“The fabrics and the cuts we wear tell us about our society” – Amanda Cherry
A pleated cuff shudders under the folded forms of flesh. The iconic white shirt – elongated and extended. Facilitating a gentle ease of motion while still maintaining architectural line and form. Languid limbs and leafy tendrils lie juxtaposed to an urban interior. Horizontal reflections distort and duplicate. Perpendicular lines intersect, simultaneously concealing and revealing the bodies beneath. Amanda Cherry’s menswear line, ALC and adjacent ladieswear collection, Amanda Laird Cherry, are caught in the tender balance, structure and organic flow.
Amanda’s work as a designer is located within an inherent love and admiration of her home – South Africa. Steeped in a context of multi-culturalism, she draws on and is influenced by its diversity. This is extended on a global level – fusing local design with a Japanese influence.
“Support local for strategic sustainability.” This sentiment is at the crux of her practice. Amanda has, and continues to foster relationships with local crafters, focusing on developing skills in a collaborative process. All the designers supplying The Space are required to produce their work within the borders of the country.
Twenty years ago, in February of 1996, Amanda Laird Cherry opened its doors. Initially supplying to boutiques scattered around South Africa and the Durban Designer Emporium it now boasts a global reach.
Amanda’s latest Spring/Summer 2016 collection pays homage to this impressive feat and the coastal city from which it was birthed. Facets of Durban’s character were incorporated in the design – from mid-century man-made architecture to the hypnotism of undulating waves and graphic Zulu prints.
To celebrate two decades in the fashion industry she held a retrospective show of curated works. Ramp collections from ALC and Amanda Laird Cherry were displayed at the Durban Art Gallery. In this reflective show, Amanda returned to the heart of the city in which she and her brand began. Rooted in seminal narratives – capturing threads of South African culture. A commemorative full-circle.
SS16 Collection – Photography by Roger Jardine
SS16 Collection – Photography by Roger Jardine
SS16 Collection – Photography by Roger Jardine
SS16 Collection – Photography by Roger Jardine