Snooping around Cari Stephenson's Observatory studio on Friday was a pretty high-adrenaline experience. Cari is showing her label, Tart, at Arise Cape Town Fashion Week as part of the exciting first day of new and emerging talent — and this is less than three weeks away.

It is her second year of shows but this time around she is determined to pack a punch, so she is stepping things up. Because she knows that fashion week is critical to her commercial success and development.

In a year when many designers around the globe have opted out of fashion weeks and are looking for new marketing opportunities that are perceived to be more cost-effective, Cari is putting her eggs very firmly in the traditional basket. And she has good reason to, as she saw her business take a step-change following her first show in Cape Town last year — this despite not getting a significant amount of attention from the fashion journalists and fashionistas.

Readymade, simple, wearable

You see Tart is a label that is somewhat overlooked by those who love the intrigue of the conceptual and the drama of the ball gown. Tart produces production-ready, simple, wearable, and (dare I say) comfortable jersey knit pieces for women who lead fun, active, independent lives. They are pieces that move with you and have all sorts of built in benefits that exist because they are designed by the woman who embodies the brand.

The Tart woman is very clearly defined and every single piece of a collection fits together in her wardrobe. The label doesn't veer off-course into frippery or whimsy. There are no design flourishes. And it is because of all this practicality and simplicity that several noses have been turned up and her collections have been dismissed by some as 'not fashion'. A view possibly substantiated in their minds with the knowledge that Cari has not been professionally trained.

I remember clearly listening to this notion put forward after her winter collection showed at Audi Joburg Fashion Week in January. And I remember being pretty aghast at the arrogance and limitations of this type of thinking.

My mind went immediately to some of my favourite designers to wear like Diane von Furstenburg and Issa. Both of whom are grown up, established versions of exactly this type of design approach.

Confidence-building garments

When every garment has pockets secreted away (something DvF has only recently started doing), and a one-shoulder maxi dress has a built in bra support, you understand that the flourishes lie beneath the surface, and exist to make the wearing of the garment an easy and confidence-building experience.

When the complexity lies in the fabric and the cut, to ensure the most flattering drape and fit, then you realise that sometimes complexity can be wasted on the outside.

Of course, a collection of simple jersey pieces can become a little boring over time and to truly demonstrate an understanding of fashion, continual growth and evolution is necessary for a label. And that is exactly what Cari hoping to show this year at Arise Cape Town Fashion Week.

The first thing that I noticed at the studio last week was the amount of colour there was lying around. Bearing in mind that the significant majority of last summer and winter collections was executed in black and charcoal, with small pops of pink/orange print (last summer) and cobalt (winter), this was pretty surprising.

The colour evolution

Cari talked me through the colour evolution that she hopes will speak of a sunrise to sunset holiday experience — a holiday that includes everything from days on the beach through to disco dancing when the days grow dark.

To do this, she has made dramatic use of a colour story that is juicy citrus and sea in palette. It is all about the use of block colour and the blend of jersey pieces with silk pieces — all still easy to wear and relaxed in attitude.

Her influences have come from vintage Halston (expect jumpsuits and one-shoulder silk maxi dresses in her signature simple shapes) as well as packing for a holiday in Morocco.

Every piece in the collection has a place, all beautifully rolled up, in the modern woman's summer suitcase, with gaps all cleverly filled through Cari's own experience while on holiday.

Although the silhouettes and design ethos remains consistent, Cari is taking a bit risk in her colour departure. As she says, "there is an art to using colour".

"You can aim for Paul Smith but hit high street very easily by mistake, so I have to be vigilant and get it right.

"I want to talk to my clients in an optimistic voice with vibrancy and excitement about the next year in South Africa. I also want to make sure that they will always get good value for money and joy from wearing my pieces."

This is a lot to ask for, but Cari has been doing her homework and is utterly dedicated to her craft. While never losing sight of her label's origins in easy fit, classic t-shirts (much like Alexander Wang), Cari's commitment to her growth and development is admirable.

I'm personally looking forward to her show on Thursday 20th August at the Cape Town International Convention Centre — tickets available from Computicket.

For more information on Robyn and other stories of designers and fashion weeks, go to: http://styleguidecapetown.blogspot.com