“Sophistication and Edge, An Image-Making Visionary”

Nov 1, 2022 | Interviews, Creatives

What happens when your work is discovered by Oprah Winfrey, at just 16 years old? Well, if you’re Sivan Miller – you may find yourself, through a series of events stretched across many years, living in New York as one of fashion’s rising photographers. From the salty-air of Cape Town city, to the whirlwind of NYC – Sivan has shot covers and worked with people that many of us will only ever know or see through screens or in prints. Yet, as I come to find out in our conversation, Sivan’s journey to New York is a childhood dream come true (and that chance experience with Oprah, was an earlier signal that he only understood many years later) but not without the difficulty and determination it takes to emerge in a place in which everyone is wanting to ‘make it’. Now, with a formidable portfolio & a shifting stylistic approach – namely, the style seen in images such as those VETEMENTS images, among others – Sivan is a devotee of exceptional lighting; knowing intimately how to refract its power to yield some of the moodiest, and most incisive portrayals of fashion as subversion – the potent revival of a new kind of avant garde; cyber, kinetic, grunge and ephemerality all wrapped up in one. Sivan is the kind of photographer dedicated to the visual expression of smaller brands – emerging, intellectually and culturally subversive spaces and creatives – as he is the glitz and glamour of the Academy Awards, and on the day we speak – he is off to shoot for Harper’s Bazaar. One’s creative career is really for the taking – Sivan shows us that originality must come first.

“This was all before Instagram – before social media – before you could say taking photos was a normal, everyday part of life for people across the board. I was going out everyday, shooting  landscapes and sunsets, people here and there – and I was putting it on a free website, Flickr, which was really the very first platform online for creatives – before Tumblr, even. I was a teenager, so really there was no ambition behind it; it was just for pure enjoyment. One day I got an email from the Oprah team, they had seen one of my photos, and they wanted to use it in their magazine, and meet her for an interview. I remember sitting in front of the computer, frozen – I thought it was fake. I called my parents to the computer, as I was so unsure. I kind of left it at that point, and then my parents followed up with it, my dad was like, ‘no, this is real.’ When Oprah came to Joburg, I met her there and they did a double page feature on me with my photo. That was the start of someone putting the spotlight on my work.” Sivan reminisces at this formative and surreal moment – surprisingly though, it did little to catapult Sivan at that time. He, in many ways, had growing up to do – and only some years later, when he fully stepped into the calling as a photographer, Sivan was able to remember that moment with Oprah as a big sign from the universe. On this, he says, “In my twenties, it was a motivation and inspiration to remember – but it wasn’t any sort of big ‘change’ in my life then. I mean, I was 16, you know? When times were really tough, I think back and I can appreciate, with gratitude, that Oprah believed in my work – which is a wild thing to even be able to say.”

For Sivan, the road to shooting and creating fulltime was a winding one – and it’s something I hear many creatives that we speak to, say; the idea of being a “creative” has not been as serious a path until the last decade. It simply did not offer our parents’ generation the futures of security that they so desperately wanted for us. Sivan reflects on this, “To be honest, pursuing it as a career wasn’t an option. To be a photographer back then was not a serious or viable career – my dad’s a lawyer, and the expectation was that photography could be a beautiful hobby, but nothing more than that. I studied 3D animation for three years, and only after going through all the routes from working at a post-production house – and being so close to photography but not quite there – did it dawn on me that I could do this full time.” Sivan’s experience in post-production meant that he was adjacent to roles like photography – and with the grind of an office job, the hope for a movement & action driven career, became clearer, “I wasn’t really into 8 until 5 in the office – really, sitting still, felt quite restrictive. The owners where I worked were amazing, they allowed me to go try – they had seen my photos, and said I could come back if it didn’t work out. I think that’s quite rare. I left that day, and I never went back. My parents were shocked, but I think all those factors really pushed me to make it work.” This moment for Sivan speaks to a greater risk that most, if not all, creatives face when they concede to the call and take up the mantle of their artistic expression. It is, in many ways, the only thing we are really required to do – to share this expression with the world. Now, more than ever, we see the creative industries and role players drive the world socially and culturally; defining the way forward in the 21st century. 

 

Sivan’s move to New York reflects a very real folktale murmured around the world – and even within the USA – that the city itself is a destiny that some simply have to follow through with. I ask Sivan what this means, as a South African, to reach an empire state of mind – “It’s been amazing – it was my dream. It’s crazy that it’s happened. I went through all the states of ‘how can it happen, it’s so expensive?’ – New York is this mystical place, and I think it feels out of reach for many, many people. It’s been a constant amount of work, and constant shooting – that has been the most important thing, a strong portfolio is vital, and then to keep strengthening it as time goes on. I wasn’t great to start with, as a photographer, but there’s a talent inside all of us that has to get worked on and refined. I think everyone can, and should, follow their dreams in their own craft. The route to New York was marked initially by a VISA rejection – but I knew deep down that it had to happen. I tried to come as a tourist, and being a freelancer, I was rejected – they’re very strict. I started reaching out to agencies, and there’s no other way; with VISA issues, the best way is to ensure relocation to where you want to go, is to do it through an agency or company that can vouch for you. Finally an agency loved my work.” Since landing in New York, Sivan has gone on to achieve truly incredible things – the kind of work that photographers in fashion dream of. Sivan speaks to an array of highlights, “Last year I shot the cover of Elle, here in New York. I’ve worked with a lot of incredible models, brands creatives – and working at the Oscars was amazing. Meeting famous people has been interesting – almost all of them have been really, really lovely. Their lives are totally wild – like it really is a level of luxury and life that is almost alien to the rest of us – but so many celebrities I’ve met are really down-to-earth, and kind. Working with Jaden Smith, Gigi Hadid – it’s really amazing, and keeps me going.”

 

Now, Sivan is introducing an entirely new aesthetic palette in his work – marked by incredible shoots with various brands, all eager to work within this new stylistic narrative that he has set out – and one that aligns exceptionally well with the subversive thread running throughout fashion and design, “This is my new style, I’ve been heading this way for a while. It’s very futuristic – and pushes an edge, I think. I’m always thinking about creating something new or fresh. I love light – I could spend all day in the studio playing with light, which is a key aspect of the mood in this style; it’s a richness in the effects of light that maintains a level of sophistication, but also with an experimental essence. It’s how I see things now.” This style of shooting is one palpable and familiar to those of us enamoured with the more fringe – grunge – and cultish style of visual expression, and one that we at CEC (as you can tell by our feed!) remained adoring of – with a South African visionary like Sivan being a maker of such visions, we really couldn’t feel prouder. 

 

Written By Holly Bell Beaton

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

Jordan X Shelflife : The First Exclusively African Jordans Collaboration Pays Homage to Community

Oct 31, 2022 | Creatives, Community

Global giant Nike has chosen South African sneaker store Shelflife for its first collaboration on the African continent. The Jordan Brand, which created its first Air Jordan Sneaker in 1985 with basketball legend Michael Jordan, continues 37 years later to earn an astounding $3 million every five hours for Nike. Resales between collectors on the secondary market fetch up to 500% more than the original retail price. 

“Nike chose only three stores worldwide to do a special co-lab with the Jordan 2 shoe aptly named the “International Flight Club” pack.  The idea was to shine a spotlight on areas of the world that are passionate about Jordan sneakers but traditionally aren’t represented in mainstream media. Nike selected the Titan Store in the Philippines, Shop Two 18 in Detroit, USA and us in South Africa,” says Nick Herbert Founder and Creative Director, Shelflife. “When they first called me, I was driving to a meeting. I actually couldn’t believe my ears, and thought I was being pranked. Shelflife had been shortlisted to do a colab and we had to present to 30 members including top execs of Nike Jordan Global. It was a mad experience! I never thought that this would happen. Every sneaker store owner or sneakerhead dreams of the opportunity to work with Jordan to design a shoe.”

The Jordan x Shelflife took two years to develop. “We pretty much had free range on the colours and materials we wanted to work with. We came up with the concept of focusing on the Shelflife team that makes it happen; to capture the essence of the team who show up each day to make sure the product gets to market,” says Herbert. “Often it is only the CEO or owner of a business that is in the limelight. But each member of our team contributes equally. The Shelflife team are the most passionate, knowledgeable sneakerheads around – they understand it and live it and speak about it all day long. When the shoe was being designed, we worked together, asking for input on design, and each employee’s signature is featured on the shoe’s inner sole. The TEAM ONLY shoe acknowledges the role of each member of our team but also the broader community that makes us who we are – from sales staff to social media management, to the employee, to the designer to the client. We represent a collective who understand the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”

Nike says,“Our collab with South Africa’s leading sneaker and streetwear store Shelflife, this fresh take on the AJ2 grounds you to the spirit of TEAM ONLY. And as Jordan Brand’s first collaboration with an Africa-based partner, it’s a celebration of bridging oceans and finding community.”

Kezia Linderoth, grew up in Retreat, Cape Town, and has been working at Shelflife since 2016. To Kezia, the collaboration between Jordan and Shelflife is mind blowing, and well-deserved.  “For the store to be recognised as such on the global scene will have a positive impact and will show the path for many other stores all over Africa. The time is right, and I am grateful to be part of the story,” says Linderoth. Herbert continues, “there are now 35 people working for Shelflife and I am incredibly proud that this business is now supporting 35 families. It has taken 16 years to build the business to this point. The team takes their jobs seriously and they work super hard – and I wanted to celebrate that.”

The Jordan x Shelflife range is available at Shelflife in store and online in Cape Town and Johannesburg.

In addition to the sneakers, retailing at R3,899, the Jordan x Shelflife range includes a TEAM ONLY range of clothing. The range will be distributed globally through Jordan’s top tier neighbourhood boutique partners and the Nike SNKRS app globally in October 2022. 

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

A Street-Cast Dream in Strand: Heysous Launches ‘More Spirit Than Flesh’ Capsule 02 shot by Koooooos

Oct 28, 2022 | Interviews, Fashion

Heysous Apparel’s second instalment was heavily inspired by 90’s street, skate and club culture. We were going for a nostalgic feel, apparel that serves to give the user an embrace from their youth. Our goal with this drop as well as our company ethos is to always be inspirational, positive in message, and invoke a state of confidence, joy, love, peace and respect. Do with this message what you will. Have fun, and be free in your interpretation. And most of all know that we are incredibly grateful for your contribution. – Marco De Sousa & Deeva Merwe

The city of Cape Town sprawls further than the CBD, Woodstock & the Southern Suburbs than we might recognise; with 4.7 million folks stretching across the peninsula, we are a city of dreamers – ‘chilled’ – with a reputation for seeding some of the best brands that reflect these precise sentiments. We may not be as fast-paced as our kin in Joburg, but we certainly get it done. Heysous Apparel is a passion-project brand drenched entirely in this spirit; and at CEC, we have had them on our radar for a while. For our monthly fashion column, Interlude, they were one of the local streetwear brands I wrote about for our ‘Ascent of Local Streetwear’ edition, – saying, “Heysous hail from sunny Cape Town – a colourful, joyful ode to friendship and fun, alongside a wonderful size inclusivity. Their offerings are notable for the graphic print tees (our favourite is the Abra A Sua Mente tee depicting consciousness awakening) and bubble style typography, with mantras like “change cometh” and “guided by love”. Priding themselves on responsibly sourced fabrics and local production; we love to see the spirit of Cape Town’s textile heritage celebrated in a youthful way, for everyone.”

With summer ahead, and for their second drop ever, ‘More Spirit Than Flesh’ Capsule 02 Heysous’ co-founders Marco de Sousa and Deeva Merwe continue their joyful charge – and for their campaign, exclusively launched here on CEC, we are thrilled to showcase the work of a dear friend of the publication, Koos Groenewald. In a truly Capetonian style of collaboration – Koos, Deeva and Marco met synchronistically at Stellski’s in Woodstock – and thus, ‘Promdate’ was eventually born. With equipment, models – and Disco Creative’s Founder Candice Hatting in tow (as Koos says, far too qualified to be his assistant, but too fabulous in her ability to make people feel excited and welcome) – Koos captures the energy of Strand promenade – inviting people on their daily mission to join in on the fun. We can’t think of a more delightful way than to spread the intention of Heysous – and celebrate the city and its people. 

Koos explains, “Heysous is a passion project – and so the capsule campaigns felt like it should reflect that, too. We wanted to focus on showing the brand’s ethos of encouraging people to creatively express themselves. I told them about this idea that I had, to go to the Strand and do a street-casting shoot because there’s always such amazing people there. I know the area because my parents moved there 10 years ago, and whenever I visit – I’ve always said I wanted to document the people. There’s such a richness and realness in the people and characters cruising along the promenade.” The result is brightly lit images evocative of that feeling of being by the sea on a summer’s day – when the sand is reflecting its luminescence in lieuw of the sun, and the air is salt-stained and fresh. With beautiful, redheaded models – and appearances from the incredible people of Strand, the campaign is nostalgia & newness effortlessly synthesised – beckoning us to dive into the season ahead with utter gratitude for being alive, and for being South African. Koos says on the task of street-casting, “We bought three cast models with us, to make sure we had people to work with – so we didn’t leave it entirely up to chance-casting – in the end, we didn’t need models because everyone was so keen to be shot. What was an unexpected and beautiful turn of events, is that the models and people ended up being shot together – there was such a sense of unity in how it all worked out.” 

Marco reflects on the drop tself, “This is our second drop, and we’ve been around for a year. This round, we wanted to do something really punchy and small-scale, with the view to drop bi-annually or tri-annually. We wanted to reference 90s, skate and club culture – invoking a sense of nostalgia – so playing in that space, and having that conversation with Koos – his idea of going to Strand was perfect. We trusted him implicitly to do whatever he wanted with it. Heysous is about spreading light, love and happiness – and the campaign reflects that perfectly.” For Marco and Deeva, Heysous is a ‘side’ project (thought no less important, just parallel to their respective businesses and work) – so the brand itself is a critical space in which they can both have total free reign with, creatively. The capsule features an array of tees, plaid and corduroy pants – fit for function, and fun. A notable thread throughout the Heysous design code is the feature of epitaphs – both in English and Portuguese – the latter, a nod to Marco’s heritage. On this, he says, “I add a lot of Portuguese sayings that family used to say to us – they’re personal nods. One of the phrases in this drop, “Quem vê cara não vê coração” is Portuguese and translates to “He who sees a face does not see a heart.” Sometimes I try to disguise the emotion with the Portuguese. I know we can’t always be happy, but I think we can have meaning close to us, especially with what we wear. I find people shy away from the vulnerable embrace or openness in fashion, so this is our way of doing that.”

Some notes personal notes from Marco on the featured garments: 

All our fabric is sourced, dyed and produced locally.

Quem Vê Cara – T

“Quem vê cara não vê coração” is Portuguese and translates to “He who sees a face does not see a heart. 

– Pearl of wisdom taught to me by my Portuguese grandparents. 

Show Me Love – T

Based on the 90’s club track from Robin S, “Show me Love”. 

– The lyrics are all about self-respect and self-worth, ideals that we want this brand to stand for. 

More Spirit Than Flesh – T

No two atoms ever touch, we are more spirit than flesh.

– I like the idea of looking at science and an ethereal lens 

 

Shop the ‘More Spirit Than Flesh’ Capsule 02 here

 

CREDITS

Client: Heysous @heysous

Photography & Creative Direction: Koos Groenewald @koooooos

Production & Casting: Disco @discocreatives / @discocasting

Talent: My friend Ned @myfriendned

Models:

Robin @ruobing_j

Dean @_dean_hunter_

Thomas @thomasfartstern 

With special thanks to the people of Strand. 

Written By Holly Bell Beaton

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

PHFAT – The Unrelenting Sonic Pursuit

Oct 27, 2022 | Interviews, Music

PHFAT is a moniker that has stood the test of time – the iconic name lives on in South Africa’s musical lexicon – stronger since, in many ways, than when the term was formerly known as P.H.F.a.t. Since 2015, with a slight alteration, founding member and lead emcee Mike Zietsmann is driving the verbal and sonic vehicle of PHFAT wholly as his own; not without, though, an exceptional commitment to collaboration – and as we come to find out in this interview, a firm support for the younger generation. Mike is an OG – and he has the scars to show. As someone whose very existence & career leads as an example of what is possible for independent musicians, the relentless spirit of creative expression & dedication lives on through PHFAT. Connect Everything Collective’s founder & editor in chief, Candice, caught up with Mike in his studio – a full circle journey, with her own memories of the 2010s laced with memories of PHFAT’s presence. 

Mike’s studio is nestled underground in a building in Cape Town’s CBD, walking into the room was one thing but heading through the doors into Mike’s fully equipped, geared-for-optimum-sound studio was quite another.  Walking into the studio where we’re about to interview PHFAT immediately takes me back to Candice 12 years ago, where I used to quiver with excitement when knowing I was about to watch PHFAT perform live in Newtown, JHB. The dedication to his craft of music is evident in his studio space and before we delve into the interview, we spend some time chatting and reminiscing over the tracks PHFAT have released, spanning over a decade. 

I ask Mike to take us back – a story arising out of the sleepy hood of Hout Bay, steeped in the kind of youthful grit that makes shit really happen –  to which he says, “Me and Narch just lived in the same town and we surfed together a lot. I decided I wanted to try and make music – and I was trying my very best to figure it out at that point – when a song played, I still had no idea how it was put together. At some point, we made a track that could’ve been performed. It sort of clicked, and then I think it was Fletcher who picked it up and played it in his set Earthdance. We were 18 or 19, standing in the crowd with our minds blown. The beauty of that age is not being aware of how bad you are – you’re quite willing to suck. The one thing about being willing to suck in public, is when you find out in public that people don’t like stuff – and if you can handle the criticism, that process of refinement can begin.” PHFAT at the time, felt like a new era, even genre in South African music. Fast forward to a few years later circa 2015 I see myself watching them (Mike) perform “Light’s Out” with JungFreud, genuinely one of the most incredible performances I’ve ever seen. Now, as the years have passed, Mike reflects on those days, “When we started, we were playing alternate stages at trance parties. There was always an element of the hip-hop thing, so we’d be with the drum & bass DJs, and then with the indie bands. I think people struggled to place us, initially. I don’t know where we are, but we’re still playing. Post-lock down is the first generational shift that we’ve seen – you can see a marked difference in the landscape. I’m reminded of when we were young millennials, going to the late Gen-X parties – now I’m an older millennial, with Gen-Z crowds.” Music was then, as it is now, an non-negotiable calling for Mike – and a path he has made work, no matter what, in a way that symbolises across the country that a career in music is possible – and it is absolutely necessary, “I remember when it first clicked, I was delivering pizza to pay for my R1 000.00 microphones – which was crazy money back then – and we had our first show, and made like R2 000.00. I realised I could make more money having fun than delivering pizzas – so it was non-negotiable to continue.”  

It was around that time that I clutched onto the CD handed out to me at one of the shows; PHFAT’s “Dinosaur Blood” – a disc that I played on repeat, from start to finish. An era of a time where the iPod was not yet a feature in my car (mainly because I didn’t have aux cable) and I relied on hard copy discs to get my music fix. On the release, Mike reminisces “Physical releases were still a thing at the time – this is before streaming. It was actually pretty wild, I had a relationship with Puma when I was younger and skateboarding, and I called them – and we somehow convinced Andy from Mahala to print something like 10 000 CDs, and they put them in the sleeve of every Mahala magazine and we just mailed it to everyone for free. Then, we just put it all on Soundcloud so everyone could listen to it.” With so much changing in the way we consume and create music – I remain an ardent fan of the music video format. Maybe it was being raised on music channels, or the total poetry of those moments seeing artists come alive on screen. There was a form of access to their world – does it remain relevant though? Mike comments, “The music video was a visual statement that could sell a personality or identity. We haven’t lost that necessarily – it’s just been fragmented into smaller and smaller pieces, across social media. People’s attention span seems shorter now, too – so today, long-form videos are not necessarily the most strategic way to convey a story.”

With the disbanding of PHFAT as a crew, Mike has taken up the mantle firmly on his own – as the solo performer, keeping the lifeblood running of PHFAT to fans and collaborators alike. What has this proven in both challenge and triumph? “My production chops have certainly improved through collaboration with other artists. It brings on challenges, for sure, but it has also provided more opportunities. When you’re out there on your own, it can expand your versatility or spread you too thin. Anytime you’re spread too thin in the process of up-skilling, you can eventually get back up when you’re stronger to handle it. I think it’s made me a more capable musician. There’s people who would argue the music has gone backwards, but that’s okay – you’re allowed to hate.”  

Mike’s optimism in SA music is both refreshing and encouraging, laced with unwavering passion and a non-stop attitude to release good music and collaborate with artists and musicians from the local scene in South Africa. Maintaining this optimism is critical to his success – and the maintenance of PHFAT’s importance in the local music consciousness. Mike makes a case for why the grass need not always be greener, “We get fed the success stories from other territories – you know, the grass is greener mentality. When you actually go to those other places, you realise the hustle is still happening; sometimes in an even more competitive landscape. There might be more catch-nets or resources available, but it’s also relative. I think to lose optimism is to start looking for a new career. You can’t be jaded about the scene, because it will always be over-saturated or under-developed. In every scene in the world, there are viciously talented musicians who are underappreciated.The goal is to crack it everywhere, but everyone has a starting point and every starting point has challenges. I think one of the things that has helped me stay optimistic has been working with young musicians. That youthful, hard-headedness to fucking just go for it, is so energising.” So who is Mike watching out for now, in 2022? “Talent-wise, Moonga K is amazing. I’ve worked with him on a ton of songs. I saw him this weekend at Daisies – they put him on at 3pm, so it wasn’t a big crowd, and it’s difficult to light up to a sparse crowd; but he was fully immersed in it, he pulled in an audience  from nothing. His voice is world-class, and he dances well; he’s got that feeling. Internet Girl, aboynamedblu, and Burning Forest Boy too, though I haven’t worked with him.” After the interview, Mike played me some of his unreleased and upcoming music – listening to these tracks was an absolute treat (especially in the previously mentioned geared-for-optimum sound studio) – the music is superb and reflects the utmost commitment Mike has (and has never lost) for releasing the sounds that could only be known as…PHFAT. 

With Mike’s grasp firmly on creating spaces in which local musicians share in the spirit of the future – and the event producer space that he is a part of, Rare Cassette is an example of this. With Rare Cassette’s team – Katya Volkova, Josh Berry, Dillon Birns, Zach Lees and Nikita Lanndau – I experienced big things to come in this new era of events & shows, post-pandemic and future-focused. Katya explains, “we are a team of musicians and creatives just decided to make a dream happen. Just because we can. Rare Cassette is for musicians and music lovers. Sound, stage design, lighting, ear plugs for all guests, posters and visual style we love, backstage for artists, long soundcheck night before the show to make sure that everything sounds and looks the way we want it. We did it without sponsors and any brand support, just because we wanted to. God bless the venue, the Factory,with their support, understanding and trust. We did Rare Cassette  with attention to every little tiny detail, we also learned a lot of lessons haha of course, but the most important on the event day we all were the most happiest people in the world, because everything was happening, a lot of beautiful people came to Paarden Eiland and each live show looks sick, authentic and boom!” 

 

What does this mean for the performing season ahead? Katya remarks, “It was brave and crazy to put this event in 4 weeks. But with good energy and passion I believe that everything is possible. I, personally, love projects and ideas when it sounds crazy, feels scary, but exciting, inspiring and gonna be a lot of fun. I hope with Rare Cassette we have turned on the switch for live music in Cape Town and in the future we’ll attend more and more awesome live shows.”

Article Images by: Hana Sho 
Written By: Holly Bell Beaton and Candice Erasmus

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

Chapter 10 | A round-up of Spring Summer 2023 in London, Milan & Paris

Oct 25, 2022 | Interlude

The fashion calendar can be elusive at best – with four official seasons (Spring / Summer, Autumn / Winter, Resort & Pre Fall) and two major event blocks in the year; the ‘big four’ of New York, London, Milan and Paris recently saw the whirlwind month of SS23 begin and end. Interlude is firmly focused on South Africa’s burgeoning fashion landscape – however, we thought it’d be fun to travel to Europe for this edition, with CEC’s picks for London, Milan and Paris as a springboard for what lies ahead in fashion. With the hybridisation of fashion weeks – easily accessed through social media & from the comfort of our screens – it has never been easier for the rest of us to participate in big moments. Fashion production beckons us, all. Running through the holy grail of Vogue Runway – the leading resource on schedules, runway images, updates & direct commentary from esteemed fashion critics – it can be a lot to digest, but oh so great a tool to bookmark for the seasons ahead. 

So why is Spring / Summer presented now, when the northern hemisphere heads towards winter? Well, a number of reasons; production, firstly, is mapped out to ensure the garments shown on the runway, if not immediately bought by private purveyors, head to the innumerable floors of department, flagship & e-commerce stores. With this, comes the trans-seasonal approach of the lives of luxury fashion consumers; if you can afford Louis & Bottega, you’re probably not strictly, seasonally bound to any region of the world – least not the precarity of weather. Then, comes the fact that by now – mid-autumn – whatever was shown earlier this year, best be in the archives and wardrobes of its customers already. Lastly, and most interestingly, some of the pieces shown might not even end up in store; fashion shows, more than anything, are a marketing tool & testing ground these days; an incredible platform to communicate the label / house or designers’ point of view as it stands right now, keeping their offering firmly within the consciousness of their intended audience. Make of it what you will, that fashion weeks are ceaseless in their scale – I am going to keep my cynicism at bay in this piece, and maintain a wholly hopeful attitude to the expression of sartorial creativity. With an average of 45 to 60 looks per brand showing, the excess is viscerally rife; but sometimes we have to dull into ignorance to honour ingenuity, it seems. 

For the purpose of easy reading, we have selected four label’s shaping fashion’s current tale; running across an expanse of design codes, fabrication and stylistic interpretation that leaves even the most existentially-bound fashion cynic (me…) giggling with delight at the sheer drama and joy that clothing evokes. I encourage you to research more, if you wish – as I mentioned, head to Vogue Runway, and my other favourite resource – Nick Knight’s insightful team and associates at fashion film mecca, SHOWstudio, who are producing some of the most thoughtful panel content & commentary that I’ve heard in a long time.  

London Fashion Week /// Spring Summer 2023 /// 16 September to 20 September 

Dilara Fındıkoğlu is fast becoming a cult-classic – the designer, after which the label is named, is a Turkish-British alumni of Central Saint Martins. With an incisive grasp on goth / DIY chic that is running rampant online; Dilara’s design world is informed by sex, sexiness, and the feminine form – and provides a commentary on what this really means from the feminine perspective – forget the glamour of sex; she has been quoted as saying that she wants to “destroy modesty” and in doing so, presented a subversive delight of this. Set in a soon-to-be demolished 19th century hotel, there was no soundtrack; simply, the sound of the model’s stilettos as the tension hung in the air from the audience. With up-cycled Victorian nighties, sheer tulle and smear lipstick all reach back into Dilaria’s own expression of Istanbul’s tense relationship between liberation and traditional expectations. 

Photo: Filippo Fior / Gorunway.com

Chopova Lowena are the punk code darlings of the moment – with the label’s obsessed-over pleated, kilt classic appearing as always – and Emma Chopova’s Bulgarian heritage remain front and centre as the contemporary folk-wear juxtaposed with sportswear, continues to manifest through her, and co-designer Lauren Lowena, as they flex their design muscles. With an emphasis on gender fluidity, and ‘thrifting’ aesthetics – the distinguishing inspirations were best explained by Sarah Mower, “the collection paid homage to the Rose Festival, a pageant which takes place in Kazanlak, the village in central Bulgaria where Chopova’s ancestry is rooted. There were riffs on rose-forms in prints and cuts; a backpack became a whorl of petals.” As always, the label’s fabrication is centred on the sourcing and use of deadstock textiles, and recycled materials – and the hands behind production are skilled female artisans in Bulgaria. What arises from this, are incredibly intricate silhouettes in swathes of unusual and contrasting prints; styled perfectly with heart-shaped lips, and grunge/cyber models of your dreams. 

Photo: Filippo Fior / Gorunway.com

JW Anderson stood somewhere between humour and clarity for SS23 – as ever, tongue-in-cheek pieces were showcased alongside ‘serious’ tailoring and negligees. With a commentary on earth-activism and our obsession with digitising our world; stock-image screensaver prints of sunsets and beaches were featured, a crazy high-neck top made out of qwerty keyboard panelling, inverted knitwear and that deranged & perfect plastic fish dress; a cocktail dress that looks precisely like a goldfish inhabits it, as if one is wearing it on the way home from the pet shop. JW is an older and more established brand from the late 2000s, and thus his guardianship for smaller, emerging designers came through in his bid to continue LFW upon the Queen’s death; ensuring those who couldn’t afford to reschedule, could still show. 

Photo: Isidore Montag / Gorunway.com

Simone Rocha is fast a master of her own design codes; with the Rocha-spun romanticism in full swing for SS23. The collection featured tons of ruching, immense volume – sheer fabrication in layers – buckles, and all in a slightly more subversive, darker expression of her love for ballet. With pops of tangerine and silver – the show received a standing ovation, after taking the audience on a journey through themes of vulnerability, Catholic Ireland (Simone is Irish) and traditional garment construction definitively portrayed through a contemporary lens. 

Photo: Filippo Fior / Gorunway.com

Milan Fashion Week /// Spring Summer 2023 /// 20 September to 26 September

Ferragamo showcased its launch collection under a new creative director – namely, fashion prodigy Maximilian Davis, who at 27 years old, is leading one of the oldest, heritage brands in Italy into a new era. With an emphasis on the house’s legacy – Davis danced an exceptional balance between elegance and youthfulness, energising the collections with the crimson red, camel tones punctuating the cleanliness of form & construction. Ferragamo has long been primarily focused on accessories – still a main feature, with beautifully crafted bags and footwear adorning the runway show. We are very excited to see Maximilian continue his indelible rise. 

Photo: Filippo Fior / Gorunway.com

Bottega Veneta saw its second collection showcased by newly appointed Matthieu Blazy – and he did not disappoint. An exceptional feat of tailoring and the precise engineering of leather were front and centre – interspersed among truly ‘ready-to-wear’ casual but chic pieces presented across 74 looks for both womenswear and menswear, designed actually for everyday life. As Nicole Phelps wrote, “Blazy also revisited the “dynamic” silhouette he established last season, exaggerating the sense of clothes-in-motion by adding what could be described as fins to the back of pant legs. Similarly, the storm flaps on trench coats seemed to have caught a breeze and stayed there. The curving funnel necklines on jackets and shirts gave them a streamlined profile. These are subtle details, but if they’re missable by the uninitiated, they matter a lot to fashion obsessives who watch for such changes. Blazy has those people’s attention.”

Photo: Filippo Fior / Gorunway.com

Prada has done it again, and as always. Just when I think I’m beyond the facade of an iconic monogram – Miuccia and Raf put the Prada inverted triangle monogram on an array of utterly mesmerising sheer nighties. Like the Prada loafers and hairclips of every fashion girl’s heart, this strategically placed monogram has the ability to turn any piece into a cult-classic; that, I think, is mastery in heritage branding. With the oversized eyelashes on the models and the different levels of sheer fabrics; the air of romanticism running through the show was firmly held by Raf’s decisive, clean take on structure – as seen on tailored pieces and mini dresses. 

Photo: Filippo Fior / Gorunway.com

Blumarine makes it hard to imagine that the house itself dates back to the ‘70s – and in that, is a heritage brand. That is precisely its genius, though; consistently offering a well-versed, highly stylised version of y2k / 90s sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll in a Milanese fashion world of tailoring and elegance. With denim, studs – dyed hair – and the ultimate ethereal draping – creative director Nicola Brognano is the king of trash-as-righteous, goth-as-chic; a fine order for 2022 in which the most fashionable gals online are usually the most twisted in their style. Titziana Cardini writes, ‘The mermaid is the new incarnation of the Blumarine girl, according to creative director Nicola Brognano, who, in his childhood, was obsessed with The Little Mermaid cartoon. “I watched it on repeat so many times that the VHS (that ancient archaeological find) got destroyed,” he said. But what is it about the Little Mermaid that so enthralled Brognano? “She was a redhead like my mother, and I loved the way she was dressed, all those eye-popping colours. I remember a minidress that was exactly a cartoon version of a Versace metal mesh number.” The glamorous mermaid look evidently stuck, but for spring, Brognano turned it into a darker, gothic representation, “intriguing and sexier, less pop, much dirtier.” The image of the Blumarine girl seems to be submitted to a constant process of mutation into ever-evolving versions of herself. “Less girly, more femme” was the mot d’ordre for spring.’

Photo: Daniele Oberrauch / Gorunway.com

Paris Fashion Week /// Spring Summer 2023 /// 26 September to 4 October 

Sacai continues its revival – with Japanese designer and founder Chitose Abe continually showcasing her principle design style, from 1999, in a wholly new and contemporary vision for 2022 and beyond. With a utilitarian rotation of silhouettes, asymmetry angles, and colourways of khaki, monochrome,  deep lavender and pops of floral – the vision this season is structure, structure, structure. There is a sexiness and formidability in Abe’s design – and a profound example of the inherent love affair between Japanese designers and Paris.

Photo: Daniele Oberrauch / Gorunway.com

Issey Miyake showed for the first time since Miyake’s passing; to an emotional room, filled with ardent supporters of Miyake’s brilliance and legacy.  The posthumous tribute contained vital elements of pleats – a Miyake signature – with mathematically precise patterns, and an emphasis on structure, knitwear silhouettes. Celebrating Miyake’s love for life and design, the collection featured lots of colour, and multiple references to the 80s Japanese design lexicon from Miyake emerged nearly forty years ago, to take the world by storm. Luke Leitch affectionately writes, ‘Satoshi Kondo and the design team, who had worked closely with Miyake until the end, provided a quote of their own: “We see design as a process driven by curiosity, built upon a comprehensive exploration—bringing joy, wonder, and hope to life, and of course with a touch of playfulness.” This collection, named A Form That Breathes, was evidence that Miyake’s unparalleled application of technological innovation in the pursuit of joyfulness through design was in safe hands.’

Photo: Filippo Fior / Gorunway.com

Botter showcased their signature Caribbean blue among a whirlwind array of highly tailored pieces – bringing together their singular, yet plural in expression, fascination with the ocean. Fabric research led Lisi Herrebrugh and Rushemy Botter to kelp-derived material – further manifest in an aquatic theme, with scuba style dresses. The “prophylactic aquariums” (brilliant) were the dye-water filled condoms wrapped around the models hands – a commentary on plastic waste, perhaps – but also, a truly fun anecdote in bringing literal water onto the runway. Botter continues to execute from strength to strength – with co-designers Herrebrugh and Botter firmly envisioning new material adventures ahead, perhaps mostly earth-led. 

Photo: Salvatore Dragone / Gorunway.com

Louis Vuitton had our very own Candice Erasmus (CEC Editor in Chief) screaming with delight – a highly energised show, led by formidable womenswear creative director Nicolas Ghesquière’s exceptional design codes. An homage to the houses’ original luxury leather goods status, the house is firmly a fashion brand too; with technical details in abdunance from structured leather, quilted padding and THOSE exaggerated zips. When the show’s film was released, the music and location astounded those who were not in attendance – Nicole Phelps reports, “Nicolas Ghesquière invited his longtime friend French artist Philippe Parreno to create an installation, and together with the Hollywood production designer James Chinlund (of The Batman fame) they created a set that felt a little as if a spaceship—a distant cousin of the Nope UFO, perhaps—had landed in the heart of Paris and the aliens had set up a fun fair for locals to see the special attraction.” The petal-style structure was certainly unreal to view – alongside an insane soundtrack, LV was a clear study in the production-value and power of the runway format. 

Photo: Isidore Montag / Gorunway.com
Written by: Holly Bell Beaton

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

MZINGELI MONTANA Releases Poignant EP ‘2$IDES II’ Alongside Producers SK SUPREME and VXXX$

Oct 25, 2022 | New Release, Music

MZINGELI MONTANA has released his anticipated contribution to South African hip hop alongside producers SK SUPREME and VXXX$. The EP, 2.$IDEZ (Two Sides To Every Story) is based on the concept of duality and the connectivity between two parallel worlds that meet somewhere in the middle. With this being the second instalment – the songs PROPHET & KAKUJA, speak about the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wars we face everyday.

The context of the two songs are described below;

PROPHET – MZINGELI MONTANA has been navigating his way through his spiritual calling and relays how much the gift has helped him navigate through life, and as a man coming of age.

KAKUJA – The term “KAKUJA” is from Tokyo Ghoul and defines a Ghoul that has evolved through repeated cannibalism – giving them an unstoppable edge against others if they’re kind. MZINGELI MONTANA is referring to his ancestors (Good & Bad – which everyone has) and how their life experiences and feats have affected his own life. Their joys and hardships have even helped him access insight into remaining progressive and protected in a world full of superficial worth and distractions. It is not always a “Dog Eat Dog World” amongst the strong and powerful ~ but that doesn’t mean “war” is inevitable.

MZINGELI MONTANA 

Is a rapper from Kwa-Zulu Natal, currently based in Durban.

Mzingeli is the Zulu word for “Hunter”. With his first contributions to Hip Hop Culture being in 2020. He tells his story of navigating the world side by side with his spiritual guides. Which relays the experiences of many South Africans who have their culture and live day to day in a westernised system.

VXXX$

Pronounced “Vibes” is a producer who made his first release with SK SUPREME in 2020.

With influences from a wide range of genres – the vibes are inspired by trance states and other Supernatural Art.

SK SUPREME

Born in Port Shepstone — raised in Pietermaritzburg South Africa — is a producer and rapper with a unique taste and product likened to no other.


SK SUPREME makes music about life from his own perspective. Reflective of the conscious side of life while dealing with the pressures and rights of passage of growing up, physical, mentally and spiritually.

LISTEN TO 2.SIDEZ II HERE

Title: 2.SIDEZ II

Artists: MZINGELI MONTANA

Producer: SK SUPREME & VXXX$

Socials:  IG @skxsupreme & @supremevibrations

Notes from Hungarian 20th century design: MŪVEK Studio expand local furniture lexicon with their 12 piece launch collection

Oct 24, 2022 | Creatives

This October, MŪVEK, a new furniture design studio, launches in Cape Town, South Africa. MŪVEK is the brainchild of architect and designer Chris van Niekerk and arts manager János Cserháti. MŪVEK’s debut collection is made up of 12 original furniture designs, which were developed between 2016 and 2022.

The seeds of MŪVEK’s debut collection were planted six years ago when Chris designed a table for an exhibition curated by Southern Guild. His submission, the “Stiletto Table”, prompted him to pursue the principles of that first design and extrapolate them in further pieces. Some of the new concepts came about when clients of his architecture practice commissioned bespoke items of furniture for residential projects. Others arose as solutions to his own personal requirements, when he could not find what he was looking for. Eventually, the individual items began to form a coherent “family” with a clear identity and common thread, which Chris and János decided to formalise.

CONCEPT

The golden thread that runs through MŪVEK’s first collection is that the pieces, through their detailing, tell the story of their “method of assembly” as Chris puts it. The highly refined and ingeniously designed joints and intersections – the elements where parts come together – are expressed rather than hidden, their construction becoming the aesthetic. While the “Stiletto Table”, now known as the MŪ811, was executed in brass and steel, the rest of the range explores similar approaches and principles in a variety of natural materials, extending the palette to include aluminium, stone, timber and leather. “There is beauty in expressing the way things come together and how different materials interact on certain pieces,” says Chris. A playful dimension is introduced when the logic of assembly is deliberately made to look structurally “tenuous”, as Chris explains. Often, through a trick of the eye, there is an apparent fragility or precariousness in certain joints or intersections, where weight and lightness are juxtaposed.

There is a subtle contrast between the boldness of the expression of the natural characteristics of raw materials – often reinforced by their weight and bulk of certain elements – in dialogue with the refinement and delicacy of other parts. Apart from the comfort and tactile richness of MŪVEK’s designs, they prompt an awareness not only of the everyday use of a furniture item but also of the design and manufacture process. In articulating their assembly, these pieces express the modernist principle of honest construction and truth to materials. The designs consciously explore the relationship between industry and art, uniqueness and mass production. Their beauty embodies a certain tension and contradictory spirit that gives them an artistic dimension.

MŪVEK has developed each item in the range working closely with a select group of skilled craftsmen and manufacturers. While each item is signed and numbered, and issued with a certificate of authenticity, the items in the range are made to order and constitute an open edition.

ABOUT MŪVEK

MŪVEK is a Hungarian word that, loosely translated, means “works”. Both Chris and János have roots in Hungary and it is where they met. While MŪVEK’s debut range is designed and manufactured in South Africa, the designs and brand identity draw on the legacy of 20th century Hungarian product and graphic design. The word MŪVEK carries multiple connotations that capture some of the principles at work in the designs.

MŪVEK can refer to the “works” in a word like “artworks”. At the same time, it carries the industrial associations in a term like “engineering works”. It is at once an individual, artistic expression used to describe “fine products of human effort” and also industrial manufacture, which carries associations of factories and labour. MŪVEK’s debut range can be seen on their newly launched website, and is available to view in person in Cape Town by appointment at 37 Buitenkant Street.

 

MUVEKSTUDIO.COM

[email protected]

+27 65 951 2517

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

Tzung-Hui Lauren Lee’s artistic and sartorial consciousness takes flight

Oct 21, 2022 | Interviews, Art

In the age of Instagram, I count myself lucky to have URL friendships that blossom through DMs – the cosiness of text communication, of shared interests and understandings. Tzung-Hui is one such being – an artist and ardent lover of fashion – whom I count among them. We even hopped on a Zoom call earlier this year to meet, fangirling over fashion – set design – and all the possibilities of the world; cognisant of each other’s social anxiety, yet determined to connect. Tzung-Hui is a South African-Chinese artist based in Johannesburg, whose practice is vividly expressive of her deep ancestral roots, cultural self-inquiry and experience as part of the Chinese diaspora – and for Tzung-Hui, Chinese philosophy, folk art and tradition are required more than ever in both preservation and reverence. Within these dimensions, Tzung-Hui’ yields a variety of multidisciplinary mediums; sculpture, paper-making – writing inspired by the ancient expression of Chinese calligraphy – and delving into digital reality rendering, too. Further than this, is Tzung-Hui’s love for fashion; for us both, is an experience that has been innate and in our bones. I stand in awe of her stylistic evolution as an artist, and Tzung-Hui’s commitment to the full expression of her essence & inner world.

“I was always interested in fashion. I didn’t want to be a fashion designer – I just knew that wasn’t what I wanted exactly – rather something related to art or creative direction. I applied to Parsons, and being 18 at the time – my art teacher discouraged me from going to New York on my own at such a young age. So, it was Wits in the end – for fine art. While I was still at Wits, I think I kind of forgot what I was doing art for; it’s very easy to get absorbed into the system, and foresee the normal routes that tend to be laid out for artists coming out of universities. After I won the BMW competition, I found a better sense of flow – and it’s so interesting, because there have been so many coincidences since then, that have shown me this art practice is exactly what I was meant to do.” Tzung-Hui says, reflecting on her formative years and the dissolving boundary between art and fashion within her practice; further than says, Tzung-Hui explains, is the psycho -spiritual nature of this calling, “My Chinese name ‘Tzung-Hui’ means ‘ancestral wisdom’ and it’s also a Buddhist phrase, and my studio is in my shrine at home. Not many people know this. So I always light incense, and pray or meditate, before I work – and allow things to just flow. In that way, I’ve found a way to root my artistic practice in flow.”  I’m reminded of a term I’ve seen used for Tzung-Hui’s work, ‘’psych-physical energy’’ – to which Tzung-Hui responds, “I’m really interested in different ideas of Chinese philosophy. At Wits, we worked a lot on decolonial lenses – and I’ve had to interrogate what that means specifically to me. My dad is Taiwanese, and his dad was trying to escape Mainland China, and then my mom is from Beijing – and so there are these different diasporic issues. My practice is a way to work out my past and lineage; I think actively trying to work backwards has allowed me to open up to my own viewpoint and context, and ‘unthink’ everything.”

Tzung-Hui’s Buddhist practice forms the heart and nature of her family’s spiritual life – and it has allowed Tzung-Hui’s intuition to be a nurtured compass. Buddhism’s beauty – among many, many things – is its cultural-site specificity, and symbiotic way of being. Buddhism in one region of Asia, will take shape through the cultural roots of its position through the people and communities who shape it; for Tzung-Hui, there are no linear or separate means from moving through Chinese Medicine, ancestral practice to Buddhism; this vast and rich fabric is part of her, and she a part of it. These threads lend themselves to Tzung-Hui’s artistic style,“I wanted to draw air – this mesmerising, intangible quality of life. But how do you draw something you can’t see? I really love looking at clouds moving – and then when I was in grade 2, my grandfather passed away. We had the burial ceremony in Taiwan, and from then the idea of burning things – the smoke as a transmutative – and I also watched this cartoon growing up that showed heaven as being in the clouds, in a Buddhist context – so the temples were all the clouds. When we pray to our ancestors, or people get cremated, or the smoke from incense – smoke and air become intertwined with each other. Thinking about these ideas led me to draw movements. My practice is a relationship between medium and meaning.” 

With a decisive use of charcoal in her work, Tzung-Hui explains the medicine of earth that provides her artistic tools; meaning imbued down to the materials themselves, “For my drawing practice, soot is a material within the charcoal that forms the quality of air. Soot is what floats up to heaven towards our ancestors – and it gets collected into an ink, and becomes a physical block mixed with an animal hide glue. So, that animal had a life and so all these energies come together before I even begin to etch my work. I feel like there is a physical dimension that translates through the material.” 

Tzung-Hui and I discuss the visual stimulation related to fashion – lauding over Rei Kawakubo in between – and she recalls way back in 2013, when she could have been a blogger, “I hoarded fashion journals, I could have been a blogger – I was so little at the time and trying to digest every fashion week and moment. Fashion is incredibly personal, I think – it is art, without question. Now, I’m so excited for fashion week & ready to watch all of them – this is where I know my sense of purpose is. Even when I draw, I listen to fashion podcasts. The creatives at that level are incredible – the worlds that they build. All throughout becoming an artist, I’ve felt the pull towards fashion; and when I was in Paris this year, it became a visceral path I needed to tune into. I’ve applied to Masters programs in Paris, London and New York.” Tzung-Hui sees a path ahead for set design; the immaculate and immense way in which fashion can be produced, particularly through a decisively artistic lens; “You are your artwork and the canvas when you are wearing your clothes. That’s fashion, it’s innate.” I couldn’t be more excited to see her consciousness expand and root in the world. 

 

Written by: Holly Beaton

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

Sinalo Ngcaba’s Illustrated Worlds of Richness and Joy, in Service of Community

Oct 20, 2022 | Interviews, Art

Illustration is a profound visual languaging; and it is one such medium I often find myself most enamoured by. To describe the likeness of one’s inner-world – characters, world-building, motifs and mood – stands at the highest level of artistic expression. Sinalo Ngcaba is one of the leading illustrators in South Africa; and with her work, I get the overt sense that drawing has perhaps always been a method with which she has interpreted reality. Sinalo’s visual languaging is a deep, vivid expression of the Black, South African experience; punctuated by colour, characters and a mood so tangibly relevant in creating narratives of creative nourishment. Working closely with client collaborations from Nike to Sindiso Khumalo, Sinalo was featured this year in Volume 2 of ‘By Way of Illustration’, a book series highlighting the formidable illustrators in South Africa in the past few years. An artist like Sinalo is shaping the creative symbols of culture; unique, and so directly from her heart and mind. 

“I’ve always been interested in art, from a very young age. I was an only child, so being creative was part of play for me, growing up. I was raised by my grandparents, and my grandmother worked with kids her whole career – so she would give me these activities that really inspired me, and nurtured my abilities. Even in primary school, I was drawing my classmates – and then in high school, I chose creative subjects like design, focusing on textile designs. Most of what I do today is self-taught.” Sinalo says, on where her artistic beginnings emerged. As a self-taught artist, Sinalo is constantly playing with varying styles and methods – and her development has been outside of ‘traditional’ or constricted ways of drawing. On her process, Sinalo explains, “It’s taken me a long time to build these characters. My art has transitioned a lot and I’ve tried so many styles. I’m at a point now where I combine all the things I’ve enjoyed trying, and I love things that awaken me. I use my art to motivate myself – the use of bold colours, and humorous motifs – these come from me wanting to see and feel better. I see now how this has touched other people’s hearts, and I always believe that the heart reaches the heart. I am having fun with what I create, and I think that’s the single most important purpose I can maintain in my work. I’m really into exaggerating lips, or eyes – there is a lot of freedom in being able to take what I’m inspired by, and then create it through different ways. That’s what makes me feel alive.”

 A critical topic among illustrators and in drawing as a practice, is the hybridisation of the art-form; today, the pressure has never been greater to transition to digital methods of creating, with many artists translating their tangible mediums through technological tools and programs. Sinalo comments on what this has meant for her rich world-creating, “Pen and paper is my first medium – I really honed it in high school, and after school I learned some Photoshop and Illustrator. I’ve found that merging the two brings together a really beautiful experience of what both mediums have to offer. I draw, and then take an image and colour it on Illustrator – and now, I’m using Procreate more. It gives me the best of both worlds. Now, I sometimes sketch digitally – but the traditional way will always be what I return to.” A key element woven tenderly into Sinalo’s work are her ‘squigglies’ – “I call them squigglies, and I include them in all of my work, someway or somehow. That’s my finger-print – every time they take form in my work, it’s in a  different or new way.”

Sinalo’s work effortlessly retains the authenticity of analog expression; it is clearly and precisely art, over perhaps graphic design. Right now, she is a resident of Bubblegum Club’s Bubblegum Gallery Program – a month-long studio experience, culminating in a final showcase. Sinalo explains the challenge she has set for herself within this space, “I’m using oil-pastels for these works. I only started with oil-pastels earlier this year, so it’s a challenge – a new frontier – but I’m going really big too, with the pieces. I’m excited to see myself push this hard in a short amount of time, it’s bringing through a new sense of routine. It’s adding another layer of being a professional artist – I think previously, it’s been such an intuitive process to make work, but now I am doing it within a specific framework.” Emerging as an artist has happened primarily on social media or through word-of-mouth – with the internet being Sinalo’s foremost home for her work, “I have relied on social media for my work to be showcased. It’s a really exciting space to be in, to see new possibilities of my work existing in other forms, like in exhibitions or on products. Now, I’m trying to learn the business side – pricing and costing are still uncomfortable things to talk about, but we have to be able to value ourselves and our creativity. I’m leaning on other artists and friends to navigate the more ‘career’ aspects of being an artist.”

 

Sinalo is taking root as an essential artistic figure in South Africa. As this happens, Sinalo’s commitment to community continues to form part of her purpose. Perfect Weather Skate Foundation was started by her partner, and together they run this hugely important space consisting of competitions, workshops and events – teaching kids life-skills through skateboarding, and providing safe spaces for growth and creativity. Sinalo says, “There are small groups of people driving skateboarding in the country, but there is no government intervention or support. With it being an Olympic sport now, and with how much talent we have in South Africa, we really aim to foster kids to grow. We get help from Puma, Sportscene and BOS Ice-Tea. It’s almost two years old – and my dream is to incorporate art into it more. A lot of young skaters are into art, so we are hoping to create spaces where the two can intersect.” 

With a bright and beautiful road ahead – Sinalo tells me there are exciting things to be announced at the end of the year. We cannot wait to see how much joy it will bring to fans of her work, and the future for so many around her. 

Written by: Holly Beaton

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

He said, She said, They said – Navigating preferred pronouns and affirming identities

Oct 19, 2022 | Navigating Reality, Lifestyle

I recently had an experience where I introduced myself to someone, “Hello, I’m Casey. It’s lovely to meet you”, I said in a friendly and clear tone. “O hello, JC, it’s good to meet you”, the person replied. His tonality carried a sense of certainty and security that he seemed awfully proud of. “Sorry, maybe you misheard. It’s Casey, not JC,” this time, making sure there wouldn’t be any chance that the person might mishear me. “Ahh, like a K and C, why don’t you use your full names?” the person asked. Needless to say, I was perplexed by someone else making such broad-stroke assumptions about my name, how it is spelt and its meaning. To be frank, the whole experience left me pretty hurt. There’s something so intimate and intrinsic in the way our names or chosen names are linked to our identities. This feeling of rejection made its way deep into every fibre of my body. A feeling that the person I was interacting with failed to acknowledge and accept my very identity, that they had in some way rejected my sense of self. I snapped back into the moment to be met by the final nail in the coffin. “I’m going for a drink, it was good meeting you, JC.”

For: Contributor magazine Styled by Ky Boshoff. Model: Thapelo Mofokeng. Wearing: Trotse Tert. TV visuals: @nikibotha 

Although my long-winded, silly little sob story may seem like a plea for some attention, that short interaction at least attempts to serve as a poignant albeit silly starting point to a broader and far more important conversation regarding identity and the way in which the words and language we adopt go a long way in affirming and unfortunately also denying our self-actualised identities. Maybe I place a far greater emphasis on the weightiness of words due to my job, where words and sentences are carefully curated to paint thoughts and musings across a blank canvas, but history has often showcased just how destructive or uplifting the tongue can be. Words, in truth, can be the very foundation we cling to in hopes of building a better future, or they can be the sledgehammer that tears down all possibilities. It is a tool used to spread love, care and affection or a weapon that cultivates hate, disdain and anger. 

For: Contributor magazine Styled by Ky Boshoff. Model: Thapelo Mofokeng. Wearing: Trotse Tert. TV visuals: @nikibotha 

With this in mind, I want to talk today about pronouns but, more specifically, the importance of preferred pronouns and why all of us should take the utmost care in respecting and acknowledging whatever pronouns someone chooses. I purposefully decided to share my stupid little story in the intro because it is something we can all relate to. Someone has gotten our name horrendously wrong at some point in our lives. Whether that be the often comical spelling of your name on your Starbucks order or that one colleague or client that seemingly uses a different spelling of your name in every email. Some may find these little errors funny at first, but if it’s something that happens over and over again, it ends up being an incredibly infuriating and hurtful experience. My question then to us all is if we place such importance on being correct when we address people by their names, why do we seem not to use the same care and consideration when we use pronouns? This becomes all the more perplexing when we look at the very function of pronouns within language. In this context, pronouns are used to replace someone’s name when referring to them. When one considers this, it would seem ridiculous to refer to someone by the wrong name, yet there is often a disregard for using people’s preferred pronouns. Just like given or chosen names, pronouns are intrinsically linked to one’s identity and thus should be treated with the same amount of care and consideration. As paediatric psychologist Tabi Evans (they/them) states, “Using a person’s correct pronouns is important because it affirms that person’s identity, helps them feel comfortable in their own body, and shows that you respect them for who they are.” 

Fashion Director: Ky Boshoff. Fashion Assistant: Teagan van Zyl. Hair & Makeup: Toni Greenberg. Model: Bethany De Waal. Published by @twygmag. Wearing:Lara Klawikowski 

I think the issue often lies in the fact that many people believe gender and sex can be used as interchangeable terms. This is something that is inherently problematic, as the two terms don’t correlate at all. Glen Hosking (he/him), a senior clinical psychology lecturer at the University of Victoria, explains it as such. “While people may use the terms sex and gender interchangeably, they mean different things. Sex refers to the physical differences between people who are female, male, or intersex. A person typically has their sex assigned at birth based on physiological characteristics, including their genitalia and chromosome composition. This is distinct from gender, which is a social construct and reflects the social and cultural role of sex within a given community. People often develop their gender identity and gender expression in response to their environment. While gender has been defined as binary in Western culture, gender is on a broad spectrum; a person may identify at any point within this spectrum or outside of it entirely. Gender is not neatly divided along the binary lines of “man” and “woman”. People may identify with genders that are different from sex assigned at birth, some people do not identify with any gender, while others identify with multiple genders. These identities may include transgender, nonbinary, or gender-neutral. Only the person themselves can determine what their gender identity is, and this can change over time.” 

It is apparent that the younger generation is far more accepting and determined when it comes to respecting the preferred pronouns of their peers, friends and colleagues. Without shifting blame onto the older generation, I think some myths need to be dispelled regarding gender identity and its prominence in modern discourse. So often, we hear the excuse that kids today are just making things overly complicated or that we are simply making up new gender terms for no reason. First and foremost, I think the article up until now has proved why these terms and expansion in language are necessary with regard to gender. Secondly, I would like to dispel the myth that grappling with and exploring gender identity outside the traditional binary boxes is somehow a new phenomenon. In truth, many indigenous communities had far more liberal notions concerning gender identity than the binary identities many people cling to today. As Nigerian scholar and sociologist, Oyèrónkẹ́ Oyěwùmí (she/her)  states, “gender as a concept didn’t even exist within Yoruba culture and society before the arrival of Western colonisers.”. Similarly, we may look at the fact that Native American societies acknowledged and highly respected a gender spectrum that included female, male, Two Spirit female, Two Spirit male and transgendered individuals before the arrival of colonial powers.

Admittedly this article may come across as a cis-gendered, heterosexual, white Afrikaans man seemingly telling you what to do and why it is important and who the hell am I to even do that? However minor these issues may seem to some, you have to consider that for many others, these issues are inherently linked to their own safety and sense of self. Elle van der Burg (she/they) is a trans woman (albeit she is far more than that) that I have had the absolute pleasure of meeting and talking to. She puts this sentiment beautifully, “at the end of the day, as trivial as personal identity can seem to people on the periphery, it is ultimately a matter of life and death for the people who are on the receiving end of being misgendered.” 

Writer and dear friend, Lindiwe Mngxitama (she/they) poignantly reminds me of the meaning laden within correctly and respectfully speaking to and of people,“We need to meet people where they are at. We speak about gender in a language that is very much white, academic and inaccessible to many people, and I think that can be threatening, particularly in this age of political correctness, where we are not holding space for people to arrive at these conversations imperfectly. I’d rather someone arrive imperfectly and show up to do the work, show up to learning rather than needing them to show up to these conversations perfectly using the right discourse that we get from academia. At the crux of it, it is holding space for people’s humanity, holding space for people to articulate who they are without imposing a violence of wanting to understand them from your perspective.”

It is in this very sentiment that I want to root this article. We may arrive imperfectly into discourse and discussion that seem new and challenging to us, but we owe it to those around us, regardless of where they fall on the gender spectrum, to arrive willingly in the first place. There is no time like the here and now to start our journey of unlearning narrow-minded ideas and expanding our care and compassion, for it is that sense of community that truly makes us human.

GENDER PRONOUN INDEX:

If you’re unclear, just ask.

A few standard ones to note:

He / Him : Someone who identifies as male

She / Her : Someone who identifies as female

They / Them : Someone who identifies outside of the gender binary of male or female, referred to as non-binary

 

Below is taken from NPR’s ‘A Guide to Understanding Gender Identity Terms’ 

Sex refers to a person’s biological status and is typically assigned at birth, usually on the basis of external anatomy. Sex is typically categorized as male, female or intersex.

Gender is often defined as a social construct of norms, behaviours and roles that varies between societies and over time. Gender is often categorized as male, female or nonbinary.

Gender identity is one’s own internal sense of self and their gender, whether that is man, woman, neither or both. Unlike gender expression, gender identity is not outwardly visible to others.

For most people, gender identity aligns with the sex assigned at birth, the American Psychological Association notes. For transgender people, gender identity differs in varying degrees from the sex assigned at birth.

Gender expression is how a person presents gender outwardly, through behaviour, clothing, voice or other perceived characteristics. Society identifies these cues as masculine or feminine, although what is considered masculine or feminine changes over time and varies by culture.

Cisgender, or simply cis, is an adjective that describes a person whose gender identity aligns with the sex they were assigned at birth.

Transgender, or simply trans, is an adjective used to describe someone whose gender identity differs from the sex assigned at birth. A transgender man, for example, is someone who was listed as female at birth but whose gender identity is male.

Cisgender and transgender have their origins in Latin-derived prefixes of “cis” and “trans” — cis, meaning “on this side of” and trans, meaning “across from” or “on the other side of.” Both adjectives are used to describe experiences of someone’s gender identity.

Nonbinary is a term that can be used by people who do not describe themselves or their genders as fitting into the categories of man or woman. A range of terms are used to refer to these experiences; nonbinary and genderqueer are among the terms that are sometimes used. 

Agender is an adjective that can describe a person who does not identify as any gender.

Gender-expansive is an adjective that can describe someone with a more flexible gender identity than might be associated with a typical gender binary.

Gender transition is a process a person may take to bring themselves and/or their bodies into alignment with their gender identity. It’s not just one step. Transitioning can include any, none or all of the following: telling one’s friends, family and co-workers; changing one’s name and pronouns; updating legal documents; medical interventions such as hormone therapy; or surgical intervention, often called gender confirmation surgery.

Gender dysphoria refers to psychological distress that results from an incongruence between one’s sex assigned at birth and one’s gender identity. Not all trans people experience dysphoria, and those who do may experience it at varying levels of intensity.

Sexual orientation refers to the enduring physical, romantic and/or emotional attraction to members of the same and/or other genders, including lesbian, gay, bisexual and straight orientations.

People don’t need to have had specific sexual experiences to know their own sexual orientation. They need not have had any sexual experience at all. They need not be in a relationship, dating or partnered with anyone for their sexual orientation to be validated. For example, if a bisexual woman is partnered with a man, that does not mean she is not still bisexual.

Sexual orientation is separate from gender identity. As GLAAD notes, “Transgender people may be straight, lesbian, gay, bisexual or queer. For example, a person who transitions from male to female and is attracted solely to men would typically identify as a straight woman. A person who transitions from female to male and is attracted solely to men would typically identify as a gay man.”

Intersex is an umbrella term used to describe people with differences in reproductive anatomy, chromosomes or hormones that don’t fit typical definitions of male and female.

Model: Raphael Blue
Model: Jeremy Pelser (self-portrait)
All images by Jeremy Pelser.
Written by: Casey Delport

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