Laura Meyer challenges beauty standards in short film ‘For The Fearless’

Feb 6, 2023 | Creatives, Community

Ableism pervades the fashion system; by design, fashion is held as a place where the ‘perfected’ ideals of expression can be created. Yet, perfection is an abstract and bizarre concept; it holds no real weight, because it is subjective, or most likely non-existent. More interesting than perfection, is multiplicity; it is that we live in a world where every shape, pattern – person, plant – animal or design, is a feat of the inherent beauty and creativity of existence. 

Fashion has forgotten this in so many ways; from its racist, rigid and discriminatory practices, to the exclusive use of white, thin and able bodied models. Fashion has forgotten that in selling us a very shallow and oppressive ideal – it is essentially selling us only illusion, and even in its attempt to realising sartorial dreams, so much has been missing. Change is forthcoming, though, and never has there been more of a demand for fashion & beauty to reflect the diversity and richness of different people; different ways the body can take shape, the vast ways in which human beings are expressed in the world. When brands like Collina Strada featured Aaron Rose Johnson on their runway; it signalled a new era, in which disabled people are finally being paid the respect that they have always, always deserved. Now, there is a push for ‘adaptive fashion’ – where designers are being asked to design with varying bodies in mind; this is an exceptionally exciting arena in which fashion gets to dream and design with so many ways of the body at the forefront, in collaboration with disabled people, needs and desires to have choices in style and taste.

‘For the Fearless’ is a film that speaks to precisely this. Laura Ashleigh Meyer‘s incredible passion and determination to embrace life in all its glory teaches us what it means to be fearless, in a film brought together by creative studio we_are ; This film is for the fearless, and a celebration of bravery and beauty.

Having been born with a spinal defect, Laura has had to overcome daily struggles and barriers of inclusion. These challenges are very apparent in the beauty and fashion industries, where the pursuit of a perceived ideal and ableism have been the status quo for decades. As a model and fashion designer, Laura hopes to give representation to the disabled community. Although we have come a long way, there is still an incredible amount of work to be done to normalise inclusivity and representation. Through the work of individuals like Laura, who have devoted their platform to expanding the standards of beauty, we’re moving forward.

Laura’s goal, through projects like ‘For the Fearless’, is to rewrite the narrative around differently-abled peoples, in which inclusion, acceptance, accessibility replace ableism and exclusivity. This film is dedicated to the pioneers, the allies, the fearless leaders. It is for those breaking glass ceilings and embracing their confidence, thereby allowing others to do the same. ‘For the Fearless’ as a catalyst for larger conversations around representation in the fashion and beauty worlds.

/// Credits:

Starring : Laura Meyer represented by Topco Models
Directed by : Dillon Buirski
Produced by : we are_
Produced by : Calvin Shushu | Anja Marais | Samantha Lowe | Mardi Buhrmann
Shot by : Nicol Dippenaar
Assisted by : Thaakir Ackerman
Lighting by : Grant Forbes | John Mureymi | Siegfried Krull
Grips : by Elrick Davids | Shalton Lewis
Art by : Jako van Heerden
Styling by : Robynne Kahn
HMU by : Richard Wilkinson
Garments by : Shana Morland
Jewellery by : Kirsten Goss
Offline Edit by : Luka Scott
Online Edit by : Kyle Stroebel
Sound Design by : Bart Larter

Written by: Holly Beaton

Published: 6 February 2023

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

Louise Westerhout and Lauren Brits’ work ‘unclear’ is an articulation of queerness, activism and intimacy

Feb 2, 2023 | Interviews, Art

Mortality beckons all of us. One thing is certain, each of us will die, at some point. While we are housed in our bodies, though, such a certain fate looms in the periphery; mostly as one of our deepest fears. Human beings are constantly searching for order, and our brains are in a perpetual state of pattern recognition, categorisation and initiating complex behaviours to bring us toward a resolve in our environment. This would be quite simple, if being human was merely a system-based, biological experience. It is not – and in fact, uncertainty holds within it an incredible ability to bring us to our edge; the edge upon which all our fears, judgements, conceptualisations and constructs can be laid to offer. Louise Westerhout is a queer, disabled performance artist who for the second time in 13 years was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer; this time, it was their right leg that required a hip-to-femur replacement. Around 13 years ago, when their left leg was under surgical scrutiny, I will never forget Louise’s declaration – “well, now, I am a cyborg witch!”.

It is just under three years since I wrote about Louise and Lauren Brits’ ongoing relationship as artists, friends and co-creators; and while this time, for a body of work named Unclear, their union holds much the same energy. Theirs is a space inhabited by two queer artists, in which striking intimacy and trust are the very foundation of what they create. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if that tone of being, together, were the rule – rather than the exception? Now, the duo have been deep in the proverbial trenches; unclear is a mixed-media, multi-disciplinary articulation of this moment now in both Louise and Lauren’s artistic expression. unclear begins as a performance written and performed by Louise and directed by theatre veteran, Craig Leo. In documenting this aspect of the work, Louise sought Lauren’s photographic craft : and Unclear has evolved, and continues to, in varying ways. Now, unclear is a performance – a poetic instruction – an exhibition, and a breathtaking zine. Most importantly, it is the outward manifestation of Louise and Lauren’s artistic harmony.

In commenting on the personal meaning of unclear, Lauren says, “we had such wonderful conversations around everything – from the bullshit of patriarchy, to issues with our mothers. We cried together, we laughed together and I think it was just a very intimate space for both of us. It was also a space for me to listen and learn. There is a lot of internalised ableism within our society, and within me – and to try and understand what Louise and I both needed from the space.” In scenes taken in hospital and in Louise’s home, the zine is the first of its kind for Lauren; for whom tangible expression of her work is a birthing right as an artist, “The zine was fucking vulnerable, man. When you share stuff on Instagram – it just goes out there – but creating something material is a very different way to share work. Seeing myself as an artist and photographer, and putting together a zine, it required me to dig deep. I’m really proud of what we produced.”

The show notes for unclear read :

unclear subverts ableist narratives, suggesting new paradigms of viewing and understanding a queer, disabled, older body and its relationship to patriarchy, ableism etc. unclear pulls tight focus on singular stories, analysing them through the lens of critical theory to expose the cognitive dissonance we have around cancer and our own mortality. It offers nuanced diagnoses, on the personal, but also the socio-cultural pathologies which perpetuate illness, such as ableism, misogyny, ageism and queer phobia. unclear invites the witness’ gaze, subverting the ableist stare, exposing prejudice, demanding that the witness looks, that they see a body which holds autonomy. The images break traditional photographer/subject protocol allocating equal power dynamic to Brits as she frames,and Westerhout as they have bodily autonomy. Neither artist can be prioritised over the other as they consent to share narrative power, challenging the concept of who creates and owns an image. The project is also designed to be a haven for disabled people who find allyship, validation and recognition within the images. unclear is a celebration of humanity, the artistic manifestation of two friends as they approach their relationship to self, their craft and each other with curiosity, trust, vulnerability and transparency. 

For Louise, being ‘just a bit closer to death than some’ is no cause for pity – fuck no – rather, the presence of cancer in her body has (13 years apart) been some of the most important materia for her work as an activist and artist. On the meaning of unclear, Louise says the process itself is as fundamental to the outcome of the work; “It’s always going to be activism, for me. Activism, activism – always, until the fucking day I die. That’s who I am, in the blood. When I asked Lauren if she would be interested in this work, I was thinking a lot about – how do we push queer culture? How do we collaborate and talk about consent, talk about boundaries, talk about intimacy and boundaries – about what friendship is – have a laugh, talk about death. How do we watch and experience suffering, and use it to push what queer culture needs to expand into? As a disabled elder, queer body – I think it’s very important. There are not many of my generation asking for representation on an equal footing with other queer artists. All this time, Lauren and I have not prioritised each other’s work, or bodies, or gaze or view over the other. That is such a radical shift. Yes, it’s Lauren’s photography – but I am not a subject, and nor am I being objectified. It was so very rooted in consent. She was watching me, all hooked up through my port to chemo, in the shower, and we were still organising and approaching the idea of boundaries.” Louise goes onto touch a beautiful expression of friendship – one I have found with friends in my own life – and that is the idea of ‘crafting’ together, and creating work; “our ancestors didn’t just sit and have a chat, they would be doing something together. So that feeling of crafting together, busy working. I also just think you have to have respect for the other, for the artist and their form and that they have absolute governance of their medium.”

Zine-making is a radical act, and one of my most beloved forms of publishing. Self-publishing remains one of the most resistant forms of expressing ideas and art – the history of zines is a critical lesson in retaining intellectual and artistic autonomy in the late modern era. I ask Lauren what brought them to choosing this archival route, “I love books and I love magazines, the tangible form of print. We were sitting with so much imagery in the archive, and it felt like such a waste to just let it sit online. Louise also just writes such beautiful poetry – and honestly, any excuse to make something like this, is just wonderful.” The ‘unclear’ zine is bound in a carefully crafted dossier (a nod to the medicalisation of the disabled experience, and Louise’s own) – and features both poetry and images. Louise says, “the images are actually removable, so you can take an image and stick it on the fridge – or wherever – which is quite brave, to invite someone to take the zine away and take the structure of the zine. I think this is a huge part of ‘unclear’ is, with handing over consent and control to the reader.” An intrinsic part of ‘unclear’ is its focused challenge regarding ableism. The social, cultural and political oppression and othering of people inhabiting disabled bodies is one that pervades all of society – and further intersects with the marginalisation of Black, Indigenous and People of Colour, LGBTQI+ folk and across the gender spectrum. In what ‘unclear’ seeks to address, Louise describes “what I could do if I stay in my body long enough to represent ‘unclear’ as much as I can, is to say – here is a body, here is a voice, and can those who are invited to witness the work, look at how we live in a flawed system? All I ask is for people to see something that they didn’t expect. We all have so much more in common than we know. We are fucking terrifed of dying – terrified – and I am may represent someone who is a little closer, but I want to represent a commonality. We are here together, breathing, living and being in community – how to respond with our empathy first, and not our prejudices?”

‘unclear’ is an ongoing body of work that will be formed and distilled as constantly as the friendship and experiences of Louise and Lauren. I leave you with a quote from the Bhagavad Gita, “When you feel the suffering of every living thing within your own heart… that is true consciousness.”, and Louise shows us, let us not make martyrs of our suffering; but instead, alchemise it into the potentiality and action that this world so requires. 

 

‘unclear’ is now showing Youngblood Gallery

70 – 74 Bree St, Cape Town City Centre, Cape Town, 8001

‘unclear’ images and zine by Louise Westerhout and Lauren Brits 

Written by: Holly Beaton

Published: 3 February 2023

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

Sabato de Sarno is appointed creative director of Gucci

Feb 2, 2023 | News, Fashion

Lately, Gucci has been in the habit of appointing hard-won career designers to an exalted status. Alessandro Michele, for example, was at Gucci from 2002 – under the tutelage of Tom Ford – before being appointed creative director of the brand in 2015. Before this appointment, Michele’s time at Gucci was a zig-zag across different departments – each seeded with more leadership – and thus, his career is an example of the many minds and hands behind a fashion house. Few ever get to be its shining star. 

On 23rd November 2022, Gucci and Alessandro Michele announced their parting ways; much to the shock of the fashion industry – and not so, to others. Michele had taken Gucci further than Patrizia or Paolo could have ever imagined – and he guided a continued revival of the brand that was started by Tom Ford in the late 90s and early 2000s. Gucci as a brand made besties with Gen-Zs, celebrities and culture; and the house became a mainstay of gender fluidity, inclusivity, diversity on and off the runway- alongside exceptional collaboration with unlikely peers such as North Face and Palace. Michele’s Gucci was a fantastical dreamscape for a rising cast of creative kids with a penchant for monograms, while still honouring the integral codes of the house – Italian, quality, tailoring etc. Except with Michele in the last few years, many have echoed that  it has felt tired. Denoting so much of his own particular aesthetic and values- vintage-eclecticism, rock ‘n roll nostalgia and freedom – this became more of a code for Gucci, than the idea that a luxury fashion brand has an identity of its own. You see, the ‘House’ has to outlive the creative director. It cannot be consumed by the vision of one person – nor can its director’s taste be totally synonymous with the label. Creative directors are required to be totally precise in the dissemination of their personal design skill and intention, through the exact framework of what the house is, as THE house.

Alessandro on redcarpet by Rob Latour/Shutterstock

Now, news has since dropped that Sabato de Sarno will lead the vision of Gucci. Perhaps not a household name, de Sarno has been at Valentino for 13 years, shaping and codifying its place in the contemporary fashion lexicon. This reshuffle is briefly touched on by Jess Cartner-Morley, who wrote for the Guardian, “Events at Gucci have been moving fast, as the brand undergoes a shake-up to turnaround “brand fatigue” blamed for the house being overshadowed in growth last year by Kering Group’s stablemate Saint Laurent.”

We will have to wait eight months before de Sarno’s official debut in September for Fall/Winter 2024 – for now, Gucci’s direction is led by its wider team in a joint-effort to fill the liminal vacuum between leadership. Personally, we are excited – Michele was fabulous, but everything changes – and unless a brand is entirely a designer’s own namesake and business, moving on is usually healthy for everyone involved. We bid farewell to Michele for stellar work – sartorially and socially, he is forever an icon.

Runway Image by Gorunway.com
Sabato de Serna photographed by Riccardo Raspa

Written by: Holly Beaton

Published: 31 January 2023

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

Keanan Justin Serves as a Student of Drag

Feb 1, 2023 | Interviews, Creatives

It seems like make-up as an artform has been having a huge revival; sweeping across our screens, and expanding across various brands and products. There are influencers who can perform a master class in applying eye-liner, or guide viewers to the very best way to applying foundation (some say a wet sponge, others swear by fingers or brushes) – but this realm of make-up & beauty is more about enhancing ones face, rather than totally transforming it. Make-up seems like it is having a revival; this is true, yes, as through our interconnectedness through social media; we are more exposed to each other’s pursuits. Yet, drag culture has always existed; from Ancient Greece, through to mediaeval theatre, and where it stands today as a tour de force of self-expression. This is where Keanan Justin, an emerging make-up artist based in Cape Town, has found his sanctuary; and it is through drag culture that many of the lessons, inspirations and iconography of the make-up & beauty world originates from.  

“I studied fashion originally, and I really started getting into make-up during COVID lockdown. I had always played with brows and found a good lip technique, but watching Drag Race truly showed me a new world. I loved what all the queens were doing, and I wanted to look like that – but I also wanted to find my own way of expressing myself, so I started to figure out what I could come up with.” Keanan says in our conversation. On arriving at our interview, I was blown away by Keanan – with a completed white face, bright red lips & angular strokes of black flames across his eyes, I quickly realised that I was in the presence of brilliance. With Drag Race, Keanan found a new strata to ascend to – and it can be understood that seeing icons can allow one to grant oneself that permission: the permission to abandon needing permission or validity from anyone, or society. Drag and the kind of make-up performance that Keanan expresses requires courage in a world where conservative and binary models still tend to dominate. Without intending to perhaps, Keanan’s looks are the face of freedom.

Featured Look by Keanan Justin September

“I’m self-taught, so everything I know is from either trial and error on my own, or Youtube. In between exploring make-up, I was working fulltime – as we all must – so it’s been a process of trying to hone my ideas when I find the time. Very recently, I have felt a head-on surge that this is what I’m meant to be doing. This is my path. The goal is to have my own brand one day, that caters beyond just standard beauty products; I would love to produce a local brand that thinks of the Queens first, that puts the art of make-up at the forefront” Keanan says, and in terms of inspiration, “I mainly reference music, actually. I don’t like looking at other artists, anymore, because then it seems like I’m doing what they were feeling. I want to do what I am feeling. I think people might not realise that this kind of make-up is such a heart-centred practice; you have to be so in tune with who you are, and who you’d like to be or express in any given moment.”

Featured Looks by Keanan Justin September

Recently, Keanan hasn’t been planning his looks; rather, he is in a process of free-form application, in which he approaches his prepped face with curiosity and presence – saying, “I let my hands do what they want. There have been a lot of mistakes, but 80% of the time, I’m happy with the outcome. Right now, 2023, the goal is to get out there and work on shoots, or shadowing make-up artists. So I have space right now to be completely experimental.” In asking Keanan what make-up means on a personal level, he says “make-up is about transformation, to me. I can be going through the worst day, or worst experiences, but once I pick up that brush and get to work; I am going into a different world. My make-up is other-worldly and extra-terrestrial, and it gives me an opportunity to explore so many dimensions of who I am. I always thought I’d get into beauty so that I could fit in – – so that I could be fashionable. One day, I woke up to the fact that it had to be about me, so drag make-up is a love letter to myself.”

Written by: Holly Beaton

Published: 2 February 2023

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

Bongeziwe Mabandla explores love’s imperfections on new single ‘Noba Bangathini’

Jan 31, 2023 | New Release, Music

This January saw the release of “Noba Bangathini”, the first single off Bongeziwe Mabandla’s upcoming album.

A song about being imperfect and in love and loving an imperfect person, the much-anticipated new music from the multi-award winning South African artist sees Mabandla exploring love’s frontiers in moving depth. “Noba Bangathini” also signals the onset of a fresh creative surge from Mabandla and producer Tiago Correia-Paulo – one that effortlessly springboards the music into a rich and captivating terrain where synthesisers or drum loops are as vital as Mabandla’s signature acoustic guitar.

“For me, this song is about surviving and overcoming situations with someone else,” says Mabandla of his new release. “It’s about seeing all the obstacles and heartache that comes with sharing your life with another, but still choosing to do so, in spite of it all.”

“Noba Bangathini” captures a narrator rationalising his decisions and views of companionship. Listen closely (or follow along the translated lyrics) and you can feel what it means to justify making something, once harmful to you, work again.

In creating the music for this central story of two people colliding and fusing into one, Correia-Paulo set about recording multiple objects hitting each other – a piece of wood falling, the opening of a coconut with a machete, a steel plank being dropped, a glass bottle being thrown against the wall – to form the basis of the song’s production.

With Mabandla’s vocal mixed right up, minimalist layering of his voice with harmonies, and an intention to keep the tempo fluctuation, synth distortions, and more imperfections intact, “Noba Bangathini” becomes a song that is, in all ways, one of the most honest and true in all Mabandla’s considerable recorded output.

“Bongeziwe wrote the song very much like he wrote most of the songs on iimini,” reveals Correia-Paulo. “But, because we wanted ‘Noba Bangathini’ to be the song that allowed his audience to experience Bongeziwe coming from a very different place, the first thing we did after first recording it was mute the acoustic guitar completely and add in a synth.”

The result of this is a song that reveals the continuously blooming artistic expression of one of Africa’s most original artists – and also lays the foundation for the music to come on Mabandla’s upcoming fourth album.

///
Stream ‘Noba Bangathini’ HERE

Connect with Bongeziwe Mabandla: 
Facebook: @BongeziweMabandlaOfficial
Twitter: @Bongeziwe
Instagram: @BongeziweMabandla

Artwork by @travysowen

Will Andrea Riseborough lose her Academy Award nomination?

Jan 31, 2023 | News, Art

The Academy Awards (known colloquially as ‘The Oscars’) is the most prestigious awards show in film – and winning an award (even simply having a nomination) can catapult a film’s box-office earnings, while offering the actors, actresses and various other winning roles higher-paid salaries, notoriety, and film offers. Winning an Oscar, without question, is one of the most coveted landmarks for anyone in the film industry. 

Last week, during nominations week, the lists were announced for the 95th Academy Awards. Tevya Turok Shapiro wrote an incredibly concise roadmap of the nominations for Daily Maverick, found here. With the awards itself taking place on March 12th, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, there is now a window period in which nominees can prepare and process for a potentially life-changing win. Many of the biggest hits of 2022 received nods – with outstanding films like Everything, Everywhere, All At Once receiving 11 nominations in total (such as Michelle Yeoh for Best Lead Actress and Ke Huy Quan for Best Supporting Actor) and box-office behemoths like Avatar : The Way of Water and Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis for Best Picture. So, how come, among the best and known films of 2022 – a tiny, independent film ‘To Leslie’  found a spot, with its lead actress Andrea Riseborough receiving a nomination? Unknown and unheard of, and for a film grossing just $27 000 at the box office, how could this happen?

It is currently believed across the media circuit that Mary McCormack, the wife of the film’s director, Michael Morris, led a blatant lobbying campaign to bring the film to the attention of the voting committee: the Academy of Motion Picture and Sciences. Such lobbying is expressly forbidden, and entirely against the stringent rules held sacrosanct by the commitment for nearly a century. One of the first to report on the ‘shocking nomination, Puck’s Matthew Belloni wrote that McCormack and others “emailed and called tons of members of the Academy’s actors branch, begging them to see the little-watched alcoholic drama and post online about Riseborough’s searing performance.” 

Image 1: Andrea Riseborough on the red carpet by Steve Granitz
Image 2: 'To Leslie' Film Poster via imdb.com

Whether Riseborough’s performance is noteworthy or not – the Academy is again under-fire for blatant perpetuation of white-washing the nominations – a reputation it is both responsible for and continues to contend with. Belloni wrote, “Riseborough seemingly pushed out Viola Davis (The Woman King) and Danielle Deadwyler (Till), two Black actresses of that were backed by well-funded campaigns by Sony and MGM/Amazon, respectively, and were widely predicted to score honors, yet presumably do not have access to a network of powerful (and, let’s be honest, white) friends in the Academy to campaign for Oscars on their behalf. To some, it was the worst kind of racially-tinged cronyism, where the connections outshined the work.”

With this year’s nominations making history for the most Asian nominees – why does it appear that The Academy continues to exclude and include simultaneously? With a review process now underway – it is hoped that Riseborough’s nomination will be rescinded, or at the very least – explained. 

This is a developing story.


Featured Image: Oscar Statues by Matt Sayles 

Written by: Holly Beaton

Published: 31 January 2023

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

How to survive a festival over the age of 30

Jan 30, 2023 | Lifestyle, Navigating Reality

It’s no secret that a hangover in your 30’s slaps you harder than a ton of bricks. Honestly – I think back to my party years in my early 20’s – when I was in my self proclaimed Paris Hilton era, wearing white sky-high stilettos and 50cm hair extensions, and I had the resilience of a cockroach. I could drink fifteen Brutal Fruits in a row (they were cheap and I had not yet developed a taste for finer alcohol), down Patron shots, dance for hours in shoes that could pass as scaffolding, only to get home at 4am, sleep with my shoes on, drink no water and still arrive at work bright and breezy the next day at 8am. Albeit, with a slight headache. 

Now, in my 30’s (35 to be exact) if I make the crucial mistake of mixing two different types of red wine at dinner, it’s very likely that I wake up the next morning feeling like I’ve just had a lobotomy. Nevermind the fact that if I don’t get eight hours of sleep, my skin dehydrates to Kalahari state, I somehow age another 10 years and my mood channels something along the lines of having my period, during a full moon, when it’s mercury retrograde. 

This may sound dramatic, but it’s my reality and thus heading to a festival nowadays means that for optimal enjoyment, there are some necessary measures to be taken. 

I’m aware that most adults have more resilience than I do, so try not judge my fragility in this regard and rather welcome this friendly advice to amplify your experiences.

Image 1: Nick Fancher, Warp
Image 2: Marlen Stahlhuth, Chaotic Beauty

Attending Oppi Koppi in 2015 was easy. I welcomed dust, didn’t sleep, drank from morning till night and had the time of my life. However, attending a New Year’s festival recently showed me that my grit isn’t quite what it used to be. I had the best time, but I can safely say that without considering many of the following; that wouldn’t have been the case. 

It’s critical that you stay hydrated, drink fucking water man. Be as mountain-chic as possible and fill up your hydroflask with cold water as often as you can. Go the extra mile and pack yourself some Rehydrate as well, these are small packets of gold that will replenish electrolytes and hug you from the inside. If you’re camping; your best bet is to go with people as equipped as possible – I’m lean in this area and own a tent, a mattress and a lamp but the little luxuries go a long way; fairy lights, portable lamps, a gas burner, coffee maker, carpets/mats and groundsheets, a gazebo, chairs etc. these are all essential. 

When it comes to drugs, I’m a novice too – I don’t wear this as a badge of honour, in fact I think I’m probably missing out. I smoke weed and at my last festival, really re-visited my youth by sniffing some “Black Berlin Poppers” (I can honestly say this is probably the most damaging to your brain and I couldn’t feel my legs for ten minutes) but being well aware of the fact that Ketamine is the new black, I realised it would be critical to gain some insight from other festival goers;

 

 “Say yes to everything, but only in quarters”

– A happy festival goer 

 

“If there are showers at the festival, which there most certainly should be, I highly recommend showering high. Shower before you’re high, when you’re high and after you’re done being high. Take your 12 step routine with you, even better to have a shower buddy and have a time. Nothing beats feeling fresh as fuck at a festival”

– A glamourous festival goer

Images: Agustín Farias, Pride

With this being said, if you do indulge in said drug {Ketamine}, do so with both awareness and caution. The Cut’s November 2021 article  “Leave your body at the door; How Ketamine became the drug of choice for our disassociated moment” provides an in depth review of this party drug as well as the necessary facts one should refer to before deciding to partake. A key takeout from this piece being from Norman Cook (aka Fatboy Slim) “Get the quantity right and it’s incredible. Get it wrong and you feel like you’re dying.” 

As we have established, I am no pro in this area, however the above considerations should be applied to anything you take, under any circumstance. Recreational and responsible drug use is a blurry line but as far as one’s personal choices go, at least be smart enough to know what you’re taking, don’t take too much of it, don’t trick anyone into taking it and don’t be stupid – you’re not invincible and engaging in dangerous activities doesn’t mean you’ll be safe because your brain is telling you that you’re a superhero. If you have any mental illness or addiction tendencies, think twice before indulging at all.

 

 “Valoid suppositories, eye mask, ear plugs and Alzam (for bedtime)”

– A pro festival goer

 

“If you bump into an ex, give their new spouse more conversational attention than them”

– A festival goer that bumped into their ex 

 

“Make sure your last medical aid debit order went off before your leave”

– A responsible festival goer

 

In summary, it’s harder to party when you’re older – but it’s generally worth it. My last few words of advice; pick your festivals wisely – go to the ones where you’ll feel comfortable with the crowd and enjoy the music, lineups are always available (don’t go to a trance party if you’re looking for disco). Make sure you go with your best friends, swim if you can, brush your teeth out of your tent if you need to but always brush them before sleeping, pick your poison and stick with it, remember to eat at some point, use protection (all kinds of protection, including sunscreen), forget about your phone, scream for the DJ and finally; rave like you’re 18 again.

Published: 31 January 2023

Written by: Candice Erasmus

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

Otsile Moumakoe on the cult-success of VTSEK. Studios

Jan 29, 2023 | Creatives, Community

VTSEK has taken South African social media by storm. Blending South African political and creative titans (Cyril as a Broke Boy??) with American icons in portrayals from Paris to the Spaza; founder Otsile Moumakoe is a young creativefast developing full-mastery over his digital medium. With nearly 14k followers, VTSEK is the kind of account that will continue to go viral; with its humorous and deep anecdotes alike. In our conversation, Otsile self-described as being raised on TV; like many of us growing up, pop culture, music videos and sitcoms were our first exposure to a bigger and wider world. 

CYRIL X BROKE
MR BEAN X GUCCI X ADI

“I think a lot of my interests come from TV as a kid. I was pretty average academically, so when I discovered hip-hop, I found my feet and that feeling of belonging. I used to rap, but then I started making the cover art for my music – I was introduced to Photoshop in high school, when I was grounded at home and I couldn’t watch TV. At a certain point, my cover art surpassed my rapping, and it became my main focus.” This natural progression reminds me of when I thought I was going to be a fashion designer; my whole life, it seemed like that was what the goal should be – but within various disciplines and creative industries, there are so many roles and so many different ways in which talent can be nurtured and expressed. With VTSEK, Otsile found a way to speak to the culture and create iconography for it outside of the formula of a verse and beat. Lockdown 2020 was the seed of VTSEK, “I was rapping at the time, but then shows were cancelled. I needed to find a way to express ideas that I couldn’t with music. I think the best way to describe how every South African felt at that time was ‘’voetsek!’’ – that phrase is just ingrained in all of us, especially facing the pandemic. People didn’t quite get it at first, but then my work was noticed and started getting reshares. I think the first big moment for VTSEK was when Scoop Makhathini reposted my work, which was exciting. It kept me going, and then reaching 10k was big.”

Kasi Michael Jackson
VIRGIL RIKY
MADIBA RIDDIM

The idea for VTSEK is to use the American culture machine and translate it through a South African lens. Otsile’s work speaks to this frontier we are rising to meet in the country – we have seen so many people refusing to be fed by the projections and ideals of the global north. Instead, we are rising to meet, engaged rather in  cross-cultural and cross-continental exchanges, with artists like Otsile shaping visual coding as nuanced and striking as the everyday experience in South Africa. Ostile speaks to his inspiration, “I think we were influenced by American TV, but I got tired of that – I got tired of hearing rappers just speak to the American experience, and the expectation that the whole world is supposed to relate. I started infusing a lot of South African stuff with the American stuff, and my aesthetic was born from there. I wanted to see all of these influences and people in the same spaces as each other – I think that’s the point of what we can do with digital art, we can create visual stories that are totally our own.” The political sentiments in VTSEK images were influenced by Otsile’s father, “My father reads a lot of political books, and our PVR had a lot of political documentaries – as I said, my first research is from TV – I would page through and see Steve Biko and Mandela, and I mean – those are our icons. Why shouldn’t they be hyped in the same way we would hype Tupac or Virgil?” 

MADIB VIRG
SARAFINA X GUCCI

The granular, vintage-esque design of VTSEK pieces are intentional; mimicking the grainy, pixelated era of VHS tapes, and knocking the TV to get the signal working, Otsile says “I want my work to look retro, like back in the day when TVs were boxes and there was somehow always that greenish colour lurking in the background. It also helps hide some of my mistakes, to be honest. I also want to bring together different timelines, and it feels like the best way to show the time we live in; it’s the past and future we always wanted, where rappers in America are rapping over Kwaito beats.” Now, Otsile is participating in a creative wave that is suited for his continued success – his art is the kind of work younger generations will reference in decades to come. Having just moved to Cape Town to study graphic design, while taking commissions for VTSEK; the aim is to move into merchandising, and get his works up in galleries and exhibitions. Only big things, next.

Written by: Holly Beaton

Published: 30 January 2023

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

Copenhagen Fashion Week is back for AW23

Jan 27, 2023 | News, Fashion

Fashion’s cool, sustainable younger sister is back for the Autumn / Winter season – Copenhagen Fashion Week. Challenging the holy trinity of Paris, Milan and London, CPHFW is fast-becoming an essential mainstay, at least not for their unbridled commitment to sustainable and ethical values. What is usually murmured and recognized for the appearance of ‘care’ in traditional and established industry – CPHFW takes sustainability so seriously that if designers do not meet certain standards: they simply will not be allowed to show. This kind of industry incentive and encouragement is a brilliant, holistic approach by the system itself, led by Copenhagen Fashion Week’s CEO Cecilie Thorsmark.  

So what’s ahead? From Tuesday, 31st January to Thursday, 2nd February; CPHFW will host 28 brands – please find the schedule list here. We can expect to see the city of Copenhagen come alive (from our screens) as the event platforms a myriad of events, street-parties and of course – street style that will light up Pinterest and cool-girl IG feeds from the moment they’re uploaded. This season is the first pilot of CPHFW strict 18 minimum standards for every label or designer applying to showcase; some of these include label’s that do not destroy unsold clothing after collections, who use at least 50% of materials used are recycled, up-cycled, deadstock or certified organic and regenerative textiles (that are traceable), zero waste set design and show production and prioritising inclusivity and diversity particularly within managerial and leadership roles, within the applicant brand’s business structure. Please read the rest of the Minimum Standards, here.

In short? When viewing Copenhagen Fashion Week from next week Tuesday, you are guaranteed to be watching only an array of sustainable designers and labels; they will have had to meet all of the standards, and will be unequivocally vetted and structured internally, externally and at fashion week itself to comply with all these aspects. This is not about contrived pledges (heard them all before) or targets: these standards have to be pre-existing and an integrated way in which the brands function from season to season. This is how we action systemic change; by doing it. 

For Chapter 08 of our monthly fashion column, Interlude, I made a case for the parallels between our emerging fashion market in South Africa, and Denmark; “The home of the ‘Ganni Girl’ and coined term ‘Copencore’ – arising out of the minimalist palette of their sister country, Sweden – Danish fashion has risen out of such shadows to become synonymous with vivid colours and textures – playfulness, joy and a deliberate emphasis on apparel and everyday wear. Slightly different from “ready-to-wear”, I use the term everyday wear to describe the sincerity of Danish fashion – that it seems to actually reflect, directly and effortlessly, the sartorial choices of our generation; many of us working as creatives, many of us thrifting and interpreting trends with less rigidity and rules than before. Danish fashion seems to show the lived lifestyles of fashion-conscious people around the world; and as such, Copenhagen Fashion Week is as much a coveted affair as it is an event that feels accessible and relatable. The wild part of this – particularly the fervour for which CPHFW is becoming an essential fixture in the industry – is that it is still considered a very young, emerging fashion market. Sound familiar?” Copenhagen Fashion Week gives me hope, and I hope it can for you too. 

All images courtesy of : Copenhagen Fashion Week’s Digital Showroom

Written by: Holly Beaton

Published: 27 January 2023

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

Chapter 12 | Menswear & Masculine Fashion in Africa

Jan 26, 2023 | Fashion, Interlude

Paris & Milan Menswear FW23 has been and gone – somehow, it always feels like it’s fashion week. In recent decades, menswear has been the complementary force for womenswear; masculine dressing relegated to an accompanying act – while womenswear is always shifting, updating and available in a myriad of styles, silhouettes, textures and hues. That is changing, though; hard and fast, and according to european analytics giant, Euromonitor, “menswear is expanding at a faster rate than womenswear in some key markets. Social media trends such as streetwear and sportswear are changing how both luxury and fast-fashion brands approach menswear, as social media lifts taboos, changes mentalities and allows for men to explore individuality outside of the constructs of traditional masculinity.” We are witnessing a challenge to the normative expression of gender across the board; and the often stifling way in which relegating certain forms of clothing to ‘men’ or ‘women’ can impose limitations on design. Many of the shows in Paris and Milan cast both men and women for their ‘menswear’ shows; gender and its relationship to fashion is revealing of the nuanced, social shifts taking shape in collective culture.

I hesitate to make statements about ‘Africa’ – relegating a vastly complex and rich continent to any kind of homogenous framework. What the title of this month’s Interlude intends to do, is situate the eight brands on the continent that are carrying forth the expression and expansion of masculine dressing. From a historical perspective – the crisp, white shirts and loafers introduced to men from South Africa to Nigeria, generally by colonisers, have gone on to become a source of reclaimed, sartorial pride. Tanatswa Amisi, Interlude’s first collaborator from Chapter 11, said this of Wanda Lepotho’s collab with Dakotas, “I remember Wanda posting an image a month or so before announcing this collab, and it was an image of a man in apartheid South Africa, dressed in this crisp, smart-casual way as a lot of Black men dressed in townships. This collaboration was paying homage to a very specific sartorial coding within South African culture and history. I struggle to find the words to describe it – but it’s the way my grandfather dresses, the way our father’s dressed back in the day. The loafer is the central symbol to this, and it’s significant – I know my dad and grandfather polished and cleaned their loafers with great pride. Wanda and Dakotas coming together to really honour this, was so meaningful. I think it should have gotten a lot more attention than it did.”  In this way, dressing is often inherently political; and designers today are inclined to collate a vast array of references that stretch across memory, ancestry and contemporary culture. I am of the school of thinking that puts Africa and indigenous cultures as the original reference and seat of creative power; across the diaspora and the globe, defined by craftsmanship and community roles (tailoring), from the market stalls on the street to the runways of Virgil’s LV; and then some. Here in South Africa, we are home to the innate sensibility of Coloured, Malay & Muslim dressing, too; something designers like Imran Mohamed of ASA SADAN continues to archive, and Mario Oogle and Eden Myrrh now at the helm of TWOBOP. The power of story-telling and the importance of preserving and updating sartorial lineages make Africa, and this country of South Africa, vital to a future of fashion in the world. 

I will never cease saying what I know and what many of the incredible creators I interview regularly say; Africa’s time is now, and the brands detailed in the next part of Chapter 12 are but a taste of the magnifying fashion realm being built on the continent today.

 

RICHMANSKYF /// South Africa

I continue to be totally intrigued by RICHMANSKYF – the brain-child brand of designers Sabelo Shabalala and Sithelo Mlhongo, both alumni of Durban University of Technology. Along with CPUT, I believe DUT produces some of the strongest Fashion & Textiles experts in the country; think REFUSE Clothing and Phuti Styles. Shabalala and Mhlongo’s brand errs effortlessly between streetwear and the makings of luxury; with RICHMANSKYF a translation of cultural codes and contemporary sensibility of menswear in South Africa, today. Blending both Zulu and Xhosa references, the brand feels destined to be housed on racks alongside A-COLD-WALL* on a global level, and at Duck Duck Goose, locally.

Images 1 + 2 : @tatendachidora
Images 3 + 4 : @imraanchristian

Kente Gentlemen /// Côte d’Ivoire

Ethical care and consideration maketh the man – this is the life-force behind Abidjan based brand, Kente Gentlemen. Founded by Aristide Loua, the label defines itself as ‘Sartorial Poetry’ (perfection) and all pieces are handmade, with a vision for ethical consumption. Colour is exceptionally injected across Loua’s collections; masculinity expressed as a liberated yet sharp energy to yield playfully and without inhibition. Aristide’s note says it best, “The essence of the brand is to mould a sustainable balance of colour, poetry, and culture as we remain consistent in the continuing research, discovery, (re)design, and use of handwoven textiles. Among the myriad of wax print designs and fabrics, which have effectively been marketed and sold across the African continent for decades now, it’s easy for anyone to get lost into what is perceived to be African fashion. There’s surely a lot of misconceptions out there about what is meant by “African Fashion”. What even qualifies a style, a trend, a fashion, to legitimately be called African? “African Fashion” is for all of us to discover; it is too expansive to narrowly be defined, and it doesn’t need to be. Fashion in Africa encompasses a multitude of traditions, cultures, textures, forms, techniques and philosophies, all together, and so is far removed from the confines of a single story. Its plurality, interwoven by a seamless mystery makes it all truly poetic, colourful, and enchanting.”

 

Image 1 : @angnm_
Image 2 : @anagandara 
Image 3 : @jorispaterson 
Image 4 : @marcposso

Forge Studios /// South Africa

I was pointed to Chad-lee van Wyk’s work by friend and fellow writer Luci Dordley, and to say I was moved would be an understatement. South African fashion (no, world fashion!) is sleeping on Forge Studios – a love-letter to fashion, queerness and up-cycling straight from the heart of Ocean View, in the deep south of the Cape Peninsula. In his latest collection, van Wyk’s ‘Kwa Amani’ menswear takes masculine dressing and turns it entirely on its head. With tailoring, knitwear and dresses – the model, David, is an illuminated vision of the highest order – and Forge’s IG alone is a stunning portrait of references, curated so that the essence of the brand is difficult to articulate. I think, rather, Forge’s essence is meant to be felt. I won’t say too much more – until I get to speak to Chad-lee directly about his work and story. Wow.

Images : @chadleevanwyk

Tokyo James /// Britain & Nigeria

Iniye Tokyo James’ brand, Tokyo James, is a masterful orchestration of glamour and sex, depth and meaning. While designers often tend to pursue either poignancy or playfulness; James does both, everytime. Steff Yotka’s coverage for Tokyo James SS22 reads, “James’s warmth and heart translate to his garments. This season he started thinking about the Osu caste system used by the Igbo people of eastern Nigeria. Osu—or outcasts—are shunned by society and looked down on; James saw them as representative of outcasts around the world. A collection that wafts through ideas of lightness and porousness was his solution; something gentler and kinder. He made use of beautiful white and pink/red lace for collar shirts, blazers, and trousers and created similarly perforated white jackets from cord. Underneath, there are James’s first boxer shorts with a bold logo tag; there is also a cheeky graphic tee that reads “Tokyo Fucking James.” It’s delivered as a saucy message of self-preservation.”

As an LVMH finalist for 2022; Tokyo James is a label on the rise – yet, with a cult-like following already, the kind of successful trajectory of Nigerian cultural command (Burna Boy, Skepta) in the world has only just begun.

Images : courtesy of @tokyojames via Vogue.com

Wanda Lephoto /// South Africa

To me, Wanda Lephoto forms part of a quartet of luxury designers that has led South Africa into a new era – the other three are Lukhanyo Mdingi, Thebe Magugu and Rich Mnisi. Showing in Milan last year, and with a recent showroom in Paris (literally, last week) – Lephoto’s label is a case study on dapper African sensibility, cultural dialogue, and just so effortlessly cool : with each garment from the label expressed as achingly thoughtful and stirring. Wanda is a master at story-telling and campaigns that edify South Africa’s sartorial, visual language. Past collection, ‘Black Renaissance’, may have been a single title; but this description is precisely where Lephoto’s lands – in the heart of an era that is taking the world by storm.

 

Images 1 - 3 : @kentandreasan 
Image 4 : @paulshiakallis

 

Orange Culture /// Nigeria

Adebayo Oke-Lawal’s label Orange Culture is somewhat of a veteran, if we are to think of the pace at which fashion moves. Since 2011, the label has done everything from the LVMH prize (2015 finalist) to London and Lagos Fashion Week, to being stocked globally from Hollywood to Kenya (and in between) – as said, “The label is more than a clothing line, Adebayo insists. It is a “movement” that covers universal silhouettes with an African touch to a creative class of men, translating into a heady mixture of Nigerian inspired print fabrics, colour and contemporary urban street wear. The garments answer to just about anyone who’s interested in telling a story with the way they present themselves. All pieces are manufactured in Lagos, from ethically-sourced fabrics from local Nigerian fabric makers. Orange Culture takes their staff through rigorous training processes and offers them the opportunity to attend skill acquisition initiatives.”

Image 1 + 2 : @percigothasauce 
Image 3 + 4 : courtesy of @orangecultureng

 

UNI FORM /// South Africa

Luke Radloff’s UNI FORM is the definition of clean and precise. Muted tones are the mainstay of the label’s DNA; with silhouettes sharply tailored, or billowing, to form a literal uniform of luxury essentials for every occasion. Self-stated as ‘Emotional Tailoring’, UNI FORM is prose written out of Johannesburg; with Radloff a Margiela-esque figure in terms of discretion. In a fashion landscape in which we believe everything has to be wild and outrageous all the time: UNI FORM’s trousers and symmetrical shirts outrage in their serene perfection. Radloff himself is part of a vanguard of fashion creatives aiming to establish Johannesburg as a fashion capital;  Essential, critical, mastery.

Images : @retang_sebeka

Kenneth Ize /// Nigeria

Kenneth Ize’s eponymous label debuted in Paris in 2020 – and then the pandemic hit. Not one to concede to challenge, the lockdown period offered Ize time to create a capsule collection for Maison Karl Lagerfeld, closely with France’s (much cooler) Anna Wintour, Carine Roitfeld. Since Kenneth has built a factory in Ilorin, Nigeria – where most of his fabrics are woven. News struck at the end of last year that Ize has parted with his investor; rumours abound as to the reason, but I imagine it has to do with the usual story – financiers stifling the creative vision and autonomy of designers with big dreams, and an even bigger purpose to do it differently than the harsh ways in which fashion labels have been taught to ‘succeed’. We wait patiently for Kenneth Ize’s full return – recently, his show in Lagos ‘Forward Ever, Backward Never’ marked the designer’s new chapter. Free, and future-heading.

Image 1 + 2 : @joshuawoods 
Image 3 : @wurlidaps
Image 4 : @iamdanielobasi

 

Written by: Holly Bell Beaton
Published: 27 January 2023

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