By Ayanda Dlamini | 2024-05-07

DALA Spaces hosted another successful event dubbed Fashion and Cocktails at Malandela’s Lifestyle last Friday.

The event lived up to the hype, showing collections by up-coming local designers.

 Drawing inspiration from the 2024 MTN Bushfire theme ‘Fireworks,’ the designers delivered vibrant collections that made a bold statement.

The audience was filled with anticipation as the models strutted down the runway, showcasing exciting new creations from Eswatini.

 With MTN Bushfire just around the corner, it was the perfect time to get your festival-inspired outfits, said the curator of the fashion show who is co-founder of Dala Spaces, Philippa Thorne.

The local fashion houses that showcased their creativity were Sitfombo Atelier, Apparel by Thando, Sgonian Republik, Dala Upcycled and Lammy Crochet in collaboration with MTN Bushfire, EMC Studio, Baobab Batik and Ruff Cut.

“The main aim of the show was to give talented designers a chance to showcase their creations on a professional stage. For Sitfombo Atelier and Apparel by Thando, it was their first time showcasing their designs on the Dala runway,” said Thorne

Fashion and Cocktails, according to Thorne, aims to open doors for designers, models, make-up artists, stylists and photographers to explore their craft and grow their businesses.

“Dala Spaces is dedicated to providing a platform for creatives to establish themselves as creative professionals and lay the groundwork for growing their audience and following,” said Thorne.

The show was sponsored by Cork and Co, emlembe Water, Malandela’s Lifestyle and MTN Bushfire.

All outfits were styled by Vanessa Gwebu with the show being produced by Dala Spaces,

Sitfombo Designs was inspired by the ‘Fireworks’ theme and created her micro collection around it calling her collection Umushiwe-nkhosazana, meaning Rainbow. Respecting the principles of design and playing with fabric manipulation is her speciality.

Apparel by Thando Maseko, showing on the catwalk for the very first time, demonstrated she has a flair for minimalist and chic designs. Maseko has created pieces that can easily be transfered from the runway to the streets.

Sgonian Republik by Philani Mpanza who is no stranger to the Dala runway, this latest collection seeks to celebrate the traditional ways of   Eswatini people, whilst showcasing the contemporary possibilities of fabrics known as traditional. Ultimately through this collection, he wants to say “Let’s rock our roots and take them to the world!”

With Baobab Batik, ‘kaNgwane Collection’ is a celebration of Eswatini, its people and the richness of its culture though the art of batik. Each item has been individually waxed, dyed 10 times over all and applied by hand. It is a massive team effort!

The Dala Upcycled aims to invoke collaborations that involve upcycling through handicraft.

This first Dala Upcycled collection brought collaboration with local painter ‘J SMASH’ and MTN bushfire creating hand painted demin jackets.

Another design which was a hit at the  fashion  show was the EMC Studio by Theresa Ngoma.

The inspiration for these styles comes from a vibrant African woman who embodies effortless style and fun. EMC is renowned for their glamorous couture tailoring. For the festival, they demonstrate how to repurpose some of your wardrobe pieces by incorporating upcycling and street flair.

 The Ruff Cut designs was inspired by the theme ‘Fireworks’ for this collection. His collection is an overwhelming amount of bright trendy colours mixed with denim and cargo fabrics. Ruff Cut has a talent for making cool/edgy streetwear for both men and women.

The looks were accessorised by Craft Avenue, Azuri, Adorable Accessories, Khokho and Tandla Tami.

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