If there was one fashion archive that dedicated fashion followers hoped and prayed designers wouldn't rummage through, it had to be the 1970s. Precious few can carry off a pair of bell-bottoms with panache, and the brown and orange palette can be disturbing in the hands of the wrong designer.It may have something to do with the return of the Afro, new waves of black consciousness and feminism, but that fashionably questionable decade has been creeping back into our wardrobes. Not in an obvious way: designers are channelling aspects and filtering them through inspiration from other decades.Locally, we have Rich Mnisi, Thebe Magugu, Lukhanyo Mdingi, Nicholas Coutts, Chulaap and a host of other menswear designers to thank for injecting the '70s back into our lives. Their summer collections for South African Menswear Week held at Cape Town Stadium last week were infused with '70s touches.DISCO DUDE: Rich Mnisi and Thebe Magugu recreated the best of the '70s with this copper-coloured high-waisted ensembleChulaap's fitted knitwear in garish prints and bold motifs brings this era of fashion a little too close for comfort although, teamed with West African printed separates he's referencing a more pan-African place in time. Brown was his go-to colour for the season.Fortunately, no one resuscitated bell-bottoms, but waistlines were high and trousers wide-legged. The must-have trouser for summer is a hybrid of '70s, '80s and '90s styling. The most pleasing example of this was a super-high-waisted trouser suit in shimmery copper fabric by Mnisi and Magugu. A copper tone infused Mdingi's collection too. It's an unusual shade for summer but a wonderful colour.BOLD FACE: Chulaap's fitted jerseys with quirky motifs and faces bring the '70s to mindOne of the most delicious aspects of '70s fashion was the shimmery disco fabrics that gave extra sparkle to the dance floor. Sparkly fabrics abounded at SAMW: Coutts presented garments in shimmery denim and coats with lurex threads. Nao Serati showed a gold jumpsuit. Mdingi opted for silky shiny fabrics and prints on some '70s styled shirts (oversized lapels did not make an appearance). Even Augustine fell prey to '70s inspiration, using pale denim to evoke footage of Woodstock.The bad news is that '70s style is infiltrating fashion. The good news is that if you're a Born Free you won't even notice...