Fashion: Can Chu shine as he dresses up the Bucs?

26 March 2015 - 02:06 By Rea Khoabane

Chu Suwannapha, a familiar face on the fashion circuit, will be designing an outfit for an Orlando Pirates fan who will wear it if the Bucs reach the final of the Nedbank Cup. This unusual initiative is part of the Nedbank Football Fan Fashion Challenge, a campaign that sees the worlds of soccer and fashion collide.Sixteen leading fashion designers were each matched with a "superfan" from each of the 16 teams competing in the Nedbank Cup, and they will design an outfit for that fan.Suwannapha was paired with the Orlando Pirates super fan in a ceremony at Melrose Arch .After launching his clothing brand Chulaap at the first South African Menswear Fashion Week in February, Suwannapha, the ''godfather of print", will be challenged to work in monochrome for the first time when he designs the fan's outfit.Known for his bright, mix-and-match style, Suwannapha will be limited to using only the black and white in Pirates' strip.With more than 25 years in the fashion industry, Suwannapha said he was intrigued by the challenge.''You must remember I don't wear black and white, but fashion is my passion and Orlando Pirates is the superfan's passion, so I'm expecting him to teach me about his team."Last week Suwannapha spent a day at Orlando Stadium in the Pirates' locker room with his superfan, learning about the history of the team.Originally from Thailand, Suwannapha calls South Africa home and believes soccer, like music, is "a global celebration that brings many different people together".The winner of the Nedbank Football Fan Fashion Challenge will be announced on the night before the Nedbank Cup final in May...

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