Mid-winter in Mzansi demands gear that actually moves with you. ARTELIER’s latest drop is built for exactly that.
We are officially midway through winter in Mzansi, and if there is one thing we know about this time of year, it is that navigating our cities requires strategy. The morning biting cold shifts into midday high-altitude sun, only to drop back into freezing temperatures the moment the sun dips below the horizon. You cannot just wear clothes; you have to navigate in them. Enter ARTELIER’s A/W’26 collection, “Tactical Terrain”.
At its core, this collection is an exploration of movement, environment, and adaptive design. It occupies that highly coveted, tense space between raw utility and high-design expression, perfectly suited for anyone currently commuting, creating, and moving through shifting South African landscapes. We managed to catch up with Founder and Creative Director, a menswear Designer who is intrigued by the ideal modern man’s take on style, Dineo Ramathwala to get more scope on the drop for this season:
10and5: “Tactical Terrain” feels deeply relevant to how we navigate Mzansi’s cities during the colder months. How did the unique energy and rapid environmental shifts of South African winters inspire the adaptability of this collection?
Dineo Ramothwala: The colder months in Johannesburg have become drastically unpredictable, with the coldest days, it would be an understatement to say we are being affected by Global Warming. This collection reflects what that looks like…Sets & Designs that shift with the terrain and adapt as you maneuver. This collection brings all the layers necessary for such a weather wardrobe.
City vs. Terrain: Built for Shifting Landscapes
While standard winter collections focus on static warmth, “Tactical Terrain” reinterprets functional clothing through a technical and highly intentional design language. Instead of bulky, restrictive outerwear, structured silhouettes are layered with modular elements. Engineered fabrics and protective detailing mean these pieces exist comfortably in transition, whether you are walking the streets of Braamfontein or heading out of the city. What makes this collection particularly fresh is its focus on material evolution. ARTELIER’s commitment to garments that are lived-in is reflected in treated textiles, reinforced constructions, and tactile finishes designed to show the beautiful marks of wear and tear over time. This is not fast fashion; these are garments meant to carry the stories of your winter.
10and5: Knitwear is a massive winter staple, and this season you’ve woven the signature “A” monogram into the knit patterns. What was the creative process behind translating your brand identity into tactile,
graphic knitwear?
Dineo Ramothwala: Very exciting. One of the elements we’ve embedded in ARTELIER’s brand identity from inception is the ability to be translated into different languages. What was key for us when designing the first-ever ARTELIER Knitwear line was Silhouette, Color palette & finishes. It’s contemporary knitwear with exaggerated-monogram-print scarves to complement highly elevated winter looks.
The Monogram & The Hardware
This season also marks a major identity milestone: the introduction of ARTELIER’s monogram into knitwear. The brand’s signature “A” is translated into a graphic, repeat pattern that anchors the heavy-gauge knits, offering a striking visual rhythm to contrast the technical, utilitarian outerwear.
10and5: The collection is built around treated textiles and modular designs that are meant to change and “evolve over time” with the wearer. How does this fit into ARTELIER’s broader philosophy of longevity and sustainable streetwear?
Dineo Ramothwala: It is all in consideration of the product’s life cycle. Through fabric selections, hardware usage, as well as pattern making, our aim is to create products that have a sustainable life span and will eventually be passed down to the next generation, and that has always been my favourite part – I see it as time travelling. Circular design is concentrated on the future past and the past becomes material for building tomorrow. It’s not nostalgia; it’s reprogramming history.
To complete the looks, the brand’s narrative extends into its accessories line. A series of highly functional bags elevated with industrial hardware, including quick-release buckles and reinforced fastening systems, prove that utility and refined construction are no longer mutually exclusive.
Check out the latest AW/26 collection online: ARTELIER
IG: artelier_officia
