The Gert-Johan Coetzee Kraal Couture launch event

“If you want magic, let go of your armour. Magic is so much stronger than steel.” Gert-Johan Coetzee is one of South Africa’s most celebrated Designers; and for this African icon, just like for most people, 2020 is a year that he will never forget. Celebrating ten years in the industry, it’s been a year of hardship, but also a wonderful opportunity for self-discovery. One of the most important realisations Gert has made, is the need to acknowledge where we come from; paired with the ability to shed the armour we have built, in order to become our authentic selves, and contribute to improving our world. Having built up armour over time, in order to protect ourselves from the harsh elements of our environment, we lose sight of who we are, forgetting what is important when it comes to people and the planet. For Gert, the time has come to let go of the armour, embrace authenticity, vulnerability and truth, and the pieces in his Spring/Summer 2021 Collection are symbolic of this mindset and movement. For centuries, the cow has been a significant symbol to South Africans, both culturally and spiritually; and the indigenous Nguni cows in particular, are considered to be the most beautiful, with their patterned hides. Gert’s latest Collection is a juxtaposition of the softness of the Nguni cow print, representative of truth and freedom, with the stark construction of tulle, symbolic of the armour that needs to be shed, in order to embrace ourselves. The Spring/Summer 2021 Collec