South African fashion brand unveils spring/summer “SILAPHA NJE KUNGENGEMITHANDAZO/WE ARE WHERE WE ARE BECAUSE OF PRAYERS SAID” by Mzukisi Mbane
This collection was very much inspired by the concept of faith and how our lives throughout time have been driven and inspired by faith. The constant belief that we should do better, we will do better, be better, and that life will always change for the better.
From a socio and political point of view we looked at how post-apartheid South Africa is a literal product of faith. Those who fought and believed with evidence unseen that we would one day live in a free and democratic South Africa.
From a general spiritual and religious point of view, we looked at how the concepts of faith, spirituality, and religion are embedded in our DNA. How African spirituality and religion has been used throughout time as a reason for our existence and inspiration for our evolution.
While the whole collection revolves around a picture of my mother in her church uniform, the overall silhouettes in this collection are inspired by both African heritage and religion. I played a lot with silhouettes inspired by African church uniforms and traditional attire, with the colours being inspired by tribal artworks from my travels and ancient Nguni beadwork.
Basically, when I came up with this concept I just thought of how my mother always reminds me that prayer is everything, whether I have good or bad news; how as a religious woman she has always found ways of honoring her ancestors while still holding God as the highest source.
She reminds me every day and with everything that I do that, we live and survive through
many prayers heard and unheard, by people known and unknown to us.
