Renowned fashion designer Gavin Rajah is pulling out all the stops to clear his name, after claims he had copied a dress designed last year by Lebanese designer, Zuhair Murad.
Rajah has also hinted that he would never participate in Fashion Week again. On social media, many commented that Rajah’s dress, which was shown at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Cape Town on Thursday bore a striking resemblance to that of Murad’s.
Independent producer of fashion events, Sim Tshabalala, is the one who made the connection and posted an image of the dress on Facebook.
Tshabalala’s post with the heading “breaking news” compared the dresses of the two designers. “There can’t be a fashion week without drama – who did it better lol – was this a colab design? – hell no,” Tshabalala’s post read.
In his defence, Rajah produced sketches of the entire design process, a document detailing the inspiration behind the design and claims he had never seen Murad’s dress before.
He said his design was inspired by the Japanese fans and the rising sun which is why he named his dress The Rising Sun Fan Dress.
“I did not copy Mr Zuhair Murad’s design, my design is my own original creation inspired by Japanese woodblock printing. The Japanese inspired theme is visible through the entire collection.”
To prove his case, Rajah is currently hosting journalists in his studio to view the creative process that he says led to the design.
“I have created the design independently from inspiration sourced by Japanese themes, ranging from the rising sun to Japanese fans. The entire design process has been my own efforts in labour,” Rajah said.
Yesterday, The New Age learnt that Rajah’s lawyers had sent a letter to Tshabalala asking him to withdraw statements he made about the dresses on his Facebook page. When contacted for comment, Tshabalala said he has been advised by his lawyers “not to talk about the matter for the time being.”
Last year, Rajah was embroiled in another plagiarism scandal after he claimed that he had co-developed a special technique from ostrich leather fabric with Klein Karoo International.
The fabric led to a dress designed by Rajah winning Most Beautiful Object in South African award at the Design Indaba.
Klein Karoo International’s general manager Charl du Plessis denied co-developing the metallic finish on ostrich leather design with Rajah, claiming he was the one who approached them nine years ago and expressed interest in the work.
The feuding over the fabric escalated when Cape Town designer and fabric shop owner Paul van Zyl laid claim to it.
The Roaring ’20s live on in pop culture as a high-spirited whirl of a decade, full of dancing flappers, dapper gents and an overall air of optimism.
For many modern brides and grooms, it’s the perfect vibe for a wedding.
Baz Luhrmann’s “Great Gatsby” film remake rekindled interest in 1920s style, and on television, even the prim Granthams of “Downton Abbey” have left staid Victoriana for high-spirited dance clubs — or at least Cousin Rose has.
Think creamy linens, lawn parties, Jazz Age music. Champagne coupes, gilded details, and Old Hollywood hair and makeup. Dancing.
“The sophisticated beauty and elegance of the period is the perfect inspiration for a wedding. The theme allows couples to honor the past and bring this lively age to life in a creative and bold way,” says Marsha Hunt, co-owner with Bridget Connell of Haute Flower Boutique in Minneapolis.
They have incorporated elements of the era into wedding receptions both contemporary and traditional, she said.
The goal is to find “that happy medium between being completely poised but also letting loose,” says Shira Savada, Real Weddings Editor at Martha Stewart Weddings.
Brides might follow the lead of model Kate Moss, who wed musician Jamie Hince in July 2011. Moss asked her friend John Galliano to make her a vintage-style wedding dress, and the designer used Zelda Fitzgerald as inspiration. The cream-colored, bias-cut gown featured an Art Deco motif along the bottom, and was embroidered with gold, spangled with gold paillettes.
Gowns of the ’20s featured sequins, fringes and other embellishments, but the cut was usually simple. Dropped waists and low backs defined the formal silhouette. Necklines weren’t overworked, and most dresses were either sleeveless or given a little lacey cap sleeve, evoking the look of a slip dress, whether full or tea length.
If you’re having a dress made, don’t go for bright white, Savada says. Keep it within the vintage aesthetic — vanilla, ivory, or the palest of pink, canary or blush.
Jeweled headpieces, perhaps with lace, more sequins, rhinestones or feathers, might take the place of a veil, although Savada suggests brides can do both. “Pairing a bejeweled headband with a veil is a timeless but nostalgic look.”
Check the crafts website Etsy.com for handmade headpieces and bands. Satin or soft gold or silver slippers, or peep-toed pumps, finish the ensemble.
Source dresses on Ebay, where silk, pearl and lace-trimmed originals go for as low as $75. Find lots of reproductions of gowns and flapper dresses here too, great for bridesmaids.
Online, Brides magazine has a slideshow of inspiration, with dresses by Jenny Packham, Nicole Miller, Monique Lhuillier and others. Many bridal retailers have good selections of vintage-inspired dresses.
Grooms and groomsmen might look at three-piece suits in linen or light-colored wool for summer; for a more casual affair, consider a striped blazer, even a boater style hat, and suspenders. For winter, navy or charcoal-gray wool, or a tuxedo. Bow ties bring the look home, although a necktie in a prep-school pattern would also fit the style.
And if gentlemen want to take things one step further, add a pair of two-toned brogues, light-colored oxfords, or patent-leather formal wingtips for the tuxedo.
Setting the stage
Invitations can set the tone with a vintage font — Park Lane, Gatsby, Nite Club and Atlas Regular, among others — and Art Deco details. Use the same typography for table cards and other signage in the reception space. Create your own, or employ a designer.
Suggest that guests also come dressed in Roaring ’20s style.
For a summer wedding, a venue with big gardens and open space works well for an elegant, Gatsby-esque lawn party. Linens, strung lighting and blankets on the grass provide an easy, relaxed background in which guests can feel comfortable, while you add as much luxury as you like with other elements, such as food, drinks and live music.
Croquet was the game of the moment back then, but other old-fashioned lawn games like badminton or bocce could amuse both younger and older guests.
For an indoor wedding, decorate with vintage suitcases, globes, gramophones and cameras.
Savada recommends touches like embroidered handkerchiefs; engraved silver pieces, such as lighters and tie clips; and those remarkable cars.
“They basically cry out to be incorporated into someone’s Roaring ’20-style celebration,” she says.
Hunt and Connell suggest a pleasing palette of blush, peach and ivory, with silver and bronze metallics. Add touches of bling with easy, shimmery materials like charmeuse and voile, gilt-encrusted ribbons, pearls and beading. Glossy black accents add drama.
They also suggest silver-spangled mesh table covers, and candelabra dripping with pearl strands. You could scrounge flea markets for inexpensive brooches and necklaces to trim napkins and cutlery. Lacy tablecloths are easy to find in antique stores. And peacock and ostrich feathers add flourish to floral displays.
Pin vintage family wedding photos on ribbons, clothesline-style, or decorate buffet tables with photos of old-time stars such as Douglas Fairbanks, Clara Bow, Buster Keaton, Rudolf Valentino and Greta Garbo.
Designer and illustrator Kris Shoemaker of Vancouver, British Columbia, creates paper embellishments and cake toppers for vintage-style weddings, especially sparkly stars, moons and figures of romantic couples made of high-quality paper and trimmed with vintage German glass glitter and luxe ribbons.
“I’ve always been drawn to the elaborate Art Deco illustrations of Erte and Georges Barbier,” she says. “I was initially inspired by the song ’Say It’s Only A Paper Moon,’ ‘The Great Gatsby,’ and the dream-like photographs taken in the 1920s of couples posing on giant cardboard moons and stars.”
The party
Compiling a playlist from the era will get everyone in the mood. If it’s within your budget, hire a jazz band with a singer. Use an old-fashioned microphone for speeches.
To get the dancing started, enlist a few friends to show off some simple 1920s moves like the Charleston and the Baltimore Buzz; how-to videos are online.
Serve swanky beverages popular during Prohibition, like gin rickeys, mint juleps and champagne cocktails. A champagne fountain has the right Gatsby-esque vibe.
On the sweets table, offer petits fours and cakes embellished with Art Deco designs and edible gold leaf, on vintage silver serveware.
Consider setting up a black-and-white photo booth with props including feather boas, long necklaces, straw boaters and newsboy caps. Silent films projected on a wall might provide additional atmosphere.
Favors could include souvenir champagne glasses, silver cocktail sticks, mini flasks for the fellows, and stretchy beaded headbands or bead strands for the ladies.
Instead of a standard guest book, set up a vintage typewriter and a stack of paper so that well-wishers can type up messages for the bride and groom.
Wind the festivities down, perhaps, with a final flourish of metal foil confetti, a la Luhrmann’s “Great Gatsby” revelries.
Entering the competitive and unpredictable world of fashion was a natural corollary for Mumbai-based designer Shehla Khan. Instead of using her father Sajjid Khan — a sought after name in the fashion firmament whose client list includes Armani and Valentino — to gain instant success, she carved her niche in the world of couture with passion and persistence after gaining practical experience through apprenticeship under ace designer Manish Malhotra.
Launched in 2012, her label goes by the name of Shehlaa Khan. Yes, an extra ‘a’ was added to the label. It gained prominence within a span of two years. Today, the label stands for beautifully cut garments, soft supple fabrics, delicate embroidery and feminine aesthetics. She specialises in beige and green embroidered lehengas, orange sequin and gota lehengas, sea green sequin and embroidered anarkalis, peach gota appliqué kurtas and pink and peach shararas.
The couturier aspires to have a foothold in Mumbai, where actors from the dream factories of Bollywood are her regular clients, as well as in Delhi, where fashion-conscious youngsters don’t mind splurging on a good looking outfit.
On the 20th floor of the city’s Le Meridien, Shehla had a two-day exhibition recently. For prêt, the price ranged from Rs.5,000 to 50,000, while for couture it was Rs.50,000 and above.
However, the pride of place in the exhibition belonged to a meticulously crafted outfit worn by actor Jacqueline Fernandez during the music launch of the Salman Khan-starrer Kick in Mumbai recently.
“I produced an Indo-Western lehenga for Jacqueline. The dress was created keeping in mind that Jacqueline is not an Indian but has a strong sense of style. So I ensured that the dress had a little bit of fun element to it. It was casual, feminine, and flattering colours were used,” said Shehla. She concurs that once a known Bollywood personality endorses one of her designs then it does good business. Already “a number of people have bought the dress endorsed by Jacqueline,” said Shehla excitedly, adding that her clients from tinsel town include top actors like Priyanka Chopra, Sonam Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor Khan and her elder sibling Karishma are her clients from tinsel town.
Apart from the star-endorsed lehenga, other shimmering outfits also vied for attention at the exhibition.
Speaking about her father, she said, “He is in the embroidery business and does work for Armani and Valentino.”
I feel as if we’ve been seeing Eva Mendes’ name in the news a lot lately, huh? And while we’d love to hate her (since she stole our man and all), these headlines have served as a timely reminder to pay respect where respect is due.
Granted, Eva’s been keeping her red carpet appearances to a minimum this year (cough, cough), but that doesn’t take anything away from the fact that she’s a style star. The actress and moonlighting fashion designer exudes old-Hollywood glam in the vein of cinema legends like Gina Lollobrigida and Sophia Loren. She manages to be sexy and seductive while staying completely, 100 percent elegant (read classy) the entire time. And even better, Eva is more than happy to make her signature style accessible to the rest of the world with her high-street design collaboration with New York & Co. I can see why a certain someone likes her so much. So in honor of everything, Eva Mendes must be honored with the Glamour Style Icon of the Week title. Let’s take a look:
At the 2010 Met Gala, Eva channeled Italian cinema glam in a strapless floral Dolce & Gabbana mermaid gown. Bow down.
This sexy made-for-a-movie-star gown has a very interesting story. Eva chose the fringey, shimmery AtelierVersace confection for the opening ceremony for the Rome International Film Festival in 2010. But because of worker protests, the red carpet was canceled—although Eva did hit an after-party in the dress. Since she reallyneeded to give this sublime gown its much-deserved moment in the paparazzi spotlight, Eva wore it again at a movie premiere. At the same Rome Film Festival. Now who’s the champion repeater, Kate Middleton?
Hey, you don’t wear just any old LBD to a Vanity Fair Oscars party. Eva chose this tulle and sheer-paneled-in-all-the-right-places frock by Donna Karan.
I die for this fall 2012 Dolce & Gabbana embroidered lace overlay dress that Eva wore at the Toronto Film Festival that year. Extra points for donning a Liz Taylor-esque turban as a statement accessory and totally pulling it off.
For a slight change of pace, Eva opted for a bright and, dare I say, girly color palette but stuck to a classic feminine silhouette with lace detail in this Valentino frock.
For the after-party of the New York City premiere of The Place Beyond the Pines (you know, that movie she was in with that actor named Ryan Gosling), Eva nailed ’50s-inspired glam in a rust-hue Prada dress with a bejeweled butterfly-and-flower-adorned belt. So classic.
In one of her rare appearances this year at a Violet Grey dinner, Eva opted for a lively ’60s-esque polka-dot shift dress and color-blocked platforms. The bow accent is adorable, and the boxy silhouette is a change of pace. Orclue, maybe?
Eva’s last official appearance this year was, of course, to promote her line with New York & Co. She was obviously her best advertising in a figure-flattering floral fit-and-flare dress and matching mint green pumps and an M2Malletier bag—which seemed to be strategically placed. But then if you refer back to the first pic above, that might just be how she likes to hold her purse.
Heavily pregnant but determined not to miss the wedding, Lucy grinned through the painful contractions as she took part in her sister Emma Rotherham’s ceremony, posed for pictures and even made it through most of the reception.
It was only when the contractions became too much to handle that she finally let on what had been happening all day and was rushed to hospital where she gave birth to a baby girl.
Brave Lucy, 29, said: “I wanted to watch my sister say ‘I do’ and didn’t want to steal the limelight by giving birth.
“My due date was a week before the wedding so we always knew it was going to be close but I never imagined I’d go into labour while walking down the aisle.
“I don’t know how I made it through the ceremony, I was in agony.”
The ceremony was held in front of 100 guests at Sacred Heart Church in Doncaster and the reception was at Wandsworth Hotel at the Holiday Inn.
Lucy added: “Baby Izzy nearly upstaged the bride, but I had made a promise to my sister that I’d be there no matter what.”
Primary school teacher Lucy and her husband David, 29, from Bradford, Yorkshire, found out she was three weeks pregnant in August last year and her due date was April 19 this year – just one week before 26-year-old Emma’s big day.
“We joked about how we were cutting it a bit fine but we foolishly thought everything would be fine,” said Lucy.
“As it got closer to Emma’s wedding, the panic started to set in.
“She’d had to order me a maternity bridesmaid dress and because I was chief bridesmaid, I didn’t want to be waddling down the aisle with my bump.”
As the wedding day approached she tried every trick in the book to make her baby come quicker – but the hot curries and acupuncture didn’t work.
Her due date came and went and on the morning of her sister’s wedding, Lucy was woken up at 2am by painful contractions – a week overdue.
She said: “I could not believe how bad the timing was but I was willing to put on a brave face so my sister’s big day wasn’t ruined.
“I was in such agony, I just kept praying my waters wouldn’t break before they exchanged their vows.”
Brave Lucy managed to hold on until after the ceremony, and even posed for pictures outside the church with Emma and her husband Dan Bowker, 27.
She said: “I was halfway through my first mouthful of food at the reception when the contractions got deeper and longer.
“I was struggling to breathe and thought my waters were going to break.”
Her mother drover her to Doncaster Royal Infirmary and Izzy – now nine weeks old – was born 13 hours later on April 27 after a long and drawn-out labour.
Bride Emma, a hotel team leader, said: “This was only ever going to be a double celebration not something that would be taking shine away from the wedding.”
