gay fashion craze uncovered

Mongezi Mhlongo (BTM Reporter)

FASHION – 04 February 2009: The glitz and glamour, gigantic bags, men in exaggerated skimpy clothes and make up, it can only mean one thing, fashion week!

Queer fashion enthusiasts flock in their numbers during fashion weeks in South Africa and internationally and I share the same notion as most people that the fashion industry is predominantly gay.

It was not different even during this year’s fashion week on 21-24 January, held in Sandton, Johannesburg.

Over the years gay men have received a lot of industry honor, the likes of David Tlale and Malcom Kluk who are featured more prominently in fashion magazines showcasing the who is who in the fashion industry.     

In a video on You Tube, Rapper Kanye West once said “People always try to discredit gays altogether but they [gay men] really know how to dress.”

Fashion changes over time and it changes constantly.

Every aspect of appearance changes overtime, people evolve and they are drawn to various different tastes and clothes as well which is why I firmly believe that fashion plays a major part in transformation and we should all utterly enjoy what fashion has to offer.

In a world dominated by varied and complicated tastes and interpretations one really wonders exactly what is the true meaning of fashion.

Fashion is defined by the oxford dictionary as the “popular trend, or the production and marketing of styles of clothing”, fair enough, but fashion is rather complex.

It can also be defined as a combination of certain styles and customs prevalent at a given time. 

A trip down memory lane…

Fashion can be traced back to the 20th century in Paris, one of the capitals where fashion actually originated

Originally there were four world renowned fashion capitals, Paris, London, Milan and New York.

However, over the years that has changed, many cities have made significant strides within the fashion industry making them renowned fashion capitals.

A fashion capital is a location that is influential to the fashion industry, housing top designers and modeling agencies.

Since the 20th century the media has been the driving force in the world of fashion. This was a period when fashion magazines’ editors had just discovered colour film photography and what better way was there to utilise this innovation than in fashion?

For as long as I can remember clothes have played an integral part of my life, I have been sarcastically dubbed a “fashionista at heart” which I interpret as though they mean that I am a fashionista wannabe, noting the “at heart.”

This is quite an affront, as I believe I am clued up about fashion as much as I know about my family history.

Well we have self proclaimed fashionistas and fashion gurus but the one who stands out the most is the renowned Dion Chang who is considered by many as a legend of the South African fashion industry.

A face also worth knowing is Dr Precious Motsepe chairperson of African Fashion International, a company that hosts and owns fashion weeks in South Africa, interestingly enough she started her career path as a medical doctor.

South Africa holds six fashion weeks a year namely, Virgin Mobile, Cape Town Fashion Week, MTN Durban Fashion week, Audi Joburg Fashion Week (autumn/ winter) and Joburg Fashion Week (spring/ summer).