Marianne fassler tretchikoff biography

- By Heather Dugmore

Marianne Fassler is Africa’s Alice in Wonderland. Her fashion garments and home reflect her hypnotic love affair with South Africa and the continent she calls home.

Beads, baubles, electric colours and bright skulls are as comfortable as dogs snoozing in the sun at ‘Leopard Frock’, Fassler’s home and studio in Saxonwold, Johannesburg.

“Welcome,” she says as she leads the way through castle-size doors into the entrance hall where a grinning, beaded yellow skull greets you like a friendly butler as you venture towards the wonderland of African art, sculptures and beadwork that is her lounge.

Skulls have always fascinated artists, and Fassler used the recently discovered hominid skull “Karabo” in her fashion theme for the FIFA World Cup™.

Discreetly imprinted on this series of garments is a tiny hominid skull. “It was to show the origins of the world coming back to Africa