PPC Imaginarium Fashion Finalist Star Mieke Vermeulen presents her Neo -Africana Collection

Up-and-coming young fashion designer, Mieke Vermeulen, presented her new Neo-Africana Autumn/Winter 2017 collection at SA Fashion Week as part of the 2016 Sunglass Hut New Talent Search competition. Vermeulen has previously participated in various competitions such as the Elle Rising Star 2013 and was part of the Design Indaba Emerging Creatives programme in 2016. She was also a Finalist in the 2015/2016 PPC Imaginarium Awards in the Fashion Category.

Vermeulen’s latest collection comprises garments that are inspired by traditional South African artisanal techniques and contemporary South African illustrative art. “I am merging the traditional and the contemporary, as well as different cultural cues and design disciplines,” says Vermeulen of her collection. “I wanted to create a fresh, playful South African look that is at the same time relatable and novel.”

The fabric prints include images by renowned South African illustrator, Nina Torr, and a reproduced image of a memorable painting by famed local artist, Jacobus Hendrik Pierneef. Vermeulen incorporated the prints into her collection to support and promote local talent in a direct and practical way, as well as to create a new and definitively South African look-and-feel.

After showing at SA Fashion Week, the designer has since released a further collection of printed active wear that is available for purchase under the label Mieke.

For more information on Vermeulen and her Neo-Africana collection visit her Facebook page at Mieke Vermeulen  To get in touch, contact her via e-mail at mieke.vermeulen@yahoo.com.

For more information on the PPC Imaginarium Awards or to view the digital gallery of all the 2015/2016 finalists’ work, please visit: www.ppcimaginarium.co.za