BlackCoffee Collections, installations and other work by SA designer Jacques van der Watt
The visual language of Imprint, Black Coffee’s Summer 2013 collection, is created through hand-rendered patterns embellished onto delicate mesh dresses.
These patterned textiles are fashioned into ornate garments that are ceremonial yet undeniably contemporary. The collection also sees the introduction of custom printed textiles that mark the female body with expressive immediacy.
The garment creation process involves a variety of laboured appliqué techniques that include detailed needlework and fashioning individual leather and textile elements onto the canvas of the body. This technique is inspired by the seemingly negative pattern image created in original Congolese Kuba cloths. The collection palate also reflects the vivid tones found in contemporary ceremonial garments and adornments from central Africa.
The femininity of the silhouettes are dramatically juxtaposed by the intricate mark-making that beautifully imprint rather than distort the body.
Imprint was revealed at SA Fashion Week on 11 April 2013, and will be available in stores in September 2013.