MEGA ARTIST Issue no : 08
“ I have moved from trendy extreme designs to elegant , classy and simple designs and now more people like my work . I realised that majority of my clients prefer something simple but unique which represent their individuality and this has added more value in my work .”
Every designer approaches each piece differently but Sipho considers designing women ' s wear complicated as compared to designing menswear . “ Menswear is expensive but simple to design but women ' s wear is cheap but complicated to design . Designing a dress with the all-embracing details , size , shape and colour takes a lot of time . Women want details and they want to stand out .”
Some designers are fascinated by details and influenced by certain cultural elements and sometimes others are fascinated by certain colour ( s ) but Sipho is more fascinated by the material which is what feeds into his work . “ I love fabric and can spend hours just looking at it and touching it . It inspires me more than anything else . I am attracted to unique items . I don ' t follow trends . Designers today are concentrating too much on trends and not enough on individuality .” Sipho says fashion design is more than just knowing the different components of fashion from putting together inspiration boards and developing structural design skills to drawing 3-D fashion designs and basic sewing techniques . “ I have learnt that clients prefer a specific touch on their garments or suits . I have a professional team I work with but most people prefer my hands even though there is nothing wrong with the item , some clients are not satisfied when their dresses or suits are not done by me even though it ' s perfect . It ' s not about the material or details it ' s about the touch , in fashion we loosely call it – finishing .”
Who inspires you the most in fashion ? Anyone who stands out ?
“ I am not inspired by anyone popular but my friend who I started working with from the beginning , Lethabo Malete . This is because some and now most established fashion designers don ' t do the work but buy from us and label it . So I learn a lot from him ”
What designer piece influenced your career the most and why ?
“ Dresses ! Designing evening dresses allow you to be creative and you can use any fabric to make a dress . That why designing dress requires patience and exceptional flair .”
When was the last time you bought something new to wear ?
I support other brands and designers simply because sometimes I don ' t have time to design for myself or because I cannot find the material but if I have time I wear what I have designed . Normally for special event I rock my own creation . Does fashion allow people to express their individuality or does it force people to conform ?
www . megaartists . co . za Aug- Sep 2016 Page 9