Sunday, January 18, 2009

Textures, Prints and Patterns

While browsing through one of my new loves, the SA House & Leisure magazine, I came across Maya Prass and she completely blew me away.


(Click on the pics to get a close-up of those amazing fabrics!)

Her work is filled with colour, textures and fabrics from all different cultures and places and put together a beautiful way. On her website she says, "I offer an alternative to the mass produced looks of the season. If commercial trends are the main road, then I'm on the sidewalk". And that's exactly what I like about her style... it's unique, and a culmination of a lot of influences.



When I was in South Africa I noticed something I had taken for granted when I lived there: everything is so trend orientated. Perhaps it is because the market is so small but magazines feature what we should be wearing, what our houses should look like... I don't find that here in the States, and I think it is because each region is so different in terms of climate, culture and taste that that would never work. It just seems a pity that South Africans should pay heed to that stuff when there are talented artists and designers like Maya, who have such unique visions, and more to offer than what is offered everywhere you look in commercial stores.



Maya's work is handmade and she has kept her workload small so she can keep that personal touch... you can see more of her work (both fashion and her new homeware collection!) at her shop in Contantia Village or, for those of us further afield you can check out her website (I think her layering and lined fabrics are perfect for the in-between seasons for us who are in colder climes). Her Cape Town fashion week show was also shown on Vogue UK, enjoy seeing it here.

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