Trend 2 -Pop D’ Afrique

Referred to as the. Rainbow nation, South Africa is renown for its colourful landscape as well as its colourful people. With such a cross section of cultures and religions, the country is rich in heritage and tradition. This theme has taken inspiration from the bright colours that we see in SA from flora and birdlife, through to art, architecture and design. Just travel to any of the countries city centres, where you will be welcomed by brightly coloured, simplistic advertisements for anything from bunny chows, to hair extensions and airtime.

A trip to the Bo Kaap in Cape Town with its now world famous brightly painted houses, will instantly put anyone in a happy and jovial mood. These houses set a strong contrast to Table Mountain and the beautifully clear blue sky in summer. Not far from this colour extravaganza is …………… Where a host of brightly coloured change rooms sit on the beautiful pale sands looking out across the …..Atlantic ocean. It is not just the fairer Cape that boasts these beautifully painted structures; a drive into Soweto is dominated by the Orlando towers, which have bright and cheerful murals surrounding their otherwise, strong and lifeless concrete mass.

Bold and bright colouring is found through many more local mediums, specifically in the creative industry, from bright Ndebele patterns to contemporary African art all the way through to our hugely talented fashion designers creations which continue to be featured on theInternational stage at many of the worlds greatest fashion weeks around the globe. Even our flag, is one of the most colourful in the world!

We are also seeing a lot of bold colour being introduced into the workspace as we see the dynamics of these spaces change drastically, with the changing dynamics of commerce as well as the emergence of the millennial work force. Retail too, is embracing more bolder and dramatic colours within their interiors, desperately trying to create a new and novel retail experience.

Bright colour is certainly not reserved for a specific genre, the future is bright, embrace it.We are a colourful nation; inspired by bright colour, Pop D’ Afrique is a celebration of this!