SA Menswear Returns for Autumn/Winter 23

Apr 10, 2023 | Fashion, Community

Fashion week’s are officially, and for real, back in action. I know, last year we had them too; but something about 2023 has been feeling as if the pandemic never happened. What a strange and surreal time that was; and also a time that a lot of creatives and designers, got their proverbial sh*t together, to focus or conquer their dreams. SA Menswear Week has been a mainstay of the fashion scene in Cape Town for a number of years, founded and led by the multi-talented and deeply passionate Simon Deiner. It is rare, but truly South African, that Simon is both the creative director of the SA Menswear brand, as well as its in-house, runway photographer; Simon’s image library is a profound archive of its history, alongside other shows that happen throughout the year. I often talk about the ‘emergence’ of our fashion industry – but while it’s young, and quite small, it is no less powerful, and continues to reflect the commitment of industry roleplayers to forging South Africa as a leading design fulcrum on the continent. Now taking placing at Wonderland Studios, this bi-annual event is ‘menswear’ focused and makes the case for the improvement and proliferation of menswear in South Africa, however – it has no rules about the showcasing of womensear, with many designers using the opportunity to showcase both aspects of their label’s offering. This freedom allows Cape Town based designers to show on their doorstep, unconstrained, with other designers joining from around the country and region to showcase, too. 

It’s always a tough task to whittle down who we should cover; as everyone’s effort and vision is worthy. Highlighting a few of our favourites, in no particular order, hopefully offers a broad picture of what the Saturday’s offering at SA Menswear AW23 was like – remember, nothing beats a runway in real time.

/// Nao Serati 

When we saw the AW23 schedule, Nao Serati’s name caught our attention immediately; it’s no secret that we are major fans (huge). Neo Serati Mofammere, the genius behind the label, does not work along seasonal schedules or calendars; rather, his collections arise precisely when they need to – so, it was a real treat that this aligned with a runway showcase at SA Menswear Week. Neo is a master of tailoring and has been behind some of the most iconic constructions of leather that we have seen in South African design in recent years – read our conversation with him here, to learn more of his process. This season’s collection was introduced by the label in the following words, “inspired by the black punk culture, our a/w 23 collection looks at the black male experience using fabric resembling skin and the muscular structure of the male body. Tearing down the construct of hard punk and using it gently and softly with the use of hard & soft leather to engage in how the male body is made to build but also broken down by societal disdain.” The result – the most beautiful tawny, russert brown leather made their way down the runway, expertly rendered in an array of silhouettes and shapes that suffice to say, were MOMENTS. One thing about Nao Serati – the brand is going to make you feel alive when it comes to construction and tailoring. In its softness, and celebration of the male form, one look featured a cropped top stating ‘SAVE UGANDA’, in reference to recent passing of Uganda’s anti-gay bill. Nao Serati continues to demonstrate both the fantasy of fashion, and the reality of how identity can and should be celebrated; with gentle activism, and a commitment to expression.

/// Xolani Mawande

Xolani Mawande is a self-taught designer with a growing repertoire as someone firmly committed to showcasing the softness and elegance of both men and women. This season saw the infamous polka-dots as the blueprint for Xolani’s AW23 collection; acrossing a variety of shades, and in the context of both men’s and womensear. The construction of the pieces offered a soft melody of bows and panels, instilling a classic sensibility of dressing, contrasted against the loud and proud fabrications. We simply loved the model who walked out, pregnant belly bare, showcasing the chic-ness and charisma of being a life-giving and creating woman. That’s power.

/// Masa Mara

If you don’t know Eli Gold AKA Nyambo Masamara’s story, I recommend reading this amazing deep dive by Kathy Berman. Nyambo’s story encompasses in so many ways, the trials and triumphs of being African without borders – he is Rwandan-born, and travelled solo as a thirteen year old kid, to South Africa to be with his brother. Now, he is an artist, and the designer behind Masa Mara – one of the most culturally influential issues of African sartorial consciousness in recent years. With Nyambo, you know it’s always going to be deep and utterly, utterly beautiful, so when model Jency inaugurated the show, titled ‘Urumuri (Light)’, with a ceremonial dance; we knew we were watching a show that holds within it the truth and power of being African. Innately spiritual and deeply moving, the garments that followed articulated all manner of kaleidoscopic frenzy – draped, darted and constructed in contrasts and hues that only Masamara can do. With Nyambo’s signature ‘horns’ (referencing his own hair, and a code of the brand) forming headdresses on some models; this was a study in the importance of holding a runway show as a performance for one’s community. Outstanding.

/// INFLUHKS 

INFLUHKS is the streetwear strong-hold of Cape Town, with founder Samson Ajibade a fast-track OG of Africa fashion. He owns and runs the INFUHKS store, which houses a variety of brands, while designing his own label Lazy Stacks. This season, he also showed under the INFLUHKS moniker – with a concise call to action embroidered on one of the garments, ‘SUPPORT LOCAL BRANDS’. If you know Sam and the INFLUHKS story, you’ll know his unwavering commitment to local production, so much so that he has extended the store to feature an in-house production component, with much of what is sold in the store being manufactured and designed on-site. Talk about circularity.  This season, AW23 saw streetwear-style graphics and colours, with a kid-next-door mood – and the padded, quilted showstopping jumpsuit was a serious vibe. Sam, and the brands within his sphere, were the entire subject of our retrospect last year – and they just keep going.

/// Nguni Shades 

Durban-based design duo Nosipho Diko and Shaun Dugen-Majola offered up a full menswear collection focused primarily around denim. With some incredibly constructed jackets, the masculinity of this show rang true to SA Menswear’s original purpose; showcasing the sartorial possibilities for menswear. What makes this collection stand-out to us is the commercial viability of it; the quiet power of envisioning each piece holding its own on a rack or rail in a store, or in a variety of people’s wardrobes. In essence, this brought us back to a big point of fashion week showcases – to equip designers with a space to showcase their talent, but also to network them with an industry that can assist in keeping the business of fashion moving forward in South Africa. Nguni Shades exemplified the importance of statement AND staple pieces, so that local fashion can become an integrated mainstay of everyday living.

/// Flux

Flux Luxury forms part of the INFLUHKS family. With their debut last year at SA Menswear Week, they were back this season with a new and equal focus on womenswear. We love that many of the streetwear brands see no delineation between the importance of men and women in streetwear – which historically has been a masculine stronghold. With a dip into ‘80s retro visions (that purple jumpsuit!) & THAT black, short coat – Flux came through with the styling that set a mood and tone seemingly felt by the entire Influhks family – retro, illustrative and playful vibes for autumn and winter, and possibly all year around.

Written by: Holly Beaton
For more news, visit the Connect Everything Collective homepage www.ceconline.co.za

Frivolous releases latest EP ‘Psycho-Acoustic Principles For The Dancefloor’

Apr 9, 2023 | New Release, Music

‘Psycho-Acoustic Principles For The Dancefloor’ is a record emancipated from the overload of information that led me spiralling into a schizophrenic over-thinking lately in my music. ‘Outsider’ has a pureness of confidence which celebrates the last 10 years of isolation away from the European scene, while contained just under its surface is a sense of melancholy which points to the paradox within myself. I believe effective dance music plays with these human paradoxes, and in a time when the mask of confidence is amplified and commodified, music should tease out the human truth. I hope this record captures something essential which goes beyond the structural. If possible, I hope that it breaks down barriers and preconceptions as it delivers roses and intimacy into a place which allows the spirit to sing.’ – Frivolous 

About Frivolous ///

From the wilds of British Columbia to the beating heart of Berlin and back again, Daniel Gardner’s journey through music has been all his own. To call his style idiosyncratic would be a disservice, for his is a sound that feeds off the world outside his studio as much as it comes from within.

Through his formative years discovering music in a remote location detached from the ebb and flow of cultural movements, Frivolous took shape as a distinct proposition inspired by the European minimal explosion but defined by bold strokes of playful ingenuity, both in his sound sources and the way in which he deployed them. This first came to light on Andy Vaz’s celebrated Background imprint; a label as concerned with funk and imagination as it was with glitchy production ethics. Likewise appearances on Karloff and Proptronix gave the perfect platform for Frivolous to indulge in his love of irreverent sampling and heart-wrenching melodies, as dizzying arrangements of found sounds and dusty rips filtered fed into a tonic that was equal parts humour and emotion, and not to mention eminently danceable.

As his confidence grew and steady European bookings gave him the chance to focus ever more on his craft, Frivolous’ own voice started to creep into the tracks, while his home made instruments became a key talking point in a scene that was becoming riddled with characterless laptop botherers. Out of this phase of his career came the Midnight Black Indulgence LP on ~scape, an album steeped in warm tones and oddball pop while still rooted to the fundamentals of house. The stylistic progression from here to 2011’s Meteorology was a smooth one, even as the graduation to Luciano’s techno empire Cadenza marked a serious ramp up in exposure and time on the road for the boy from BC. In a swell of widespread acclaim Frivolous took his live show far and wide for a good two years, living something of a vagabond existence while based around various parts of Europe.

After that rollercoaster, a decade spent in his native BC provided the necessary decompression before returning once more to Europe in 2022. Now having completed an MA in Music, Daniel Gardner aka Frivolous is once again calling Berlin home as a stream of fresh material reflects a new perspective both musical and experiential. While there may be no clues as to what comes next, the notion is reinforced that he will always do things his own way, and the results will always sound unmistakably like Frivolous.

– Richard Marshal

Stream ‘‘Psycho-Acoustic Principles For The Dancefloor’ HERE

/// LINKS:
Instagram
Facebook
Spotify
Soundcloud
Discogs

#SAMA29 Open Call for Entries

Apr 6, 2023 | News, Music

South Africa’s longest standing and most sought-after music awards ceremony is underway with the invitation from the Recording Industry of South Africa (RiSA) for musicians to submit their entries for the 29th edition of the SA Music Awards (SAMAs).
With a week to go until entries close on Friday, 14 April 2023 at midnight, the countdown to #SAMA29 begins

“The SAMAs are the highest music honour that artists can receive in South Africa. Artists mustn’t miss the opportunity to be celebrated for their craft and hard work over the past year. We encourage all artists and music organisations working with artists to enter,” expresses Nhlanhla Sibisi, RiSA CEO.
Entries eligible for a SAMA consideration in over 30 genre categories, should have been released between 1 February 2022 and 14 April 2023.
Submissions can be made on SAMA’s website www.samusicawards.co.za or delivered physically at Unit 1, 152 Bram Fisher Road, Randburg.
/// Connect with the SAMAs:
Instagram: @thesamas_
Twitter: @TheSAMAs
TikTok: @thesamas_
YouTube: samusicawards
Facebook: South African Music Awards
Hashtag: #SAMA29
Website: www.samusicawards.co.za

MSAKI x TUBATSI Debut Their Latest Album ‘SYNTHETIC HEARTS’

Apr 6, 2023 | New Release, Music

Fast-rising South African solo star Msaki (a double winner at the 2022 South African Music Awards) and Tubatsi Mpho Moloi of Johannesburg band Urban Village (and also a member of the Keleketla! collective alongside Tony Allen, Shabaka Hutchings and Joe Armon-Jones) – release their debut album ‘Synthetic Hearts’ through Nø Førmat! records (Ballaké Sissoko, Oumou Sangaré). The record also features French cellist Clément Petit (who’s previously collaborated with Aloe Blacc, Ballaké Sissoko and Blick Bassy) – the 3 artists originally encountered each other when Msaki & Petit guested on Urban Village’s critically acclaimed 2021 debut ‘Udondolo’ (drawing praise from Uncut, Loud & Quiet, The Quietus, Sunday Times), which examined both the contemporary experience of black South Africans and the horrors of Apartheid.    

The first words you hear on ‘Synthetic Hearts’ are “Come with me”. Ushered in by Clément Petit’s rhythmically plucked cello, Tubatsi Mpho Moloi and Msaki issue an invitation to the listener and lover to journey to another place – where hearts, experiences and sounds meet, shift and evolve across an inventive nine track album. Experimental, playful and complex, ‘Subaleka’ – the first track on their collaborative project – introduces a merging of voices and instruments, across geographies and genres, in sparse, yet lush atmospherics.    

As individual artists in their own rights, the discographies of Msaki, Moloi and Petit attest to an ability to shapeshift across genres. Born in East London, South Africa, self-described “songcatcher” Msaki moves across electronic dance, folk, pop and amapiano with ease – rooting her sound in heartfelt lyrics that express the entangled personal and political. Msaki’s sophomore album ‘Platinum Heart’ (2021), won her both Female Artist of the Year and Best Adult Contemporary Album at the 2022 South African Music Awards, and she’s also known for multiple chart-topping collaborations (Black Coffee, Diplo, Prince Kaybee, Sun-El Musicia). Similarly, as part of the four-piece collective Urban Village, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Tubatsi Mpho Moloi’s music digs into the strata of the post-apartheid reality, grounding itself in the quotidian experiences of township life in Soweto and moving across and beyond folk, rock, mbaqanga and maskandi and more.     

Msaki and Moloi’s folk sensibilities are present on ‘Synthetic Hearts’, even as it too defies easy categorisation, mixing live and electronic elements, as Petit teases out distinct textures from his cello. Raised in a diverse, community-based Parisian banlieue, Petit’s approach reflects his early immersion in Afro-American, Caribbean and electronic music, vast experience in contemporary and improvised music, and quest to continually reinvent instruments, rewrite the rules and find new musical languages. “He doesn’t treat the cello like a classical cellist”, Msaki notes.   

The album is both introspective and conversational – disentangling emotions held within, and considering what is shared and private in the messiness of our relationships with ourselves and others. The album “speaks about having an equal responsibility to look after each other” and questions how “we express feelings of love towards each other”, Moloi explains. Love, longing, confusion, sorrow and despondency, are opened up and negotiated. The themes of the album echo the process of its creation, as two voices and three artists find ways to balance their sounds, find each other, compromise and journey alongside each other in these songs.

‘Synthetic Hearts’ began with ideas from Petit’s archives, with Msaki and Moloi selecting the songs that resonated, to forge something new together over a week-long residency in April 2021. Composed at Nirox Sculpture Park, just outside Johannesburg, the music is a witness to the changing seasons – literally, as they sing of leaves turning colour in ‘Madonna’, and in life too, as relationships move in and out of ease across the album. Created in an organic and unprescribed process, the music naturally moved towards explorations of love’s knotty realities, in what they describe as a productive and unlaboured creative process. To the project, Moloi brought ‘Zibonakalise’, a song created in response to Covid-19 and resonating beyond it. Translated as “show yourself”, the track plays out a prayer to ancestors, asking them to rise up and seeking solutions to all that feels unclear. Similarly, Msaki wrote ‘Fika’ after the Nirox residency and offered it for the album. The prophetic album-closer calls for a loved one to arrive back home, to a time of ceremony and communion. Finding their way through the collaboration, Msaki describes how the music is coloured through the “three paintbrushes” of their approaches. With minimalistic production and an embrace of space, she adds that “restriction [became] a beautiful way to give the project a language”.  

Recorded at Jazzworx, Johannesburg and co-produced by Petit and Frédéric Soulard, it’s a body of work that intentionally reveals the inescapable brokenness at the heart of what it means to be human, and the inescapable risk of what it means to love. The songs on the album, enquire, examine and implore in their unadorned disclosures. ‘Madonna’ sensually sings of distance and detachment – ‘Stay As You Are’, on the other hand, is intimate in its proximity, asking a lover to remain the same “till the day you can no longer”, promising to lean into the feeling too.   

This sense of revelation is threaded through ‘Synthetic Hearts’, sometimes as the slow, sore sound of a heart about to break. The poetic ‘Hearteries’ finds the reasons for rupture in one’s own reflection, as Msaki sings “Can’t face the ending / Brittle bitter bending / How your pain stays twisted inside you / Coz you can’t forgive / Yourself”. At other times, it lays bare the glistening hope of romance’s thrilling beginnings, or simply promises only the present moment, and nothing more. But at its core, it’s a willingness to love, through it all, that is the emotional centre of the album. It’s an attitude most clearly reflected in ‘Come In’, where Moloi and Msaki’s stunningly complementary voices drift into each other with ease, singing “So come in / I love you / take off your chains / kiss me again” with determined, uncomplicated assurance. 

These are not clear love songs, sticky with sentiment. The tracks on ‘Synthetic Hearts’ twist and shift in the thorny complexities of the feeling instead. “It feels like the beginning of the end or the end of the beginning, it’s not very clear. But there are a lot of invitations, and there’s a lot of vulnerability, which is probably reflective of where we were as well”, Msaki says. Blending voices, styles and experiences, Synthetic Hearts pulses with the immense respect and appreciation the three artists have for each other, finding musical chemistry in the willingness to let go and simply be: in music, just as in lov

/// Stream ‘Synthetic Hearts’ HERE. 

Celebrating sartorial, spiritual traditions with ‘AmaZayoni – An Ode to Uniformity’

Apr 5, 2023 | Fashion, Community

This is a very special piece to write, in conversation with friend, sister and sartorial co-collaborator Duduza Mchunu. In 2021, we made this work at a time when the world was still, and we needed to move and create. We reached out to Cris Fragkou, and spent a day on the Ou Kaapse Weg mountain bringing the vision together of Duduza’s spiritual heritage. We cannot thank Cris enough for the effortless resonance of her way of working, and capturing this work in the most beautiful way. We also want to thank Luke Radloff and UNIFORM, and Celeste Arendse and SELFI, for lending us the most exceptional pieces to bring this to life; we believe they are two of the most important designers in building the design language of South Africa.

The three of us hope that in the decades to come, the spiritual power of fashion will come to be known more and more; fashion is identity, fashion is heritage, fashion is culture, fashion is consciousness.

Spiritual practices are deeply woven into the fabric of life throughout the continent of Africa. Honing in on creative director Duduza Mchunu’s lineage, we witness an ode to the women of the AmaZayoni church; in which the attire is punctuated by crisp white fabrics, layered in specific iterations as garments of protection. Duduza explains her connection to the AmaZayoni church, “it all connects back to the women in my family. Specifically my grandmother, Gogo – without her, I don’t think I would have any sense of the spiritual relationship that I have with myself and life. She was a spiritual healer and prayer woman, and this all happened within the AmaZayoni church, where she had undergone her initiation. Growing up, my mother would take me to Durban to see Gogo, and to the church. My mom would then go onto have own calling and undergo initiation, so the church has always been a constant thread throughout my life towards God, the Universe and spiritual practices. My grandmother was an Arch-Bishop of the church at one point, so it is an intimate experience of how I’ve experienced home.” When colonial missionaries brought Christianity to the continent, their plan for it was to subsume the varying and innate indigenous spiritual practices of people across Africa, but Duduza explains that rather, a fusion took place, “within AmaZayoni, there is no division between using the spiritual teaching or framework of Christianity, with our own practices. I think of how the drum, songs and dancing is critical in the church – which are used to support people in heightened states of awareness, so that Spirit can come and take over, working through them and healing them – relaying messages from the different realms. With AmaZayoni, and in my own initiation, we connect with ‘ingilozi’ in Zulu, which is an angel – beings that have never been human before, that are pure energy and spiritual entities. With more of a traditional aspect of religion, it might be more ancestral practices.”

We tend to think of uniformity as linear, and the reductionist view is that similarities in dress codes challenge individual expression. In deconstructing the essence of the uniform, as a dialogue of community, these images express a common and sacred bond between the wearers. It demonstrates the power of aligning with others in the pursuit of a shared practice; and in this context, it is the cultivation of spiritual connection and insight; as Duduza says, “I wanted to show that uniformity in this context is a very powerful way of showing many as ‘one’ – so we find in the sartorial tradition of the church, a sense of community and connectedness. It was really important to bring nature, so we use indigenous plants to adorn the models, and to reference the way that women in the church are of the earth, and how they would incorporate things from the natural world into their practice.” Using the landscape of indigenous flora in the mountains of Cape Town as the backdrop, photographer Christina Fragkou captured the strength laden within the outer and inner world of uniformity, with the clean layering accessorised with plants convey the intrinsic connection of women to the earth; as an expression of Nature herself.

Using garments from prolific South African labels, UNI FORM and Selfi, artistic duo UBNYEHT (Duduza Mchunu and Holly Beaton) sought to pay homage to the liberating nature of dress practices among women, with these acts conveying a demarcation of alignment under the notion of sartorial consciousness; in which fashion lends itself as physical act of uniting under the same values and motivations. Within the AmaZayoni sartorial tradition, Duduza explains the spiritual functions of how the attire is worn, “everything is put together very intentionally – from the fabric belt across the shoulder, to the way these women who wake up at 6am to iron and starch their fabric down to the tee, engaging in a meditation and ceremony before they even arrive at church; this deep preparation to commune with Spirit, and so these garments are critical to being able to enter a holy space to meet God. The headwraps, and placement, contain their energy in order to do this. When we were putting this editorial together, I knew we had to have these incredibly strong, clean looks that paid respect to the elements of how they dress, but in a way that spoke to the modernity and transience of African fashion Of course, they had to be barefoot – I always say that there’s nothing more chic than a bare-foot. Using the colour white with the two different looks, showcase the church’s affinity for colour theory. We use colour in varying ways and for different purposes, but white is the purest for the purposes of spiritual interaction.” 

This editorial perfectly describes Duduza’s vision as fashion creator, finding her visual language centred precisely at the intersection of contemporary African expression and living, with the preservation and celebration of ancient, indigenous traditions. For the styling, Duduza and I sought the work of Celeste Arendse’s Selfi, and Luke Radloff’s UNI FORM to articulate this intersection between minimalism, modernity, and the richness and flow of spiritual dressing. Selfi is noted for their use of biodegradable, rayon weighted fabrics; adding a sense of proportion and depth, while UNI FORM’s cascading dresses and crisp shirts create silhouettes in line with purification; both labels coming together as celebrations of the uniform.

Written by: Holly Beaton

For more news, visit the Connect Everything Collective homepage www.ceconline.co.za

Alexander James – Memory as the Artist’s Muse

Apr 4, 2023 | Interviews, Art

It is not often that I get to interview someone for a second time, but it is a special thing to do, particularly in lieu of the transformative-driven nature of changing practices for artists and creatives. When Alexander James spent time in Cape Town two years ago, for a residency with THEFOURTH Gallery, our conversation focused on the immensely energising 60 piece outcome of his experience in a new studio, and time spent in a new city – and this ability to create up to 60 paintings, of varying sizes and visage, is an integral component of Alexander’s process; he is never not painting, or working on a painting, or archiving, documenting and journaling his surroundings as references for later paintings. This insatiable curiosity, and its subsequent thirst, are perhaps reasons as to why when I look at his work now, only two years later, there is an even deeper intensity of technique and characterisation. This is the gift of time and commitment to one’s process wrapped up together, and spread through the thread of Alexander’s vision as an artist. 

Alexander’s thematic centre can be summed up by ‘memory’ – this subjective epitaph within the experience of being human is something he had begun to excavate during his residency in Cape Town, and continues to shape and inform the dialogue inherent in each body of work thereafter. In the Greek myths, the titan Mnemosyne (memory) was born from the union of Uranus (Sky) and Gaia (Earth) – she, among the twelve primordial children of creation, is one of the first experiential constructs ascribed with divinity, ranked in importance among the physical elements such as her sister Thea (light & the sun) or Oceanus (the sea & water) – this is how critical the role of memory has played in the perception of living itself, by ancient human beings. Mnemosyne would later go on to birth the nine Muses, and it is in this narrative that we see the inextricable and primaeval link between memory and the arts; and as such, for artists themselves. Art historian, Eleanor Stephenson, wrote of this connection with Alexander’s work and memory, likening his process to Frances A. Yate’s interrogation of ‘the method of loci’, as Eleanor describes “The basic principles of this mnemonic technique, described by Yates, involves imprinting upon one’s memory a series of ‘loci’ or places, usually architectural spaces, and within each room of this metaphysical space, an image of a memory. If one were to walk through the loci in their imagination, each place would activate an image representing a memory, thus producing a complex and ordered story which, in Cicero’s words, is tangibly akin to ‘a wax writing-tablet and the letters written on it’. The method of loci, and the historiography of memory more broadly, can be used to garner a deeper understanding of the concepts and visual language Alexander James has used in his recent body of work.”

Alex James, Heartbeat, 2022, Oil on canvas, 180 x 240 cm.
Alex James, King Cobra, 2022, Oil on canvas, 180 x 240 cm.

For Alexander, the family and lineage he was born into form an intrinsic portal through which he contextualises his work ,whether it’s those he knows, or family members he has heard stories of – this thread and web of human beings that maketh the remain critical, “memory is ever-evolving into my practice. It’s something I look at from a psychological perspective, but also in relation to my experience – and also a data perspective, too. I mean ‘data’ as information that has been passed down to me, and especially within my own lineage. I started this project in Cape Town, and when I moved back to London – it remained this very intricate part of how I work now, and I would say it’s at the forefront of what I do.” When Alexander’s show in Cape Town ‘Keep It In The Family’ showed, he had placed himself as the immediate observer of his experience – from childhood, and so forth – alongside family members. Now, in the more recent part of this mnemonic exploration, Alexander has begun to dig deeper, and further back, into realms of his familial context outside of his own memory. On this, he says, “my grandfather started opening up to me about his father, who I only met when I was very young – so I have no memory of him that I can recall. My great-grandfather moved from eastern europe to London during WW2, and about this salon called ‘Henry’s Gents Salon’, and he was this hungry, entrepreneur type character, and his space in east London became a kind of hot-spot for a lot creatives, who would roll in – like colourful characters, local gangsters, who even though they might not get their hair done, would hang around. This story began to open my eyes to this idea of memory beyond my own, which has its set of subjectivity and limitations, and into memory as a function of story-telling. It brought me to my grandfather as my primary source of research, who is 88 years old; and it’s amazing that he told me this information now, as it could have just ended up as untold stories, you know?” 

Anchor, 2022, Oil on canvas, 140 x 140 cm.
Dream Walker, 2022, Oil on canvas, 130 x 130 cm.
Frankenstein, 2022, Oil on canvas, 140 x 130 cm.

I ask Alexander what ‘family’ as a vehicle of memory has to come to mean for him in this moment of his career, to which he says, “I’m really interested in how family reveals ‘life before us’, before we come to be who we are, and how research can show more of who we are, but also where we come from. There are infinite moments that lent themselves to our own births or arrival in this world, and I find that fascinating. I think we all become consumed by the day-to-day details of our own lives, and in doing so we can forget to view the larger picture of what has led us to where we are. I also think this is why I am constantly screenshotting, taking pictures and observing my surroundings, wherever I am in the world – or looking at old photographs, or films, and finding references in whatever I can. I always want to be able to go back, and have an archive of my experience, and of the world as I saw it. It’s made me a lot more present in my everyday life to be observing and documenting whatever I can.” The orientation of detail in Alexander’s paintings originates from his research, and its outcome are some of the most rich, and colourfully hued edifications of memory I have seen in current contemporary art. I think of the violet-gazing portrait of ‘The Butterfly Effect’, or the figure emerging out of ‘Anchor’, bound by conflicting swathes of brush-strokes in a warm, kaleidoscope of shades. For Alexander, memory arrives on the canvas in tensions of subtlety (the figures) and passion (the colour) – all defined by the inimitable requirement of oil-based paint for patience. In how colour informs his work, Alexander explains, “A lot of my memory is tempered by colour and texture, so those two elements are crucial to my paintings. My work lies in between the realms of figuration and abstraction, and once I’ve decided what the narrative is going to be, I then leave colour and texture quite freely to happen as it happens. I really enjoy the movement of that, being able to remove and add as the painting unfolds. I’ve definitely become a lot more patient with myself – I’m not rushed to finish paintings, and I really allow myself to leave work for a week or two, to really sit on it.” Within this space of appreciation for the artistic process; Alexander finds his working meditation as an artist. The sacred space, or altar, of the studio is as he says, ‘a pleasure to go into, to switch off from everything’ – this propensity to work, to create, and to research define Alexander as one of the most exciting painters right now – a guardian of the tradition of painting itself in 2023 and beyond. With shows ahead in London and New York, I anticipate interview number three with Alex in a few years time, imagine what will be then?

Left Foot Captain, Oil on canvas, 200 x 200 cm, 2022​.

Featured Image by Brynley Odu Davies.

Written by: Holly Beaton

For more news, visit the Connect Everything Collective homepage www.ceconline.co.za

Savanna Cider X Wanda Lephoto release their ‘Dry Goods, Waterproof Apparel’ collaboration

Apr 4, 2023 | News, Fashion

This morning we woke up to a visually stunning collaboration between iconic South African brands, Savanna Cider and Wanda Lephoto. While we may know Savanna as one of the most refreshing drinks, their vision has been expanding as of late to include collaborations focused on sustainability and community. 

Now, with Wanda Lephoto – one of our favourite designers at Connect Everything Collective – the ‘Dry Goods, Waterproof Apparel’ collection is a limited-edition fashion collection, with sustainably produced and beautifully designed pieces by Wanda Lephoto, as a means to embrace the inevitability of climate change. We love to see brands being honest and authentic in speaking about climate change as already occurring. The collection is ‘waterproof apparel, for an underwater world’, and includes a ‘as sustainability-possible created NFT’ – with images and film utilising digital landscapes as a way to envision the future. 

To further their commitment to this conversation, 100% of the proceeds will go to Green Up –a leading organisation focused on climate action, environmental education, and community resilience.

Head HERE to view the collection portal, alongside more information and to shop the collection.

Nabihah Iqbal Shares New Single and Video ‘Sunflower’ From Forthcoming Album ‘Dreamer’

Apr 3, 2023 | New Release, Music

‘Sunflower’ is the new single from Nabihah Iqbal, marking the second track to be shared after recent shoegaze inspired single “This World Couldn’t See Us” from her long awaited new album ‘DREAMER’ (out 28th April on Ninja Tune). The new track, inspired by a William Blake poem and “about those who die young and leave their art behind” comments Nabihah, arrives alongside an official music video directed by Luh’ra, shot in South Africa earlier this year. 

Speaking on the creation of the video, director Luh’ra commented, “The album is very visual and a lot of imagery came to mind while listening. There were a couple of references to sunflowers on the album so we landed on the track, Sunflower. I had heard rumours of a beautiful sunflower field which seemed an ideal location. The idea was simple, something to boost the summer of Cape Town. I’ll always be a bit of a DIY-kinda-guy and I got that sense from Nabihah too which was why it was fun to have fun making the video, nothing too fancy”

‘DREAMER’ arrives five years on since the London-born artist, curator, broadcaster and lecturer’s debut ‘Weighing Of The Heart’ was released and two years in the making, ‘DREAMER’ is Nabihah’s most raw and most reflective work to date. 

The record arrives at a pivotal time for Nabihah who has made her prolific work rate look effortless with a resume as varied as her music having recently collaborated with artist Zhang Ding, been commissioned to compose music for the Turner Prize, collaborated with Wolfgang Tillmans as part of his Tate Modern exhibition and was recently involved in a group performance at the Barbican as part of its major Basquiat retrospective. She has also contributed to Serpentine’s recent book ‘140 Artists’ ideas for Planet Earth’ and has given guest lectures at the Royal College of Art. In 2022 Nabihah was announced as a guest director for England’s largest multi-arts festival, Brighton Festival, in 2023, her “biggest, most challenging and exciting curatorial position” to date.

‘DREAMER’ see’s Nabihah reflect on her experiences during the early months of 2020, when her studio was burgled. All her work was lost, including her long-awaited album. Already suffering from a broken hand and a severe case of burnout, she felt helpless. While the forensic police looked for fingerprints in her studio, she received a call. It was her grandmother; her grandfather had suffered a brain haemorrhage. Nabihah got on a plane to Karachi, Pakistan the next day. “Going to Pakistan turned into a blessing in disguise,” she says. “It affected my perspective on music. At the time, being forcefully removed from the whole scenario of the burglary felt frustrating, but it was the best thing that could have happened.” Nabihah spent those months remembering why she made music in the first place. She went back to basics and bought an acoustic guitar and a harmonium.

Using broader concepts, ‘DREAMER’ is “more introspective, because it’s about things that I’ve been through over the last few years,” she says. The album is an intimate journey through snapshots and memories of Nabihah’s life. Exploring personal identity and grief through the soft-focus lens of melancholy, the album is not one specific sound. Her left-field lo-fi aesthetic twirls itself throughout as she manages to skate between tracks without ever sounding disjointed.

It is a wrenchingly intimate and sweetly playful project. There is a pronounced melancholy underpinning the album, but cracks of sunlight make their way out. Ultimately, ‘DREAMER’ signals a shift, elevating Nabihah’s work to new heights as she adds new colours to her palette.

Nabihah has hosted radio shows on NTS and BBC networks like Radio 1, 1Xtra, Asian Network, World Service and 6Music since 2013. Since her debut album was released on Ninja Tune in 2017, Nabihah has toured the world extensively as both a live act and DJ. Performance highlights include the V&A Museum, MoMA PS1 and SXSW as well as Glastonbury Festival, Warehouse Project, Printworks, Boiler Room, Worldwide Festival and Sonar. Nabihah will perform at various UK festivals this summer including Lost Village Festival, We Out Here, Junction 2 and Stowaway Festival.

Nabihah Iqbal will release ‘DREAMER’ on the 28th April on Ninja Tune, with “Sunflower” out now. Nabihah will play an album listening party on the Thurs 27th April ahead of an album launch show on the 13th May, both taking place at the ICA.

Credits ///
Song: Sunflower by Nabihah Iqbal (@nabihahiqbal)
Director: Luh’ra (@luh.ra)
DoP: Jonathan Hendricks 
Assist DoP: Jayson Geland
Handycam: Luh’ra 
Editor: Francesco Mbele (@franadilla)
Stills: Keith Virgo (@iamkeithvirgo)

Beatkozina present Eastern-influenced Deep/Afro House single ‘Nusrat Passion’

Apr 3, 2023 | New Release, Music

Issued on Kiko Navarro’s Afroterraneo imprint, Beatkozina present Eastern-influenced Deep/Afro House single ‘Nusrat Passion’, featuring the breathtaking voice of Abirah Shah and a remix by Navarro himself. 

Comprising Mehdi Naami and Gregory Jouandon, the electronic / world music Beatkozina duo reside in Marrakech and London respectively. Both multi-instrumentalists, the pair met when jazz drummer Jouandon travelled to Morocco on a quest for North African rhythms, soon connecting with Naami, resident DJ at the Buddha Bar in Marrakech. Placing traditional African, Arabic and Indian aesthetics alongside contemporary Deep House vibes, ‘Nusrat Passion’ is a flawless production brimming with spiritual flavour, topped off with a truly show-stopping performance from UK/Pakistani artist Abirah Shah. 

Kiko Navarro’s rework infuses ‘Nusrat Passion’ with added drama and intensity, opening with meditative tanpura and tabla before taking flight into arpeggiated atmospheres, with subtle strings and filtered synths playing hide and seek with the song’s acrobatic vocal. 

Titled in tribute to the great Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, internationally renowned performer of Qawwali (spiritual music of the Sufis), ‘Nusrat Passion’ invites an intriguing mix of musical cultures to dance together. We hope you feel moved to join them.

Listen to ‘Nusrat Passion’ HERE.

Beyoncé and Balmain introduce collaborative collection ‘Renaissance Couture’

Apr 2, 2023 | News, Fashion

Queen Bey is apparently an immense perfectionist – and considering she’s a Virgo, and one of the most successful artists of all time, we believe it. In a continuation of one of her most perfection-driven creative collaborations, Beyoncé and Olivier Rousteing have teamed up to bring a sartorial component to her seventh studio album, the highly anticipated ‘Renaissance’. In 2018, Balmain (of which Olivier remains at the helm) was responsible for every garment across that iconic headlining of Coachella – so, ‘Renaissance Couture’ expands on this, sanctifying the rich, visual language that has embellished Beyoncé’s decades long career. 

The story goes like this; Olivier found himself immersed in Renaissance while sketching – the album, a backdrop to the last few days before European summer holidays. Out of nowhere, he began to weave the lyrics around the sketches; imbuing each one with the energy of what each song was revealing to him in sartorial form.  As Olivier explains to Vogue, he was not willing to simply sit on them, “I contacted Marni [Senofonte, Beyoncé’s stylist ] and B. And I said, ‘honestly, I want to create a couture collection with you.’ And they were like: ‘Wow, that’s a big surprise.’” What ensued thereafter was a dream for Olivier – not only did Beyoncé co-sign the idea, she and Marni embarked on an intimate co-designer partnership with Balmain; taking them from 50 looks, down to a tightly edited 17 looks as companion visions of the track-list of Renaissance. The result is a feat of fashion-saturated dreams, least not accompanied by the cultural significance of the collection, as Olivier stated, “This appears to be the first time that a Black woman has overseen the couture offering from an historic Parisian house. And those designs were created in partnership with the first Black man to ever oversee all the collections at an historic Parisian house. Let’s hope those two firsts help inspire plenty of others…Thank you, Beyoncé.” Historical – huge – major. We absolutely love to see it. 

Head to Vogue to read the full and exclusive breakdown by Olivier of 12 of the 17 looks.

Look 1 “I’m That Girl”, Look 2 “Cozy”, Look 5 “Energy (01)”, Look 6 “Break My Soul”, Look 7 “Church Girl”, Look 8 “Plastic Off the Sofa”. 

Look 16 “Summer Renaissance”.
Look 9 “Virgo’ Groove”, Look 10 “Move”, Look 12 “Thique”, Look 13 “All Up In Your Mind”, Look 15 “Pure Honey”.
All images via Vogue and Courtesy of Balmain.

Written by: Holly Beaton