Adriaan Kuiters unveiled not only a new collection at the recent Mercedes Benz fashion week in Cape Town, it seemed he (Keith Henning) also revealed an all new label. Formerly a definite retail label, there has been a shift to experiment with a more high-end aesthetic in mind. Firstly just look at the location (Iziko National Gallery), if these images don’t strike you as Paris or Milan menswear then I don’t know what does.
Next, look at the length and fit of his garments. Longer cuts in both the sleeve and the body of the shirting and more formal tee’s. A definite nod in the direction of Givenchy, which appears to have been a major influence. Keith Henning includes a few of these altered details (the layering style, for one) but delivers the collection in a more clean and neutral direction, and certainly roomier. While I am very glad to see this change (I felt like he still needed to find his own aesthetic before) it is a mere hint of what he’s capable of. This is a good thing. Kuiters is already pegged as a designer to watch but I’d like to see him delving more into his own aesthetic and moving away from the Parisian influence. That said he was smart with this collection because it is simplistic enough for him to expand on later. Keith Henning also brought his ladieswear to life for the first time under the Kuiters name and I was impressed by that too; neither sexes are easy to design for and he managed a clean and successful collection for both. Good job.
IMAGE SOURCE: SDR PHOTO