South African Fashion Week kicked off its Autumn/Winter 2017 shows at Hyde Park Corner this week, and both new and established designers brought style and colour to the ramp. The new, young designers opened the first night with great creativity in the Sunglass Hut new talent search competition.The designers were asked to create collections that emphasised the link between you as a fashion consumer and what they create. The competition was won by Amy Liu and James Barrett-Poulsen of Lumin for their all black, heavily textured collection.Rea Khoabane spoke to the pair, and Sheila-Madge Bakker of Sheila-Madge and Tshego Sethole of HerRitual.LUMINLumin was started by Amy Liu and James Barrett-Poulsen, who met and became friends while studying fashion design at Lisof. Liu manages the business and operational aspects of the label and Barrett-Poulsen focuses on creative direction.Inspiration behind the collection?We were inspired by Japanese avant garde designs which we translated into a more ready-to-wear look. We also incorporated a bit of 1990s pop culture into our silhouettes and styling Soundtrack for your show?Alanis Morissette's All I Really Want - to reflect the 1990s vibe of the show.Fabrics?We used wool knits, melton suiting, and some silk and chiffon to create depth and texture in our all black palette.Key accessoriesWe kept accessories minimal with chunky coal neck pieces and bracelets. We also included small clutch bags.Make-upMake-up was clean with fresh faces. Hair was done in pin curls to give a vintage feel. SHEILA-MADGESheila-Madge Bakker is a Pretoria designer who reconciles concept with wearability, assimilating the fashionable masses to thought-out clothing and deliberate living.Influences?I was moved by the artist Andel Olivier, who did fine arts at Stellenbosch.She's illustrated children's books, worked as a freelance designer and has been in a few exhibitions in South Africa and Mauritius.Inspiration?This collection was inspired by our mutual love of unexplained phenomena, of nature and of growing up in South Africa. It explores the versatility of African art and the different ways other cultures borrow from the African identity.Soundtrack of your show?William Onyeabor's Fantastic Man is special to my boyfriend and me . It's a tribute to him because he was patient while I couldn't spend time with him because I was working on my collection for fashion week. It's also light and fun, like the range.Choice of fabricsI tried using natural fabrics, but here and there a soft synthetic peeps through. All the printing is done by hand. The idea behind the beading, embroidery, knitwork and different textures is to show the skill sets unique to South Africa.HERRITUALTshegofatso Sithole graduated from the University of Johannesburg and is inspired by her African heritage.Inspiration?My collection, I Am Willow, was inspired by a willow tree. Growing up I was fascinated by the tree's graceful presence and I remember the serenity and tranquillity I got from being under it. To me it's symbolic of women.Choice of fabrics?The dominant fabrics are melton - a dense, tightly woven fabric that is felted and heavily brushed - and cotton. I also used mesh and leather off-cuts.Soundtrack?My first song was Pink Cloud by Little Dragon - the type of music I listen to.Key accessoriesAll my accessories were handmade...