's fashion industry. ![]() The award-winning garments created by Fassler and team at her Leopard Frock studio in Saxonworld are uniquely African, inspired by the colours, textures and cultures of the continent. Her designs are diverse, creative, eclectic, and because it doesn't rest heavily on short-lived trends, they're also timeless. For Fassler, her work transcends the boundaries of fashion, and instead, she chooses to see it as her chosen "art form". Her creations will once again be gracing the catwalk at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Joburg, taking place later this week at the Mall of Africa. The traces of a recent trip to Morocco by Leopard Frock creative director Lezanne Viviers provides the leitmotiv for the SS17 collection, reflecting the craft, the colours and the connectedness of everything on the African continent. Expect originated prints that tell a story and a colour palette of poppy red, turmeric yellow, rose pink, terracotta and Majorelle blue that evokes Africa from north to south. This Women's Month, the fashion doyenne shares her thoughts on the evolution of SA's fashion industry and the valuable lessons she's learnt as an integral part of it.
Social media such as Facebook and Instagram have also brought fashion to the consumer instantly. The fashion industry as such has been through various cycles, but it is clear to me that South African design has matured and the demand for South African designed goods in general, has increased. ![]() Unfortunately the same cannot be said for the manufacturing sector. I have seen it shrink over many years and we find it very difficult to manufacture high-end product on a larger scale. The sophistication and depth of product is just not catered for. With the rise of online platforms for retail, it has also become evident that we can serve a limited audience here in ZA, but I am finding it very difficult, logistically, to serve global customers. We are far from the marketplace with expensive shipping costs and long turnaround times. I do however think that the local market is hungry for interesting new choices and we often hear from tourists that they battle to find South African fashion readily available in shops.
I believe that the local industry lacks depth and most designers cannot afford to employ another layer of expertise to enable them to become exporters. There is a naive assumption that export is easy and the world is just waiting for your product. The feedback I get is that a lot of South African products are very expensive, and not really up to standard. This comment is based on the goods available at the most recent exhibition Le BHV/Marais in Paris. We still think small and believe that our exchange rate will save us from most of the impediments of supply chain markups. But, having said that, there are success stories and we remain focused on the brands that will give ZA credibility. I believe the South African Department of Trade and Industry should be playing a part here. We bring our everything to the ramp. It is a very important showcase to keep orders pouring in throughout summer. We always re-invent old favourites because our clients look out for them, but in the retelling of our story, we add newer twists and turns. We continue to develop new prints and silhouettes. This new collection is both fresh and sophisticated…and definitely turned heads on the streets of NY.
Visit Marianne Fassler's website for more info and connect with the brand on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. About Lauren HartzenbergManaging editor and retail editor at Bizcommunity.com. Cape Town apologist. Dog mom. Get in touch: lauren@bizcommunity.com View my profile and articles... |