My trips up to Joburg for SA Fashion Week can best be described as pilgrimages of passion. I travel there to present the accessories that Beloved Beadwork has spent the previous month designing to accompany Palesa Mokubung’s amazing clothing on the catwalks.
I first encountered Palesa’s work long before we met. I’m a big fan of musician Thandiswa Mazwai and I would watch their performances mesmorised both by her music, and the incredible outfits she wore.
In February this year, I was busy preparing a presentation to give at the National Gallery titled ‘What Inspires Me in South African Visual Culture’. Top of the list was Thandiswa’s style, and it would seem fate was on my side, because also giving a presentation that day was Palesa, who, it turned out, often dresses Thandiswa!
So unbeknownst to me I was already being inspired by the designer I would come to work with. That very day we decided to collaborate, and two months later we worked together at April’s SA Fashion Week.
It is somewhat soul restoring to spend time in the company of a designer who you so admire, and who’s style somehow marries with your own so perfectly. It is always with great trepidation that I head up to Joburg, and I always with a great sense of joy and accomplishment that I return home.
So without further ado, here are some of the photographs!
All images are copyright: Gary Stemmett / SDR Photo, and can be found on their site here.
I’ll be putting up some lightbox-photographed images of the individual pieces of jewellery soon. Watch this space.
Thanks for another amazing SA Fashion Week Palesa.
