It is a rare event to see fashion forward men’s wear on the ramp at South African fashion shows. When it comes to Elizabeth Galloway Academy of Fashion Design’s alumna Kim Gush you can take it for granted that fashion forward men’s wear is what you are going to get.
Gush is a designer with an interest in traditional and modern construction methods of men’s wear, she states that her garments “speak to the crevices of our consciousness”. For African Fashion International Fastrack (AFI) competition 2012, Gush explored her macabre curiosity in primal secrets to produce a collection. Fashion blogger Robyn Cooke of Cape Town Style Guide summed up Gush’s collection as follows:
“It is always exciting to get the chance to see the emerging young designers evolve and grow their point of view. Kim Gush has a particularly well defined vision of her man, and has managed to defy all logic by crafting a collection of soft, lose-fit jersey pieces that pack a heavy punch of bristling male energy and strength. A triumph.”
Marco Riekstins from men’s wear blog Man of the Cloth described the collection as:
“Whether edged with leather, draped with knits, or wrapped in a chunky scarf, the Gush man of 2012 seems ready for combat or even leisure.”
South African fashion needs creatives like Gush to push fashion forward, the added bonus in this case is that Gush is focusing her fashion eye on men’s wear. Gush’s dedication to her craft was recognised by African Fashion International when she was awarded the AFI Young Designer of the Year accolade.
To promote her IN/MOTION collection, Gush produced the following fashion short film: