It feels almost insincere to go on and on ad nauseum about how ''talented'', ''edgy'' and ''innovative'' a fashion designer is. But with Jacques van der Watt of Black Coffee, I'm willing to carry a foldable vom bag that will fit into my purse as precisely as his cuts fit the female form - because his work simply demands that you get up off your cynicism and take it for what it is, very good.
I sat next to Jacques at his quiet presentation at his shop in Melville. It wasn't what one would call a fashion show, more than a showmanship of his skill. He was very relaxed for someone who is presenting the essence of his collection to the country's media for the first time--a quality implicit of his experience as a type of creative--somebody seasoned in starting something from nothing and doing it better each time.
I sat squashed between he, wearing an unfamiliar pair of transparent frame spectacles that go with his silver messy mane, and a the glass doors to the Black Coffee store in Melville, where a CNN camera was recording my every move. Do I sit and watch the the show? Do I tweet? Do I take pictures and notes? I didn't want to appear as if I'm not concentrating on the vision before me and taking in the sounds of the sea from the audio, but it was hard to sit and do nothing, what with the camera to my right and Jacques to my left. What kind of journalist am I, I wondered?
I eventually decided to sit and take it in, writing down sporadic thoughts and feelings when the opportunity presented itself. The show featured 4 models who to a distant observer could look like they are performing interpretive dance. The clothing presented was from the summer collection which is only available later this year, a collection he called Oyster, featuring pleat upon pleat, squares, straight lines, rectangles and triangles all purposing a sound repetition to the tune of a Bauhaus architecture aesthetic. Very defined lines and definite secure shapes, quilting in jackets, dresses, tops and skirts all with a double layer of sheer - sexy but very conservative.
I could have asked him the typical ''what inspired this collection'' kind of questions or what it's all about really, but that's like asking an artist to dispel his process, it would have kind of cheapened it. So I sat and enjoyed the tip of an ice berg that was not presented at the show. The following images are the rest of the range which is only available for viewing in a look book or in person at the stores. The collection was shot by Chris Saunders, who I'm working with on a new blog and we have exclusive rights to publish these amazing images first. The summer collection look book is on his
blog. Do yourself a favour and go
there. I want to say more but I also want you to get to the images part of this blog post sooner rather than later.
Black Coffee Autumn/Winter 2012
