StrangeLove won the war and the runway

When Tropika entered the fashion arena last year in the loudest, most iconoclastic way yet, they did so with “StyleWars”, a competition which had eight of South Africa's hottest, on-trend designers compete in a style battle, reminiscent of hip-hop battling.

The Tropika@Play StyleWars competition which ruled the centre runway at last year's Sanlam SA Fashion Week for two days, found their fashion conqueror in StrangeLove - it was a match made for fashion mischief. The prize was an all-expense trip to Paris and NY Fashion Weeks, to see how the West are playing the seasons, and then back to South African shores to design the very first Tropika@Play beach to club wear range.

Tropika Brand Manager Asheen Dayal said, “What could be more Tropika than a range of beach club wear, created by artists on the cutting-edge? The Tropika@Play range is a natural progression for Tropika, a brand that is synonymous with irreverent fun, sun and play.”

StrangeLove, which recently came under the sole control of Carlo Gibson, has always been an avante-garde showman brand. With Tropika@Play the opportunity to work to their full playfulness is set to be realised. Carlo Gibson says, “Expect the crazy but ultimately wearable, using the recessionary style that comes from your sunvisor turning into an evening bag.”