REVIEW: Hugo Flear at Cape Town Fashion Week
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Hugo Flear presents their latest collection at Cape Town Fashion Week
Hugo Flear’s prints steal the show at Cape Town Fashion Week
Hugo Flear kicked off the final day of Fashion Week with an exhilarating display of what fashion can do to cater to its most active, yet sorely neglected mature markets.
Located in Cape Town, AFI Fastrack Alumnus Hugo Flear’s eponymous fashion house has earned its renown through daring yet timeless womenswear that caters to a broad age range, most distinctively older women. Setting this show apart were not only the pieces – which were as lively and dynamic as they were stunning – but the flare and dynamism of the ageless models themselves.
Drawing inspiration from South African culture, Hugo Flear utilizes digital printing on 100% pure linen fabric, producing flawlessly constructed garments embellished with unique and vivid graphics of South African flora and fauna.
His Cape Town Fashion Week offering was no different, boasting captivating graphics and thematic references to flowers. Standouts included a three-piece, magenta ensemble. Cleverly playing with texture and weight, a solid linen torso formed the base for translucent pants, blouse and sleeves exaggerated to accommodate a large, printed protea.
Another standout piece in an overall refreshing collection included a knee-length number with a cape attached. From its high, broad collar, the silver base of the piece was streaked with shades of hot pink. While the reference to flowers was apparent, the ensemble also resembled something extra-terrestrial, maintaining that sense of fun and fancy that Flear executes so well. Amongst the various photographic references to nature incorporated into the collection, Hugo Flear’s expansive collection included two-piece ensembles embellished with the brand’s name in large block print.
Hugo Flear executed a refreshing, lively and unconventional approach to showcasing a collection. A luxury label that caters to older women with as much care and investment as Hugo Flear is a rare and essential addition to African fashion week stages.