MERCEDES-BENZ SA SUPPORT

Long-time Business and Arts South Africa member steps up commitment to rewarding local creative talents.

2009 has seen long-time Business and Arts South Africa member, Mercedes-Benz South Africa, step up its commitment to rewarding local creative talents. This has taken the form of multi-platform support for winners and finalists in the Mercedes Benz Award for South Africa Art and Culture 2009, which this year was given in the field of fashion design and awarded to Jacques van der Watt and Daniça Lepen from South African label Black Coffee.

MBSA has held an annual arts and culture award since 2000. Each year the company has supported a different art discipline for its award, recognising artists within the fields of contemporary art, jazz, sculpture, choreography, creative photography, poetry, architecture, and ‘art projects in public spaces’.

Speaking at the award evening in January 2009, Mercedes-Benz South Africa executive director for Corporate Affairs, Lulu Letlape said the duo had been chosen as winners “because their collection represented a perfect fusion of considered past and future, translating into a modern South Africa”. “Their collection signalled a new face of modern South Africa, one of incredible pride, dignity and confidence. This team’s design vision transcends the obvious and manages to manifest a message of community and unity.”

The support of Mercedes-Benz South Africa during 2009 means that a wide audience has been exposed to Black Coffee’s “modern South African” collection. One of these came in July when came when Black Coffee was invited to take part in the prestigious Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Berlin Spring/Summer 2010. The label joined more than 30 labels including Anja Gockel, BOSS Orange, CUSTO Barcelona, Deanoor, Escada Vintage, GANT, Lena Hoschek and Patrick Mohr at the event.

Black Coffee also participated in another activity around the Berlin Fashion Week Spring/Summer event: Their collection formed part of an exclusive exhibition which opened in March at Haus Huth Contemporary in Berlin. The award’s finalists, Abigail Betz, Stiaan Louw, Themba Mngomezulu for Darkie Clothing, Palesa Mokubung for Mantsho, Craig Native, Maya Prass and David Tlale, also participated in the exhibition and activities around the Berlin Fashion Week. Black Coffee’s winning design was created specifically for an exhibition format, not a catwalk show, which, as Daniça Lepen explained, “was a huge consideration in the design process. The garments are almost sculptural and the figures grouped together suggest a tribal gathering.”

The final exhibition of the 2009 Mercedes-Benz Award for South African Fashion Design (clothing) took place at Mercedes-Benz Century City in Cape Town in October, giving the South African public the chance to see the creations of Black Coffee, as well as the other finalists, for themselves.

Dr Hansgeorg Niefer, President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz South Africa, hit the nail on the head at the exhibition’s opening late October when he said, “It is not hard to see the link between art, fashion and cars. All three demand a high degree of craftsmanship, talent and design. And all three capture our emotions in a remarkable way.”

This is the ninth award by MBSA in their series of Art Awards in different genrés. The Fashion Design (clothing) award was bounded by the theme, ‘Modern South Africa’.

Says Letlape, executive director for corporate affairs at Mercedes-Benz South Africa, “MBSA’s philosophy behind this award is that it must have substance and provide the winner with growth, and opportunity. That is why this award goes further than prize money and an accolade on a CV. The winners receive a full year’s exposure, through special promotions locally and internationally.

“The aim of the prize is to offer support to young, talented and innovative artists, as well as to raise their profile. South African artists are an asset to the country, especially when they are travelling overseas, as they represent the country and act as ambassadors. It is our belief that they be supported to develop their full potential - as artists and ambassadors.”