An elegantly dressed man who barely goes unnoticed when he enters a room, Lourens Loux Gebhardt could easily be confused for a Sapeur. Perhaps we can call him Namibia’s very own gentleman of fashion. His authenticity definitely puts him in a league of his own.
This year, Gebhardt is finally giving fashion lovers a chance to own a bit of the splendour that is his fashion prowess as he debuts his first collection as a designer at the first ever Retro Vintage Fashion Collection Week (RVK) in Tshwane, South Africa.
The fashion show, initially called the Tshwane Fashion Show, had a name change and brings designers from all over Africa to showcase their work.
The event takes place from 28 February to 2 March, and Gebhardt will be the only Namibian representative.
Having been interested in fashion and styling from a very young age, Gebhardt decided to venture into fashion design last year only.
This was after he met young designers at the University of Johannesburg who inspired him to start making his own clothes.
“Seeing how they made their own clothes made me think ‘if they can do it, why can’t I?’,” said Gebhardt.
This prompted him to create his very first outfit from scratch, which he wore to last years’ Namibian Music Awards (NAMAs).
His designs are not limited to menswear, he says, as he also designs for women and children. He has not stopped styling though, and says that he still mainly sources his fashion pieces from his visits to fashion shows and events in Tshwane or Johannesburg. He also gets some unique pieces in Namibia, especially in the northern regions of the country. “I love buying vintage clothing and tweaking it here and there for a more modern look, which I like to call sophisticated punk,” he said.
Fans of Gebhardt’s work can expect to see his creations on Namibian catwalks soon as he is planning a winter fashion show.
Before that, though, he has to make sure he does a brilliant job for the RVK Fashion Week.
“I have been working very hard as this will be my very first showing which will be on an international platform. I go to sleep every day at 02h00 because I want to show people exactly what I have to offer,” he enthused.
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