Founders of fashion brand Amen, Bradley Muttitt and Abiah Mahlase, boast a strong message with their latest collection titled Ke Tshwere Ke Tlala- Hungry Boy.
After Africa Fashion International (AFI) Fashion Week was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Amen show was presented differently this year. One of the biggest fashion events in Sandton and the north, the brand went digital.
Showcasing their Autumn/Winter 21 (A/W 21) collection to a digital audience for the first time ever, the duo was thrilled and nervous.”In true fashion style, the show had to go on … ‘ONline’… The transition going digital has been both exciting and daunting. In ever-evolving fashion industry, one has got to move with the times in order to not be left behind,” they said.
Inspired by the streets of Johannesburg, they chose to be the voice of the voiceless through their bold designs. “The main inspiration behind the collection and the prints on the fabric can be directly connected with the streets of Johannesburg which are filled with unemployment. Beggars stand at every robot intersection begging for food, money, work or an opportunity,” said the duo. But that is what is on the surface. With the plight of unemployment in South Africa, they mention that beggars are not the only ones looking for work. “Across all industries and fields, most of society’s members, both uneducated and educated, are begging for job opportunities.”
And that is what the collection seeks to bring to light. With a partnership spanning more than 10 years, their A/W 21 collection may just be the best one yet. A common theme is the grey polar fleece ‘prison/donkey blanket’. As a thread that runs through the collection which is deeply ingrained in the history of South Africa, it aims to portray the struggles fashion designers encounter.
“The blanket is a direct metaphor to represent the frighteningly looming ‘homelessness’ of local designers if we fail to incite local support of local products,” they said.
No stranger to unconventional uses of fabric and non-traditional combinations, Amen fashion bares it all through juxtaposing the complexities of the socio-economic divides through fashion. With only progress in mind, the designers would like to see more support for local design. Lecturers at the Villioti Fashion Institute in Hyde Park, the duo wants to see their students thrive.”Like the title of our latest collection, Ke Tshwere Ke Tlala – Hungry Boy, we desperately and collectively need to get our local consumers on board with celebrating, and not only clapping at the fashion shows but also buying creations from local talent in order to put an end to the starvation of local talent/designers.”
It’s a fashion revolution.
