Stiaan Louw designs dress. This would be less compelling news if he were a womenswear designer, but the Stiaan Louw line has always been about elegant streamlined pieces for men. "The male dress is what we're calling it", Louw clarifies. This in no small accomplishment in a country where traditional views of masculinity dominate. "I've been lookingat a variety of things for this collection : Maasai culture, ancient Roman culture, ancient Greek culture", Louw says from his studio in Cape Town's Woodstock district. Two things seem to bind them together : a warrior tradition, and tunics. "What I like about their dress is that it's often one piece of fabric that's used in such an original manner", Louws says. "If you think about Maasai culture, you're thinking about masculinity -but these dresses, if that's what you may call them, are quite drapey, with feminine undertones. I'm interested in challenging those norms -or if not challenging them, showing in my work how young men are shifting away from them, and finding a different kind of voice". Independant fashion labels are new to South Africa (Louw dates their inception to 1998 or 1999) and lines for men are fewer still. he was recently named the continent's best menswear designer at the African Fashion Awards, to his own surprise. "I expected there to be more people working in menswear in South Africa, or any other part of Africa", he says. Is life as a menswear designer in South Africa a perilously lonely enterprise ? "I love this country, and I want to work from here", he replies. "I can't see myself setting up anywhere else".
Picture by Justin Polkey
Interview :
Lestat : Who is Stiaan Louw ?
Stiaan : I'm a 33-year-old South African designer based in Woodstock, Cape Town. Stiaan Louw is my eponymous brand name.
Lestat : How did you start your career ?
Stiaan : I studied film and then fashion, graduating in 2001. I started as a stylist and then progressed to accessory design and womenswear design, launching my own label in 2004 in South Africa. I refocused my brand in 2008 to menswear as I felt frustrated with the options that were available to South African men. I also feel that my design aesthetic is better suited to menswear and it allows me to subtly shift boundaries.
Lestat : What’s a working day like ?
Stiaan : There is no structure to my working day. A single day can include constructing patterns for a specific style, producing garments with my seamstress, coordinating shoots for the brand and communicating with clients interested in it. I have a small team who assists me in the design and manufacturing process. Everything is produced and designed inhouse. We do use accessories from a brand called Missibaba who specialises in leather and silver jewellery from Ida Elsje.
Lestat : Who/what inspires you most ?
Stiaan : I am continually inspired by social and sexual subcultures and shift in modern masculinity all in relation to South African and African men, but also within a global context. Our latest collection is specifically focused on exploring a modern African menswear aesthetic and also questions what it means to be a modern African.
Lestat : How was the process of the design of this 6th collection ?
Stiaan : It was quite an organic process. It started off with a study of wrapping and draping in different indigenous African cultures and then expanding to the study of the Maasai and other African tribes. It is easy to tap into the inspiration being based in Africa. We worked exclusively with natural fibres and especially fabrics that had a soft drapability to it. This is a non-seasonal project that we will be working on for some time. The next component will explore what we call the states of dress and undress. We explore how modern men define themselves through what they wear but also the controversial subject of male nudity in society, traditional and modern.
Lestat : There is a lot of faded colors (but the red)… why ?
Stiaan : We started the collection with a more typical palette associated with the brand, the greys, nudes and softer tones, but wanted to evolve the handwriting of the brand. We looked at the Maasai in particular who traditionally use red and ink blue in their traditional dress and evolved the collection towards the end to include these colours.
Lestat : What are your projects ?
Stiaan : We are about to work on the third shoot in our '6' series loosely titled 'states of dress and undress' which will be released shortly. The series will then change direction slightly and introduce our next collection. Other than that we are looking at exporting this year and also showing at other platforms, both locally and internationally.
Lestat : Is love important to you ?
Stiaan : At this point I find love to be a distraction from my goals as a designer. I think it is important in the long run but I love being a designer at the moment and that is fulfilling.
Lestat : What do you wear to bed ?
Stiaan : Nothing.
Lestat : Do you spend much time on the Internet ?
Stiaan : The brand has an online focus. But I have recently been able to step aside and allow other memebers of my team to work on the online strategy.
Lestat : Answer the question you’d like to be asked.
Stiaan : I think you have covered most of it with your questions. I like your blog Morphosis !
Source URL: http://popularentertainment.blogspot.com/2011/03/stiaan-louw-interview.htmlLestat : Who is Stiaan Louw ?
Stiaan : I'm a 33-year-old South African designer based in Woodstock, Cape Town. Stiaan Louw is my eponymous brand name.
Lestat : How did you start your career ?
Stiaan : I studied film and then fashion, graduating in 2001. I started as a stylist and then progressed to accessory design and womenswear design, launching my own label in 2004 in South Africa. I refocused my brand in 2008 to menswear as I felt frustrated with the options that were available to South African men. I also feel that my design aesthetic is better suited to menswear and it allows me to subtly shift boundaries.
Lestat : What’s a working day like ?
Stiaan : There is no structure to my working day. A single day can include constructing patterns for a specific style, producing garments with my seamstress, coordinating shoots for the brand and communicating with clients interested in it. I have a small team who assists me in the design and manufacturing process. Everything is produced and designed inhouse. We do use accessories from a brand called Missibaba who specialises in leather and silver jewellery from Ida Elsje.
Lestat : Who/what inspires you most ?
Stiaan : I am continually inspired by social and sexual subcultures and shift in modern masculinity all in relation to South African and African men, but also within a global context. Our latest collection is specifically focused on exploring a modern African menswear aesthetic and also questions what it means to be a modern African.
Lestat : How was the process of the design of this 6th collection ?
Stiaan : It was quite an organic process. It started off with a study of wrapping and draping in different indigenous African cultures and then expanding to the study of the Maasai and other African tribes. It is easy to tap into the inspiration being based in Africa. We worked exclusively with natural fibres and especially fabrics that had a soft drapability to it. This is a non-seasonal project that we will be working on for some time. The next component will explore what we call the states of dress and undress. We explore how modern men define themselves through what they wear but also the controversial subject of male nudity in society, traditional and modern.
Lestat : There is a lot of faded colors (but the red)… why ?
Stiaan : We started the collection with a more typical palette associated with the brand, the greys, nudes and softer tones, but wanted to evolve the handwriting of the brand. We looked at the Maasai in particular who traditionally use red and ink blue in their traditional dress and evolved the collection towards the end to include these colours.
Lestat : What are your projects ?
Stiaan : We are about to work on the third shoot in our '6' series loosely titled 'states of dress and undress' which will be released shortly. The series will then change direction slightly and introduce our next collection. Other than that we are looking at exporting this year and also showing at other platforms, both locally and internationally.
Lestat : Is love important to you ?
Stiaan : At this point I find love to be a distraction from my goals as a designer. I think it is important in the long run but I love being a designer at the moment and that is fulfilling.
Lestat : What do you wear to bed ?
Stiaan : Nothing.
Lestat : Do you spend much time on the Internet ?
Stiaan : The brand has an online focus. But I have recently been able to step aside and allow other memebers of my team to work on the online strategy.
Lestat : Answer the question you’d like to be asked.
Stiaan : I think you have covered most of it with your questions. I like your blog Morphosis !
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