Basotho blankets on the runway – DW – 05/20/2025
Sharon Farr
05/20/2025
May 20, 2025
South African designer Thabo Makhetha weaves her Basotho heritage into fashion, making global waves — but what happens when international brands such as Louis Vuitton feature the iconic blanket's motifs in their designs?
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Int'l Business Times
10 hours ago
- Int'l Business Times
Colour And Ease Lift Paris Men's Fashion Week
Colours ran wild and silhouettes softened at Paris Men's Fashion Week, which ends Sunday, as designers brought a rare breath of fresh air to a gloomy fashion climate. Despite the heavy news cycle and economic turbulence affecting the luxury sector, this Fashion Week was a "shot of creativity that felt incredibly good", Alice Feillard, men's buying director at Galeries Lafayette, told AFP. The spring-summer 2026 season "is much more creative than the previous ones, which were a bit duller", said Adrien Communier, the fashion editor at GQ France. Both experts observed a more relaxed vibe, with Feillard pointing to "good humour" and "optimism", while Communier noted a "lighter mood". "With so many debuts, there was a sense of renewal. And so, I found that people were more curious," he added. After a notable women's show in March, Julian Klausner made waves Thursday with his first menswear show for Dries Van Noten, while Jonathan Anderson's long-awaited debut at Dior drew applause on Friday. A renewed burst of creativity lit up the runways, most visibly through bold colour choices. Brown tones and pastels made way for a richer, more saturated palette for next summer. Saint Laurent opened the week with violet, navy, orange and moss green, while Pharrell Williams at Louis Vuitton channelled Indian motifs and hues. Dries Van Noten made a splash with bold fuchsia and blood red, while Kenzo exploded with candy pink, aquatic blue and chick yellow. Dior Homme took a more restrained approach, showcasing rich tones like a deep forest green on structured pieces. The tones sometimes appeared as prints -- tiger at Kenzo, childlike safari at Louis Vuitton and floral at Dior. At Comme des Garcons Plus, prints leaned into pop-style 1970s geometry -- a look also seen at Amiri, Saint Laurent and Junya Watanabe, who embraced flared trousers. Stripes were ubiquitous but subtle, adding detail without overwhelming. Designers leaned into fluidity with flared trousers, long jackets, open shirts and an ongoing pyjama trend. "There's a sort of nonchalant elegance in having a very fluid yet thoughtfully designed silhouette," Communier said. Last season's neo-dandy look is now much more relaxed. "Tailoring is still omnipresent in the collections, but it's becoming more fluid. There's still formality, but it's far more relaxed and remains very elegant," said Feillard. Bags were omnipresent, from clutch to shoulder, styled for both casual outings and evening occasions. Finally, flip-flops made a major comeback, seen at Officine Generale, Auralee and even Hermes, "worn in an almost formal way", said Communier. A perfect example of relaxed chic.
DW
5 days ago
- DW
Rheingau Music Festival experiments with classical format – DW – 06/24/2025
The Rheingau Music Festival 2025 continues its classical music focus but intersperses elements of pop, electronic and world music to elevate the senses. A double bass almost four meters tall in the orchestra; a Lithuanian accordionist who likes to play at lofty heights; a South African cellist who makes the audience sing: The Rheingau Music Festival presents special people in special places and has become one of the largest festivals in Europe, hosting classical but also jazz, pop and world music. "The spaces are an integral part of us," said festival managing director Marsilius von Ingelheim of the setting. "We bring unique concert experiences to historical and modern locations in the region." The wine-growing Rheingau region in the central German state of Hessen features historic landmarks such as the medieval Eberbach Monastery, where the festival opens every summer — also the location for the 1986 film adaptation of Umberto Eco's novel, "The Name of the Rose." Meanwhile, the Eberbach Basilica, with its thick monastery walls, is made for large orchestras and powerful voices. "St. Cecilia Mass," by 19th-century French composer Charles Gounod, opened the festival in the venue and was peformed by the MDR Radio Choir and the Hessischer Rundfunk Symphony Orchestra. "The church has a long reverberation, which is not easy for the orchestra, but appropriate for Gounod's church work," the orchestra's director Alain Altinoglu said, adding that it was a particular challenge for violins. Armenian violinist Diana Adamyan kicked off the concert with Spanish music, including pieces by Pablo de Sarasate and film composer Franz Waxman. Adamyan quickly got used to the reverberation. "I had the feeling that the walls were absorbing the music," she told DW. "It was as if the whole basilica was vibrating and dancing with us. It was a wonderful feeling." Adamyan thrilled the audience with her delicate virtuoso tones in the highest registers. The country of Spain, and dance in music, are two of the main themes of this year's festival. A huge contrabass protruded from the orchestra during the "St. Cecilia Mass" performance. The French violin maker Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume constructed the so-called "octobass" in the mid-19th century for the composer Hector Berlioz. The octobass has only three sides and, at over three-and-a-half meters, is the largest double bass in the world — and has a deep, penetrating sound to match. Only a few replicas remain, with one borrowed especially for the evening. At this year's festival, there will be musical evenings among the grape vines, in the surrounding castles, in an old barn, and for the first time in the new Reinhard Ernst Museum. Lithuanian musician Martynas Levickis will be playing his accordion between abstract paintings. He also loves unusual places and sounds. "I've wanted to do something with electronic music producers for a long time," he said. "It will be night music with a clubbing atmosphere and lots of improvisation." For program director Timo Buckow, Levickis is an artist with vision: "For the concert in the museum, he came to Wiesbaden four times to take in the space. He then looked at the exhibits for inspiration and thought about the musical concept." Levickis is known for unusual performances, including taking to the skies with his instrument in a hot air balloon. As one of the festival's focus artists, the Lithuanian will perform several times in the Rheingau. His "Da Vinci's Dream" show includes music from 400 years of accordion history. He has obtained an instrument from the Netherlands especially for the beginnings of accordion music: the so-called organetto, with bellows and small organ pipes, was built according to sketches by the painter and inventor Leonardo da Vinci. Another artist with vision is the cellist Abel Selaocoe from South Africa. His "African roots" performance with the Stuttgart Symphony Orchestra saw him sing over classical and modern music. Sometimes Selaocoe stomps on the floor, as in the traditional dances of his homeland, sometimes he encourages the audience to sing along. "He doesn't think in terms of genres, he himself is the music," said Buckow. "This is something new, it's not something we've seen before in our industry." Such performances are an experiment at the Rheingau Music Festival, explained the program director. "We have to show these artists and also this diversity; that is our responsibility and ultimately what makes the festival what it is."To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
DW
10-06-2025
- DW
Stories of Courage and Resistance in LGBTQ+ films – DW – 06/07/2025
Producer Igor Myakotin portrays queer life in Russia, while actor Niza Jay breaks with stereotypes to empowers Black queers in South Africa. Director Khozy Rizal is revolutionizing Indonesian cinema. Russian director Igor Myakotin Image: DW Film producer Igor Myakotin portrays queer life under the repressive Russian regime. His films "Queendom" and "Welcome to Chechnya" have won multiple awards. South African actor Niza Jay Image: DW South African actor Niza Jay has been highly-praised globally for breaking with stereotypes and empowering Black queers in "The Wound" and Phillip Miller's "Nkoli: The Vogue Opera." Indonesian director Khozy Rizal Image: DW Indonesian director Khozy Rizal is revolutionizing cinema in his home country, and made history in Cannes with the film "Basri & Salma in a Never-Ending Comedy." Together, they are inspiring a new generation of filmmakers and bringing queer diversity onto the screen.
