“Nyamijyosi is one of Kigali’s most vibrant and interesting
neighbourhoods. It’s a big place with the main part bordering the city and
‘deep’ Nyamijyosi (also referred to as Gangster’s Paradise) stretching all the
way up the hills into the distance. Unlike the rest of the city, which seems to
shut down at 8pm, it hustles and bustles late into the night.”
This is how Inés Cuatrecasas, one of the designers
behind millecollines, describes
Nyamijyosi, the colourful neighbourhood that inspired their spring/summer 2015
collection. “Our inspiration comes from its main street that is packed with
small, quirky shops full of colour and music. The people there are extremely
creative entrepreneurs and know their way around. They are also known for being
the most fashion-forward in the city. There is a big sense of belonging and
pride.”
This spirited sense of Africa was evident yesterday
evening when Cuatrecasas and her business partner, Marc Oliver, introduced
South Africa to their spring/summer 2015 designs at Mercedes-Benz
Fashion Week Africa (MBFWA) in Johannesburg, which included a sneak peak at
their debut menswear collection.
The show focused on their first street line, which the
duo describes as bold, fresh and alive, and the shapes as simple and relaxed.
“As we move to formal and eveningwear, the focus moves to texture and shapes
that echo the buzz on the streets,” explains Cuatrecasas. The textures too are
taken from the streets where coarse concrete walls and dirt roads contrast with
smooth metal doors and plastic and glass. The fabrics therefore are an eclectic
mix of leather, micro twills, scuba, chiffon and crêpe.
The fun and bold necklaces, bracelets and handbags
seen at the show are from the millecollines range of accessories and were
specially designed as an extension of Nyamijyosi and crafted from similarly
unexpected materials.
In an exciting move, millecollines had collaborated
with Johannesburg milliners Simon and Mary, and Sk8 Shades, Dave de Witt’s
attention- grabbing sunglasses handmade from recycled skateboards, for MBFWA.
Millecollines collaborated with Maria McCloy Accessories that supplied African
sandals known as Izimbadada to complement their menswear collection for this
season. Millecollines also collaborated with Rage pairing shoes from their SS14
collection titled ‘The Heatwave’ to compliment the millecollines womenswear.
Since the two designers arrived in Kigali from
Barcelona in 2005 – “We were 23 years old and all we had was optimism, hope and
energy to follow a dream” – millecollines, established in 2009, has grown and
now collaborates with 270 local artisans working with raffia, tin, horn,
embroidery, crystal and aluminium. Their goal is to establish an African
fashion brand that produces fashion that is distinctly African to international
standards.
This global viewpoint defines who they design for: “A
woman who is not afraid of a world that is changing, who believes that we
achieve a new and richer expression of wealth through our diversity. She values
a unique, handmade, and high quality product. Africa lives in her.”
The spring/summer 2015 collection, Nyamijyosi will be
available at millecollines’ online shop toward the end of this year and a South
African store is in the pipeline. Alternatively, contact sales@millecollines.es
or info@millecollines.es for orders.
See complete collection HERE
From
The Desk of: Jenna McArthur
PR | Jenna McArthur | jenna@jennamcarthur.com
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