PARIS, Jan 24, 2007/ FW/ --- Gavin Rajah has started his own fashion house ten years ago and he is, no doubt, the leader of South African designers, having founded, among other achievements, the Capetown Fashion Week.

Although he is living in South Africa, his name alone tells it all about his Indian origins and the collection he showed yesterday clearly asserted his belonging to both cultures and his being first a world citizen.

Printed leggings, although seen elsewhere in previous seasons were here very carefully embellished with textured prints and present on many looks with short dresses.

Rajah likes colours, they give his pieces a unique energy and the South African designer likes to play with nuances of the same shades or to contrast them equally. He is tentative with his colour matching and pairing and sometimes manages to create good new balances, although one must admit that some of his mixtures are sometimes more hazardous.

Indian roots, you said? We might well take lessons from a man originally coming from a country which celebrates yearly a festival of colours and residing now in another where the Zulus have been famous for their coloured traditional and yet innovative patterns.

As far as shapes are concerned his designs did not really bring any kind of novelty, but after all, why being new just for the sake of it? Gavin Rajah probably prefers to see his garments worn than in a museum and he works for women who like to dress elegantly and yet casually.

Some of the accessories were really quite bright achievements like this big brooch with a bright pink rose and green leaves made of rhinestone on a base of silver which embellished a white pleated mantel of linen with a shiny induction, certainly the most couture piece on this runway!

Many looks in his collection could be worth describing in detail, even if Paris could well, season after season, teach Gavin Rajah a lesson or two on his way to further excellence and refinement. Rajah might just learn it fast in the near future. He has the key to this: he is a generous, sharing person, who creates good vibes and celebrates life, as shown in the bow he took yesterday together with an Asian model, as both of them were holding a baby in their arms!

Gavin Rajah

Gavin Rajah

Gavin Rajah

Gavin Rajah