IT WAS, to put it mildly, "The Night of Obakeng Ramabodu", at the Metro Awards last month. He did a super job putting together the attention-grabbing outfit he created for Tina Dlangwana.
It made it into many newspapers and fashion blogs and the dress is still being subjected to scrutiny by fashion critics.
The critics are divided about it. Some, including yours truly, see the dress as art fit for couture fashion shows and museums - not the red carpet. But arty types feel it belonged on the red carpet. The jury is still out on this one.
Ramabodu believes the dress is one of his best creations yet. He says it is a work of art fit for the ramps and museums.
"I'm an artist. Vintage couture clothing is desired by people who love something unique. When you love art, you love rare items," Ramabodu says.
Ramabodu owns OB Fitted and is in the forefront of vintage couture.
Based in Tshwan, he is one of the most sought-after designers of quirky clothing. His eye for quality vintage clothing goes back to his days as a young student fashion designer at the Dam Business College in Tshwane.
Here, he developed an interest in mixing and matching eras and styles to create inspired and individual looks.
"My love for vintage clothing was born out of a respect for the quality construction, material and design I saw in antique and second-hand stores as a young boy," he says.
From the moment he sewed his first item from vintage material, he wanted to be a "fashionista", he says.
"At 13 I was already obsessed with fashion. I hated looking like everyone else, so I sewed clothes that were uniquely mine. I mixed vintage materials of all eras with modern designer and discount pieces," Ramabodu says.
His break came in 2002 when he met Nhlanhla Nciza through a friend.
"My friend was wearing one of my belts and it caught Nhlanhla's eye. She asked her to introduce us. Nhlanhla introduced Theo and Tebogo to me and I ended up making clothes for them," he says.
"This launched my career. After that I was able to use them as areference. I got a lot of celebrity clients who loved my style and wanted to look different," he says.
In 2007 Ramabodu started his own label. He has dressed Somizi, DJ Tira and Winnie Khumalo among other celebrities. He also helped Nciza's clothing line NN Vintage take off.
He gets his inspiration from early poster art, fashion and typography. He says his goal is to make vintage clothing an option to everyone regardless of personal style, shape or current trends.
"For fashion designers to excel, they need to love crazy things and to think out of the box. I love drama, which shows in my work. I like it when people talk about my clothes. To me that is validation. That I am doing something right," he says.
So why has he not designed for major fashion weeks?
"I will not show on so-called fashion weeks unless they change the way they operate. Designers don't get anything. The media never speak to designers. They only interview celebs who attend the shows.
"Designers who pay thousands of rands for shows get nothing and the same celebrities come back to us for free clothes," Ramabodu says.
He also bemoans the many celebs who start clothing labels "when they know nothing about fashion".
Vintage couture is Ramabodu's choice
IT WAS, to put it mildly, "The Night of Obakeng Ramabodu", at the Metro Awards last month. He did a super job putting together the attention-grabbing outfit he created for Tina Dlangwana.
It made it into many newspapers and fashion blogs and the dress is still being subjected to scrutiny by fashion critics.
The critics are divided about it. Some, including yours truly, see the dress as art fit for couture fashion shows and museums - not the red carpet. But arty types feel it belonged on the red carpet. The jury is still out on this one.
Ramabodu believes the dress is one of his best creations yet. He says it is a work of art fit for the ramps and museums.
"I'm an artist. Vintage couture clothing is desired by people who love something unique. When you love art, you love rare items," Ramabodu says.
Ramabodu owns OB Fitted and is in the forefront of vintage couture.
Based in Tshwan, he is one of the most sought-after designers of quirky clothing. His eye for quality vintage clothing goes back to his days as a young student fashion designer at the Dam Business College in Tshwane.
Here, he developed an interest in mixing and matching eras and styles to create inspired and individual looks.
"My love for vintage clothing was born out of a respect for the quality construction, material and design I saw in antique and second-hand stores as a young boy," he says.
From the moment he sewed his first item from vintage material, he wanted to be a "fashionista", he says.
"At 13 I was already obsessed with fashion. I hated looking like everyone else, so I sewed clothes that were uniquely mine. I mixed vintage materials of all eras with modern designer and discount pieces," Ramabodu says.
His break came in 2002 when he met Nhlanhla Nciza through a friend.
"My friend was wearing one of my belts and it caught Nhlanhla's eye. She asked her to introduce us. Nhlanhla introduced Theo and Tebogo to me and I ended up making clothes for them," he says.
"This launched my career. After that I was able to use them as areference. I got a lot of celebrity clients who loved my style and wanted to look different," he says.
In 2007 Ramabodu started his own label. He has dressed Somizi, DJ Tira and Winnie Khumalo among other celebrities. He also helped Nciza's clothing line NN Vintage take off.
He gets his inspiration from early poster art, fashion and typography. He says his goal is to make vintage clothing an option to everyone regardless of personal style, shape or current trends.
"For fashion designers to excel, they need to love crazy things and to think out of the box. I love drama, which shows in my work. I like it when people talk about my clothes. To me that is validation. That I am doing something right," he says.
So why has he not designed for major fashion weeks?
"I will not show on so-called fashion weeks unless they change the way they operate. Designers don't get anything. The media never speak to designers. They only interview celebs who attend the shows.
"Designers who pay thousands of rands for shows get nothing and the same celebrities come back to us for free clothes," Ramabodu says.
He also bemoans the many celebs who start clothing labels "when they know nothing about fashion".
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