For Cape Town-based designer Celeste Lee Arendse, fashion is a way to explore her identity and the complex narratives that ‘colouredness’ throws up in South Africa. Her well-established label Selfi pairs a clean, modern aesthetic with indigenous textiles and inspirations, such as her research into the San and Khoisan People of Southern Africa. “With each collection the brand delves into ways one can heal, nurture or empower the self,” Arendse says.
For AW23, entitled Spirit Body, raw silks, ramie linen, cotton and mohair create pure shapes embroidered with images that conjure up the San trance dance. “I’m looking at how we can become more present within our internal energy as we connect deeper to Mother Earth,” she adds.