Wild Beauty
Inspired by the untamed beauty of nature, South African-based ethical swimwear and resort wear brand, BeachCult, introduces it’s Summer 2025 collection Spellbound.
Created in collaboration with South African visual and graphic designer Caitlin Petersen, the Spellbound collection features a variety of ethereal dresses, romantic resort separates and dreamy swimwear. A colour palette of delicate pinks and terracotta, shades of sage and sky blue give a whimsicality to the adventurous prints inspired by the African landscape. “Spellbound is about capturing the essence of nature’s wild beauty and infusing it with a sense of mystery and timeless elegance,” Peterson said.
Alongside the timeless elegance is a small-scale production and design process rooted in creating functional and long-lasting slow fashion. With an entirely local production process from their studio in Cape Town, each piece is crafted from recycled plastic and nylon and boasts UV protection and chlorine resistance.
The Spellbound SS25 collection is available at select local and international boutiques locally and online.
Eye-catcher
LOEWE’s latest eyewear collection offers pops of colour and a nod to retro glamour just in time for what’s sure to be a sweltering summer.
Spanish luxury brand LOEWE’s Fall/Winter 2024 eyewear collection is a nod to the oversized, eye-catching sunglass styles of the 1980s.
Under the creative direction of designer Jonathan Anderson, the brand has elevated everyday classics with a playful colour palette: Pops of orange, olive greens and tortoiseshell accommodate for a wide range of style preferences.
A particular favourite, and the newest addition to the brand’s Curvy line, is the Curvy Aviator style. A quintessential LOEWE look, the frames are a larger-than-life unisex pilot shape with a flat top. Think Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s with a Top Gun spin. Embellished with a handwritten signature on the temples, the Curvy Aviator style is a glamorous yet playful nod to LOEWE’s elegant and unconventional heritage.
The Curvy Aviator LW40144U style is available in black, red, olive and tortoiseshell with a suggested retail price of R5,750.
Picot & Moss Eyewear 011-669-0790.
Mer, myth and metals
Ethical jewellery and accessories brand PICHULIK recently announced the release of the Mer Collection, expanding their offerings to include a variety of pieces inspired by the mythological mermaid.
PICHULIK’s Mer Collection becomes an embodiment of the “transformation, self-discovery and alchemy” the mermaid represents.
Staying true to the brand’s signature use of rope and cast brass, the collection boasts a palette of coastal tones. Shades of tawny brown and sunset rust offset with pops of seaweed green and shimmering gold. From the simplicity of their Crescent Hoop earrings to the abstract statement of the Triton necklace, the collection plays with undulating shapes reminiscent of the ocean.
Transformation remains key in this collection with versatile pieces that can be worn several ways. PICHULIK’s pieces invite the wearer to personalise their accessories; able to adjust the length of the Mer necklace and bracelet by combining the two or creating interesting layering through the Nereida necklace, which can be worn as a pendant or a shorter neckpiece.
Newer additions to the brand’s offering are their handwoven Mermaid bag and Clotho belt, continuing the brand’s legacy of textured knots and woven shapes.
Something special
From factory floor to runway, Pret-A-Perfect's Resort 2024/2025 collection celebrates the beauty of ties that bind.
While for some, running a design and manufacturing factory that caters to a variety of companies including a leading South African retailer, may result in a rather full plate, for Sandy Rogers, the challenge simply wasn’t enough. A business owner, entrepreneur, designer and veritable titan in the fashion industry, Rogers recently dove back into designing for her own brand Pret-A-Perfect just in time for South African Fashion Week’s Autumn/Winter 2025 collections.
Born in 2020, the brand’s origins reflect the ingenuity, compassion and boundless creativity of the designer who has worked in fashion since the 1980s and headed retail giant Edgars’ design department for 20 years. It was through her work for Edgars that Rogers began working for parent company Edcon’s young designer programme, providing mentorship and a space for the designers to work and sell their pieces. “It was difficult for them to get back into fabrics and production [after lockdown] so, to fill the store, I started Pret-a-Perfect and it was just to use up old fabrics that were lying around and make things that I liked.”
After the previous owner of The Faktory in Victoria Yards vacated, Rogers took over and the manufacturing business flourished, resulting in a year-long hiatus for the Pret-A-Perfect brand. Her return to design was coaxed into existence by the director and founder of SA Fashion Week and her long-time friend, Lucilla Booyzen. Perhaps this push to create was a calculated move on Booyzen’s part, an attempt to provide a creative outlet for Rogers who lost her sister in June this year.
Her kind, blue eyes sparkled with unshed tears as she gestured towards the rack of garments and the “Stephanie”, a white, lace shirt dress that was first to debut on the runway. “The first thing I did was to name the one dress after my sister,” she said, noting how they'd give each of their designs a name. Rooted in love and friendship, the collection, entitled The Ties That Bind Us, became a physical manifestation of the strong bonds Rogers and her team had cultivated over the years. “We named all the dresses after sisters that we were born to and the friends that are like sisters,” she said, smiling.
The brand’s Resort 2024/2025 collection features a series of dresses, each with its own individual ribbon or tie detail, that cater to all shapes, sizes and aesthetic sensibilities. “I think dresses are an easy way to feel good and we always do dresses that appeal to a range of consumers,” she said proudly.
From the bohemian femininity of a pastel pink number with cascading ruffles to the chic simplicity of a cream, cotton, collared shirt dress, the collection will be released in limited batches due to the use of upcycled fabrics. “We put love and care and attention to detail in each garment so that when someone gets it, it's elevated and people feel like they're getting something special.”
The Pret-A-Perfect Resort 2024/2025 collection is available by request.
@pret_a_perfect 076-072-5779
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