Consciousness and Care with Fashion Photographer Cris Fragkou

Aug 16, 2022 | Interviews, Creatives, Fashion

Whenever Cris is home in Cape Town, she’s bright-eyed and buzzing – back with her mountain, the crashing ocean waves and among the humans & homies that are her first and foremost inspiration before all else. Last year – although it feels much, much longer ago – we had a conversation that I wrote about here, so this conversation is volume 2; and for a ‘fashion’ photographer (we get into that), we discuss very little fashion. This is precisely why I think Cris remains one of the most critical and growing forces in the industry, because in an uncontrived and absolutely sincere way; Cris’ work is human-centric, and fashion happens to be the art-form that she has found to be the most interesting means to capture the creative anima of people; from the designers’ and houses’ collections, to the models and street-fashion crowds alike. We had planned to discuss retrospective takes on Cris’ summer season in Milan, Paris and London – and end up uncovering the thread of consciousness that has seemed to emerge as Cris’ anchor in all aspects of her life. Perched on the curbside at Clarke’s, our conversation reminds me why story-telling and conversation stay coursing through my veins. 

Who said you can’t find enlightenment while working in fashion?

“Summer was great and being at the couture shows – I love it so much – everything that gets produced is a reminder of, ‘oh this why we do this’ in this industry. It gives me a refuel to keep pushing in what is a highly stressful, tight scheduling of shows that are months of work crammed into two weeks of high-pressured showcases.” Cris says, having landed a few days ago back in Cape Town. Cris’ IG expresses swathes of editorial level BTS at some of the most prestigious and prolific fashion labels on the entire planet – from Chanel, to Iris Van Herpen and Loewe. Cris has become a fixture in and of herself during fashion week, forging relationships – living bi-continetally in many ways between Europe and Africa. This year has seen Cris partnering with the likes of Net-A-Porter, British Council and Vogue Magazine; seeding a reputation for exceptionally lit and captured moments, often set for release almost as they happen; keeping up with the ceaseless demand for fashion content on social media. Working with Vogue to create reels hot-off-the-press, Cris comments on the changing nature of being an image-maker in an increasingly digital world; “We had been speaking about doing reels in the weeks leading up to it, and I had to remind myself that adapting and rolling with the times is necessary. This is what is performing well – and while reels are not the most artistically nourishing, I also have to be responsible with my livelihood, and do the work that has been offered to me by spaces I’ve only ever dreamed of working with. Separating my ego has been critical – and actually, I’m happy for my ego to die several times a day lately – it opens up space for spontaneity and nourishment that I wouldn’t have arrived to meet on my own.” The original concerns for Cris lay in the seemingly indistinguishability that cellphones have created between content creators and photographers – would she be taken seriously, backstage with an iPhone in hand instead of her gear? Cris says, “It comes back to this ego-death thing. I have to stand for myself in situations where I get pushed out the way without my camera, because I didn’t need to carry it around when doing the reels, so people think I’m just there to fan over the show. Asserting my ground, and being grounded enough in my work, is teaching me to value myself before I need the value of anyone around me.”

Physically, mentally and emotionally demanding – the life of constant travel and movement is intrinsic to Cris’ career. A theme she has had to grapple with is knowing her heart belongs in South Africa, but that her vision for her career has required spending months abroad – and in this way, Cris is no stranger to strong doses of existential crises; “I had one of those experiences of like, take the hard drive and throw it in the ocean – that I had never made a single good photo – and someone I spoke to early this year blurted out to me that I could never be a successful fashion photographer if I wasn’t based out of Europe. It was someone that I very much respect in the industry, and my jaw dropped – that statement burned into me for weeks after that. Every editor and person I met for a week after that, I asked them if they thought this was true. Thankfully, I was deterred from that belief – and reminded that South Africa is up and coming, it’s a prime place to be and to be from. To place a geographic limitation on anyone’s success is just the close-minded attitude that has driven so much of fashion being centralised to Europe.” 

We’re seeing, more than ever, the power and might of other regions in the world that are set to supersede the old guard and create a new way of fashion expression.

For Cris, her awakening as a being on this earth has been fundamental to how she continues to envision and act out her career. Meditating between shows and back stage for at least 10 minutes is part of her overall energetic well being – and on how her consciousness has informed the last year, she says, “I listened to a podcast by Ram Dass, and he was talking about the idea of doing our work – whatever it is and whoever we are – as an act of service to others and God. This was five days into fashion week, this past season, and it reminded me that it’s not necessarily about image-making. In my soul, it lights me up to light other people – and I have a lot of fun with people, and I have this opportunity to capture people in their full presence. I have an ability to energise people and it’s taken a long time to be able to acknowledge that. How can I bring joy to other people?” The mark of an artist is the ability to diversify their practice – and remain ever-aware of what motivates their reasoning for creating, “Just before I left Cape Town in May, I put something on my Instagram saying I wanted to take portraits of people. I managed to do it with two people – and it really ignited something in my soul. One of the people, Johan from The Other Radio – and I did this together, where we spent the day together connecting and I shot images of him candidly. It ended up being one of the most meaningful experiences I’ve had this year. I had started to get in touch with my spirituality again, and with that came a wobble around whether fashion photography fulfilled me – am I contributing to something that’s not actually meaningful? If I slow down the outcome of what I create, and focus on being present with the creation, magic happens. With Johan, the images came out of us talking – it just started pouring out of us, talking about sex, love, death – parents, pain – or getting older and relating to the pain of being an adult, and self-acceptance. We cried, laughed and my heart was racing – it was like we were creating and deepening an energy of revealing ourselves to each other. That is the truth and intimacy of art – that sharing and connection – and it’s the process I’ve now realised I need to return to again and again as a photographer.”

Soon after our conversation, Cris is off again – and by the time this article is released, she will have been in Copenhagen for fashion week. It’s clear that Cris’ spirit is perhaps disguised as a fashion photographer; but her intention and mission is so much deeper – to be a beacon of light, and an anchor in love, no matter the context or city. As the Zen Buddhist saying goes; before enlightenment, chop wood and carry water – after enlightenment? Chop wood and carry water. The divine in the mundane, and the utter joy of being human and embracing it all – is precisely what spiritual mastery entails.

Written by: Holly Bell Beaton

tiro! releases new EP “Gymkhana” on Roses Are Red

Aug 12, 2022 | New Release, Music

The latest growth iteration of talented Johannesburg producer tiro! celebrates the showcasing of “Gymkhana” at Roses Are Red. Six wildly exciting new winners with diversity to reflect the scope of his output both past and future. It showcases an exercise in grabbing hold of your regrets and turning them into art. To embrace new worlds, new dimensions, directions and challenges. To shake the past from off your boots, find your tribe and just let go for once.

tiro!’s Gymkhana is here to hold your hand, whether you knew you needed it or not. And with it comes the chance to participate in the next step of an ever-fascinating personal journey, swerving through the smoothest, most rejuvenating edges of House music and life itself via six of the freshest necessities. It’s all the thrills of a new start. It’s taking its knocks and throwing itself into the next adventure with love. So, if you’re looking for that new path too, walk it with us and let the happy tears roll like bass lines into infinity.

“Soft Serv at the County Fair”  is unassuming but playful; the perfect, tenderly psychedelic icebreaker. A rousing introduction you can only hope holds you in its enchanting rhythm forever. Or just until “For Drew” calmly begins to stir you with a mystic’s energy, expanding and contracting in its hypnotic ascending repetitions, the living, driving pulse oh-so-lightly shaking your bones. And it’s all in preparation for the entrancing “Bailando Con Mis Hombres” and how it reverberates through you like the giant pounding walls of some futuristic underground disco. Where flashing lights can reach into you and you move as one with those around you. With a remix by DJ Born Again Virgin that brings it up through the earth and into hyperspace to show us the highs and lows of cosmic travel. “Fresca’s” our return to just above the atmosphere – an idyllic cloud-riding trip over the grounds of House music heaven, with a party on the front lawn of the pearly gates at night. It’s a call to tomorrow’s greater days. You don’t have to stop dancing till you want to. At least not until “Hey” Fever’s final curtain call – at which, when you’re ready, we’ll tuck you in sweetly under the stars with a long drink in your hand and your good friends at Roses Are Red all around you, smiling wide.

/// Presave Gymkhana on this Fanlink and look out for the release on Friday, August 24 at 12:01 AM.

/// Listen to the Bandcamp release

Natalie Paneng Creates Her Own Wave

Aug 12, 2022 | Interviews, Art

Suspending oneself directly into one’s artistic practice can be a kind of metaphor for the intimacy and directness that art demands of its creators – yet, with new media artist Natalie Paneng – this metaphor is literal, and inextricable as she lends various threads and dimensions of herself (as characters and alter-egos) into all that she creates. New media art – compromised of technologically-driven mediums such as interactive art, sound art, graphics, animations video art – provide a kind of veneer behind which Natalie has been able to peer down into the development of her practice, and in doing so – has created an astoundingly kaleidoscopic, dreamy and surreal vantage point for her work to be seen from. Natalie’s work gives me the kind of feeling I remember having in my early teens discovering Tumblr – where my own sense of individuation was able to take place through the internet, and perceiving creative expression through the matrix of the world-wide-web felt endlessly exhilarating, inspiring – and perhaps even liberating. Images, GIFS, videos – creators and personas – that allowed me to sort through the aesthetic variations I felt inside my own mind. With the digital world, we can be anything; and gather all the strands of subcultural, visual and sonic material that befit who we feel we are, not just who we feel determined to be in the physical world. Natalie, shows us, the multiplicity of her essence in this regard; she is otherworldly, but of this world – inspired by genres like vaporwave, but creating her wave too – a world-builder and cosmic progenitor who brings the purity of her inner-child along with her every step of the way.

Prior to Natalie becoming the artist as we know – the plan was always to study law. I struggle to picture Natalie in the dull confines of a courtroom or performing legal administration, but I think her hope in justice makes total sense to the kind of joyful being that she is. On this, she says, “I was planning on being a lawyer throughout high school, and I applied for law at UCT and Wits – and on the last day of applications for drama and performance at Wits, I applied – it was very spur of the moment – and they only accepted around 40 kids. I did the auditions, and I got in. I had to break it to my parents that all these years of school were centred around a prospective law degree – and I was academic, so the goal was for me to continue that into adulthood, but they allowed me to be myself and study performance, even if they didn’t quite understand it then. I hated being on stage, ironically. That time gave me the space to see where I could fit into performance, but on my own terms – without the gut wrenching anxiety of being on stage. I started using digital mediums like video and editing – and taking elements of what I was learning in my degree – to envision a way of performance that encompassed me, rather than me boxing myself into a script. My first alter-ego was Nice, an online performance called Hello Nice – which followed the experience of a girl embarrassing herself online, and began this process of inquiry into personas online and what digital expression means.” Natalie’s expression of alter-egos is a signature among her work – a means to channel performance in a way that is situated in the precise environment that she not only wants, but builds herself. This experience of character plus environment is a study on world-building; and allows Natalie to bring forth as much of her imagination as she can in the finest details of colour, digital set design, costume; and in all, showcases Natalie’s  immense variation of skill sets. On this idea of expressing herself through a prism of alter-egos, Natalie says, “A big part of it is wanting to be perceived, but not directly – and not wanting to always be perceived as myself. I’m figuring myself out, so characters allow me to understand elements of myself in isolation. I can present without an experience of embarrassment – instead, I can enter a space of freedom and play without any concerns. Even naming a character differently to me adds a degree of separation from my own self. Another aspect to my use of alter-egos is presenting my experience of being ‘other’ – and I always felt different any way, and I was always looking for those characters in the world, like weird, black girls that could connect to my context. So I built them, the cartoon characters or beings that I wish I had growing up; and in environments that can actually live on through the digital world, instead of a temporary show or play.”

Natalie’s worlds are astounding and enriched by cyber-stylised colours and textures – a collection of her videos such as ‘Alien Sound Experiment’, ‘can’t escape dreamscape’ and ‘Out of this world ft. Elone Musty’ stands alongside portals like ‘Something Like CoStar’ – varying aspects of a growing archive that bring together Natalie’s interpretation of cyber-genres, pop culture and technology. In terms of describing what she does as an artist, Natalie explains, “Being a ‘new media artist’ is the best way I could define it, but it’s hard to describe what I do – and that’s because it is new, this whole landscape of digital art is still so young compared to other ways of creating and making. I’m looking for the language that contextualises it within South African art, and new media is a great umbrella term to frame my practice. There’s a part of the tangible and intangible that is presented in my work – like the juxtaposition between performance, which is a tangible act performed by a real human being, contrasted in a digital and intangible world. This tension has led me to create installations and light art recently, because I started to feel like my work was quite flat – or 2D – and I felt like I wanted to draw the digital worlds out into the physical world. It’s an interesting continuation of my practice in two realities – online and offline.” For Natalie, her practice is co-current to her experience as a person in the world – and the boundaries she can create with digital facing work has meant that she can work out presentation of her art in a way that is aligned with her growth, saying “It’s funny, because I’m still not at a point yet where I want to fully articulate what I’m doing – because I don’t actually know, yet, where this going. I like this surprising aspect of my work, so I’m finding ways to keep communicating what I’m doing without having to fully speak about it, and ultimately box myself in by giving too much of a narrative.”

The spirit of play is fundamental to Natalie’s work – and while there are references to many things in her work – her art is born entirely from her own experience of reality. Natalie’s childhood as an often serious and quiet kid with a swirling inner-world is able to be channelled through the safety and autonomy that she has now as an adult – but it comes down to keeping her childhood continuing and intact, as art allows adulthood to be a second childhood; this deep sincerity comes alive in the utter joy it is to experience Natalie’s work, in a world where art seems to be a very serious, grown-up career, ‘’I’m looking for light, and I try to make light in my work – so the physical light work I’ve been making is intended to be that illuminating factor – but also the lightness of energy in my work, too. So I’ve dug deep to find my own light and my centre, and try to make what is real in my head, real on the outside. My childhood brain and heart is my source, and reconnecting with my own dreams – and the dreams of my little self –  and the older I get, the more I feel free and closer to protecting the dreams of what I wanted to see in the world, and what I want other little, weird black girls to see in the world. Art allows me to share who I am, and to not be isolated, and not have to explain myself too much; I let the art do that for me.”

Written by: Holly Bell Beaton

Recreating art history through an African lens with Zandile Tshabalala

Aug 10, 2022 | Art

“I tend to think that having that extreme colour, that kind of black, is amazingly beautiful… and powerful. What I was thinking to do with my image was to reclaim the image of blackness as an emblem of power.”

– Kerry James Marshall

Opening on 2 July 2022 at the enigmatic Johannesburg-based BKhz Gallery nestled on Keyes Avenue in Rosebank, Zandile Tshabalala presented her first solo exhibition on South African soil, titled ‘Lovers in a secret place’.

For those of you who may now know her (yet), Zandile Tshabalala is a Soweto-born fine artist and a recent graduate from the University of the Witwatersrand. Her work speaks to contextualising art history through a Black narrative – Our narrative – and is laced with her reinterpretation of culture through an African lens. I’ve been quietly-yet-ardently following Tshabalala’s art career – from nascent global exhibitions right through to collaborations with global luxury fashion houses such as Bottega Veneta, and more. I found her artist bio, posted on the BKhz Instagram, in the lead up to her first local solo exhibition to be an apt description of what her work resembles:

“Born in Soweto, South Africa, Tshabalala’s work expresses her interests in topics of representation particularly the representation of the Black women in historical paintings. The artist noticed a pattern whereby the Black woman in paintings was usually placed at the background and starts to disappear almost as if she is not present or is placed in compromising situations that reinforce the idea that the black woman is inferior and should be marginalised. 

The artist felt a strong need to challenge these ideas and give back the Black woman’s voice in her paintings by placing the Black female figure in a powerful position that allows her to be in control of her own body and the gaze that is exchanged between her and the viewer. The artist then starts to tap into topics of beauty, sensuality and the relationship between the Black female body and the landscape.”

This relationship to recreating culture according to the Black woman’s perspective is evident within stand-alone works such as ‘Lady in Pink Stilettos’ (2021) and ‘Sweetest love’ (2022), which formed part of the ethereal exhibition recently held at BKhz. The latter even introduced a collaboration with FF Rooftop Farm for the work planting the indoor garden to accommodate the opening.

There’s a new vanguard of young Black fine artists taking control of their personal narratives, and translating their work globally. Tshabalala is right at the forefront of it and ‘Lovers in a secret place’ was an enchanting experience, eloquently and expertly curated by the BKhz team. This team included the owner of the gallery himself, Banele Khoza, and his team of Papi Konopi, Kwanele Kunene, Mankebe Seakgoe and Francesco Mbele. And aside from the art pieces being displayed by Tshabalala, the main highlight from the entire exhibition is how her work invites all audiences to come engage, and enjoy, the artistic experience.

On the night of the opening, you could see the room filled with just as many Gen Z’ers and Millennials as parents and grandparents. That’s the magic of Tshabalala’s work – she has the inherent ability to earnestly relay her human experience, and source genuine inspiration from her culture and ancestry. Engaging with her art feels so honest and integral; I liken it to the feeling of finally remembering. The feeling of celebrating an extremely joyous occasion at home with your people can be attached to the same palpable feeling of excitement rotating through BKhz on that opening nigh, in which the team had create an indoor forest of living, breathing plant life to accompany – an immersive experience, situating the viewer in the garden itself. 

To speak a bit more on Tshabala’s artistry and technique – her work primarily consists of using acrylic and oil paints in order to create her signature dreamlike dark-figures. Immediately once I saw a Tshabalala artwork for the first time, it reminded me of the work of the American legendary Black fine artist, Kerry James Marshall. So, when researching Tshabalala’s discography for this article, it was reaffirming to come across the following on her artist bio on Artsy:

“Zandile Tshabalala’s arresting figurative works write new narratives around the roles that Black women play in art history. Inspired by artists like Kerry James Marshall, Henri Rousseau, and Njideka Akunyili-Crosby, as well as personal experiences, Tshabalala says her portraits are meant to “to re-represent the Black woman in a more confident, sensual, beautiful manner.”

Using acrylic and oil paints, her dark-skinned figures recline on taupe chaise lounges and cloudlike cream duvets, or are situated within teeming, dreamlike landscapes reminiscent of Rousseau’s Post-Impressionist paintings. By situating her figures within settings that were painted over and over again throughout the history of art—landscapes, sensual boudoirs, the artist’s studio—Tshabalala deliberately inserts Black women into the canon that had previously excluded, marginalised, and disrespected them.”

And the artist continues to infiltrate the global art diaspora and spread her wings, showing no signs of slowing down the creative momentum which she has managed to amass over the past few years. Not too long ago, she formed part of a group exhibition at the prestigious Art Basel exhibition in Switzerland, and is now concurrently running another exhibition, ‘In search of my mother’s garden’, at Kunstmuseum Magdeburg, a prestigious art museum in Germany.

Tshabalala is the embodiment of what it means to be an emerging global talent – a young artist who valiantly promotes her African heritage, and empowers where she comes from.

‘Lovers in a secret place’ is on until 20 August at BKhz Gallery in Johannesburg.

/// View the show virtually

Written by: Odwa Zamane

The Amazing World of Broke Boys

Aug 5, 2022 | Fashion, Community

“This one is dedicated to every individual who has supported us, relates with us, engaged with us and more importantly; it’s for those who believe in the power community.” – BROKE 

With tickets selling out in under five minutes for the Broke Runway Showcase, it was almost certain that last Saturday, 30 July, would be a whirlwind. Powered by Lemkus and hosted on the 3rd Floor of their Exchange Building (the venue for Cape Town’s summer community staple, The Stockroom Show) – when Ace and the homies said fashion show, they meant it. Arriving on site was itself a heightened experience – the setup, laid out white chairs snaking around the space, giving way to an intimate runway akin to what we might see of exclusive shows in Paris held in historic buildings – were filling up with the city’s creative community, dressed head to toe in the finest looks we’ve seen all gathered in one space in Cape Town. Moments like that, make one realise how hungry the city is for events and spaces that unite all of us under the banner of sartorial expression and community; a rare occasion, indeed, outside of the nightlife scene. The room gave way to seating that felt welcoming, and with anticipation, the room filled up – with conversation and excitement brewing stronger with every second.

A slight delay in the schedule meant only that everyone could ready themselves – friends of Broke arrived, greetings and hugs occurred – with welcome drinks in hand, served by Brooks Hard Seltzer. Then, our attention was called; the show was about to begin.

Broke Runway Showcase
Broke Runway Showcase
Broke Runway Showcase

Beaming into the room over the speakers, we hear the voices of the Broke Boys – one by one, recounting what Broke means to them. Gratitude for the family behind this collective (of which their apparel brand forms one aspect, albeit a central one) – saying how Broke is family, it is community, it’s getting out of the hood and towards your dreams alongside your brothers. The feeling of love was rising; and then, then the first model walked out, making their way around the room. The initial offerings of T-Shirts is a Broke staple – and a strong reminder of their streetwear roots, as profound to be on a runway simply for what the Tee means to access our favourite brands like Palace or Stüssy. Then, the outerwear – a power moment of note – and something we haven’t seen before from creative director, Andile Dlamini. Inspired by workwear and athletic apparel, jackets with phrases like “BROKE SPORTING GOODS” and “BROKE EQUIPMENT – SINCE 2016” added a new reservoir of signatures to the brand’s future, and indicates a full entry for Broke into streetwear design.

The exchange of energy between the crowd and the looks we were receiving was incredible – from the quiet, observant moments to the shouts of joy – that by the time Andile did his designer’s walkthrough and bow, everyone was going wild. The collection was immediately shown on the 2nd Floor, ready to be purchased.

Broke Runway Showcase
Broke Runway Showcase

Once again, Lemkus’ support for local streetwear, forged through community and collaboration, makes the possibilities of the Exchange Building unimaginable and exciting – and as for Broke? Given everything they’ve done so far, and for it still to feel like just the beginning of their worldwide domination, is poignant.

Broke’s latest collection is available to shop online at lemkus.com / every Saturday from 10am to 2pm at The Stockroom Show.

Written by: Holly Bell Beaton

/// Studio images by Lemkus’ Creative Head, Calhoun Matthews

/// Show images by Gidion Felix 

South Africa’s Patron Saint of Pink, Phuti Styles

Aug 4, 2022 | Interviews, Fashion

Visions of bubblegum pink in cohesive, regular doses has been a rarity in recent memory – as if a hangover from the 90s and Y2K pop cultural eras of magenta and rose as essential design features (Von Dutch and Juicy Couture, anyone?) – the 2010s saw minimalism and monochromatism as the antidote to these kaleidoscopic altars of our aesthetic tastes. Imbued with a deep sense of feminine quality – whether socially ascribed or energetically felt – pink is bold and brave, and Mmaphuti Movundlela is its patron saint in South Africa. Having only just graduated from Durban University of Technology from their Fashion & Textiles course, Phuti is already a polymath and namesake in South African fashion. Between running two businesses – P EXOTIC and and Closet Chipi – and styling iconic figures for Cottonfest, or playing photographer, model and muse – Phuti is a chameleon and shapeshifter when it comes to gaining experience in every role that the fashion industry has to offer. Infused with her curiosity and willingness to adapt, Phuti is also beaming with light, complexity and grit; a symphony of exceptional factors for a sartorial-star-in-the-making.

“I was born in Tembisa, Joburg, but I grew up in the North West in Rustenburg – so I speak Tswana, even though I’m not actually Tswana. Olebongeng Morapedi founded Ogorgeous Model Master Classes, and I saw a poster in a taxi for a casting – and coming from Rustenburg, there was nothing there in the way of fashion. She was teaching young girls how to model, alongside her designer friends who were dressing the shows. It was a beautiful entry into the space, but I realised I actually liked making the clothes and dressing up – and people responded to my style. I actually had a black phase, it was the only colour I wore; so I’ve done a 360 in my style.” Phuti reflects in our conversation, making the case that often we are born into a love for fashion and expression; no matter where we are situated, or how far such a career and reality may feel outside of major fashion cities like Johannesburg represents in South Africa. “On weekends, friends and I would have photoshoots and play around with clothing – it has always been my way of sharing who I am, or what mood I’m in. Thrifting was the way I could constantly reshape my style, and add the kind of flair I wanted to my outfits. It grew organically from there, when people showed interest in my clothing and so I started selling pieces to them. I used to make chokers, and caps with fur lining. A few years later, the modelling school reopened and I was asked to be the in-house photographer, as I had a camera and had been documenting my style and world for a while. I’ve been able to be very familiar with many aspects of fashion, and while design is probably my central role – I think having flexibility as a creative is really important, and to learn every part of what makes up the work we do in this industry.”

Inspired by the emphasis on fashion in early 2000s films like Princess Diaries and Mean Girls, Phuti’s sartorial spirit is her devotion to the joy of dressing. In a country where “civvies” is the exception rather than rule in the schooling system, fashion is a refuge from the rigid projections we are taught regarding our identities.  After school, Phuti began attending SA Fashion Week – purely out of curiosity – taking her camera with her, to document and bask in the work of local designers, and to peer behind the veil of how it all works in the industry. Phuti has a tenacious ability to reinterpret cultural inspirations from US-centric music and films through a decidedly South African lens; drawing on the local ingenuity of expression she grew up around, in a way that feels even cooler than whatever TV may have shown us. On these fashion show days, “I would buy a ticket for a show I really wanted to see at fashion week, and go by myself, walking around with my camera – and I’d meet people I knew from social media, and once I was even asked to sit in the front row because of my outfit; so I think all those moments, of just arriving in this spaces and knowing I belonged there, were build-blocks to my career now. This one time at a show, I saw DUT (Durban University of Technology) students showcasing, and at that time I had been accepted by LISOF; but my mom had expressed the financial challenge in going to a private design school. Those fees are no joke. So, after researching DUT – I knew this was the school I wanted to go to, with alumni like Katekani Moreku – so it seemed like a great fit. One of my lecturers was Kiara Gounder, who is a prominent 3D accessories designer locally and internationally – so DUT gave me the best nurturing and guidance I could have asked for.” Phuti touches on a poignant sentiment regarding the state of fashion education in South Africa; with an immense focus on expensive, privatised institutions – a career in fashion can seem even more inaccessible. Yet, in my humble opinion, a school like CPUT also has one of the best fashion departments in the country; and is Lukhanyo Mdingi’s former school.

Speaking on her label, Phuti says, “My business partner for P EXOTIC, Aphiwe Gxawu, is a fellow student at DUT, and we met in Durban. We started doing our own thing, and it was actually born out of not having anything to wear for a night out – so we’d make cute outfits like two hours before heading to the club. That’s one of the coolest moments from learning design and how to sew; when we realised we could make exactly what we needed, that’s the core of what we do. P EXOTIC is the story of us as girls getting ready, and sharing that with our customers. We are both in Joburg now, but P EXOTIC is inspired by the sexiness and style of people in KZN.” The emphasis on fashion in South Africa tends to be central to Joburg and Cape Town, yet Durban is an unsung city and influence; home to Mr Price’s headquarters, with a laidback, coastal spirit – Phuti reflects, ‘’A lot of people in Durban make their own clothes. Normal, regular households will have a sewing machine, and there’s so much fabric and textile history in Durban which I think has been overlooked. And the general style is not mainstream, either – which is really interesting – because I think fashion is really about individual people expressing themselves. I think there’s a lot of recognition that needs to be paid to Durban, and for the rest of the country to bring them closer into the fold of the fashion industry. I loved my time there, there’s so many different cultures and just a different way of life than I’ve experienced elsewhere in the country.” Phuti has since moved to Joburg, a natural progression towards being in the central hub for brand-building, design and creative direction. Here, she plans to continue growing P Exotic and Closet Chipi  – with the latter being a thrifting store that she runs with Maipelo Kaledi, carefully curated to reference looks of films from the past. One thing about Phuti and her friends? Their taste and touch will be on everything they do, uniquely and exceptionally so.

Phuti’s expression of pink is perhaps her most key signature – never failing to show a thousand ways and shades that this hue can be adorned. “Pink is a lighter shade of red, and it’s significant because we think it’s really girly, but I read that it was once worn by men in war. It has a really influential history in colour theory. I love the way it makes me feel, and the contrast of the colour on my skin. It’s also my mom’s favourite colour – and it represents such strong feminine energy. I think there’s a lot of narratives attached to the colour, and I like to challenge those perceptions – it’s my base colour from which I build every other colour I wear, but also, it’s just my favourite colour, and on black skin? That’s strawberries and chocolate, is there a more delicious combination?” Phuti states, ending our conversation with a definitively beautiful arc.

Written by: Holly Bell Beaton

Anita Hlazo’s Custodianship of Grunge in Africa

Aug 2, 2022 | Interviews, Fashion

Preceding the definition of “grunge” as an alternative rock sound and subculture ascended to cult-like heights, emanating from Seattle and outward into the sonic lexicon of the world – and before its heavy associations with thrifted clothing slapped together and white men with long, unkempt hair – there was Tina Bell. Now considered the “Godmother of Grunge” – it has taken a few decades for dues to be paid toward this ineffable black, female lead singer of Bam Bam, to whom the very origins of the grunge phenomena is owed; as it was Tina’s who began blending the shrills of heavy rock with moody, melodic vocals all within in the same song; alongside her enigmatic stage-persona and unbridled embodiment of the true punk spirit. It’s with Tina in mind, that I approach my conversation Anita Hlazo – both of us cognisant of what grunge meant to us as teenagers, many years after the subculture had all but peaked and faded into the obscurity of archived Tumblr archives. Anita is the founder and designer of Afrogrunge: a fashion brand (and community space) that seeks to diverge from the stereotypical tropes projected onto black people, and for Anita; a celebration of her experience as a black woman deeply influenced and raised by punk sentiments, grunge aesthetics and alternative music. The brand is officially four years old – but in fact, the Afrogrunge spirit is much older than that; and Anita feels she is mostly a custodian for the fusion of “afro” and “grunge” : and that the brand is her way of giving her younger self total permission to engage fully in the lineage of rock subcultures that is in fact, the birthright of all black people.

“Grunge as a concept has always been with me, since the end of grade 11. It came about as a form of identity for myself, because it spoke to my own experience. I was living with my grandparents in Gugulethu, and I didn’t feel too connected to the cultural norms around me – so I discovered a lot online. Grunge described, visually and emotionally, how I felt at the time. I started to see myself in this space – but I also wanted to honour being afro, African – and being a black girl drawn to this space. After using key phrases like “grunge” and “black girl”  to search online, I used the term “afrogrunge”, there was one editorial that I found, but nothing else. So nobody had claimed it yet, and there was no representation of black people specifically with grunge. I wanted to create the image that I wanted to see online.” Anita found herself drawn to being a designer, and presented this strength of concept to one of her lecturers; who felt she was onto something big. On this, she says, ‘’I learned design in university, so the brand itself started in 2018 – because that’s when I could sew and construct, and channel my aesthetic into a more specific offering- but it’s drawn on all my experiences and passion from before then. My first collection at school was encouraged by my lecturer at the time, who had no reference point for what I wanted to do; but I remember explaining it to him, and he was writing down every point I was making – and told me to go for it. He wanted to see what it was. The funny thing is, the collection ended up being mostly pink – which is not very grunge – but I think that’s where my own interpretation comes in, because there are no rules to the subcultures because the essence of grunge is to not care. I like that I’ve been able to build my own design language the way I have with Afrogrunge.”

Anita is obsessive with construction, and Afrogrunge’s quality and sewing is her homage to everything she learned at school – that detail is critical. Regarding the linear process from moodboard to sketch to mock-up, and then a final look, Anita comments “Things always turn out differently at the end, and that’s just the nature of designing. Design is problem-solving, so the challenges you meet along the way can influence change in ways you might never have expected, and that’s really exciting to me. I’m learning how to navigate the fusion between blackness and grunge; I don’t want to put too much of either as a fixed idea into what I make, because I don’t want it to feel forced. I always have to go back to my own aesthetic.” The total co-opting of punk and grunge toward a white-centric narrative is very far from its origin; and as such, makes Anita’s task an exceptionally important reassertion of grunge as wholly inclusive and plural. “I think the way rock has been represented hasn’t always told the full story. I also think that many people across these subcultures – whatever colour or culture you are – can be considered the outcasts, or fringe members of society. To know that blackness is within these spaces, in its origin, makes me realise that I am not actually bringing two opposing ideas together; but that I’m actually just remembering the full scope.” As Anita grows up alongside Afrogrunge, it has become more evident that the spirit of grunge is inextricable to her own spirit. Anita has created a space for other black kids growing up to see themselves in alternative ways,  “When I was imagining Afrogrunge in high school, I had an idea for a shop and a hang out place for grunge black people and people of colour. That’s still part of the dream, because all of this has taken place online; but I want to have a physical space where Afrogrunge can be a home for kids like me. It’s hard to measure how much of an impact Afrogrunge has had yet – but I think people are starting to see what I said for, and what story I’m wanting to tell.”

Anita has recently caught the attention of Sportscene, particularly their Redbat POSSE initiative: a range centred around activism in Gender-Based Violence, in which the 100% of the proceeds are donated to important work being done in South Africa to challenge the patriarchy and create safe spaces for women. “This thing is so big. It’s been a huge teaching moment – for myself as a designer, but also in terms of industry experience. I’ve always worked for myself and on my own, so to have the kind of guidance and mentorship that Redbat has provided is invaluable. Three designers were chosen to redesign and re-interpret the new Redbat POSSE collection for a campaign, in order to market a competition; showcasing what the entrants will be doing in the competition. I was able to challenge myself creatively, and to use the Redbat samples to offer an Afrogrunge expression as the final look. On the 5th of August, we will be attending the final showcase and competition. Our looks will be auctioned off, and It has such a strong sense of giving back, and to highlight Gender-Based Violence. It’s encouraged me to see how powerful fashion can be in the right hands, and with the right intentions.” Anita’s year has been one of the most successful in the journey so far; with 2022 showing her that there is money and value to what she has always been doing for her younger self and self-expression. The future’s looking bright, and perhaps with a lot less apathy than associated with grunge – but certainly that anything is possible with the attitude of rebellion.

Written by: Holly Bell Beaton

Interlude Chapter 07 | The Case for Luxury Resale

Jul 28, 2022 | Interlude

Our awareness around sustainability increases every day as we face impending questions about our collective consumption. Fashion is interesting, in that exists at the juncture between artistic expression – and some of the most harrowing malpractices in production; costing the planet, and people, greatly. Fast fashion refers to the manner in which cheap clothing is made through extractive processes in factories with limited resources, and underpaid garment workers – as a response to our insatiable desire for keeping up with the latest trends. So, how do we solve this crisis and shift the narrative around the longevity of our wardrobes? Thrifting is a clear solution; in which garments have their life cycles extended – and furthermore, turning one’s attention to investing in luxury pieces creates an avenue in which consumers can curate garments that hold true meaning in their craftsmanship.

To determine what defines “luxury” – we need to understand the term in and of itself. There is a growing debate as to what defines luxury in fashion, however for this context – luxury refers to designer labels that produce collections defined by consideration, such as beautiful fabrication, thoughtful silhouettes and specific branding which have the ability to market at high prices. Here in South Africa, this refers to labels such as Thebe Magugu, Lukhanyo Mdingi and Rich Mnisi – whereas internationally, we can think of Prada, Vivienne Westwood and Louis Vuitton to name a few. While we generally have a smaller market in fashion than the global north, there is growing interest in curating vintage and newer pieces from luxury brands; through local, small scale curators, or from websites such as us.vestiairecollective.com – an incredible marketplace for previously owned luxury pieces, sold at retail value.

With the evolution of circular economies – linearity life-cycles of garments are challenged, and in the context of luxury resale, there is broadening of access for South African consumers. Stores like Afraid of Mice express the brick-and-mortar model of vintage curatorship; with its store in Harrington St. acting as a custodian for rare, vintage finds ranging from Hugo Boss jackets, Louis Vuitton handbags – to Burberry and Moncler. Vintage denotes the endurance of interest and quality associated with such finds, while allowing more room for the price-points; as opposed to the previously mentioned Vestiaire Collective, that tends to match retail value where possible. Without a website, Afraid of Mice holds true to its vision for nostalgia – and another such discreet store is Stock Exchange on Kloof St – with no social media presence in sight, it boasts a bare-bones store housing everything from Acne Studios to Isabel Marant. Reliability is key in luxury resale; with trusted spaces priding themselves on their ability to provide authentication of their collections. Ready-to-wear luxury centred on its youthful appeal appears to be the central vision for Dreamland Vintage – with iconic drops ranging from Chanel sweatshirts to Moscino jeans, with an emphasis on the 70s, 80s and 90s inspired sourced from the owner’s buying trips overseas. Spaces like The Changing Room and Meonyou Vintage are consignment based, and rely on their fashion communities in a closed-loop system of curation, authentication and distribution.

Known globally for their analysis across varying sectors, consulting firm McKinsey & Company’s report on luxury resale show that this manifestation is set to become a permanent fixture in the global fashion industry; perhaps not merely piquing the interest of luxury brands themselves, but rather resale may be pivoted and co-opted as part of the sustainability projectives increasingly non-negotiable for luxury houses to implement and action. The report states;  “The luxury resale market holds great promise for both customers and brands. Leading the way, largely, are customers, who are generally eager for established brands to play a larger role. For brands, if they choose to participate, it is a way to expand their offerings, appeal to committed client segments, stay abreast of digital innovation, and reinforce their sustainability efforts—if they can find ways to add meaningful value to loyal customers’ experience.” It will be interesting to see how this continues to rise in South Africa, where luxury fashion continues to remain integral for our countries’ participation in global sartorial consciousness.

Cape Town based Singer/Songwriter Luh’ra Releases expansive new EP ‘Nice’

Jul 27, 2022 | New Release, Music

Cape Town based singer-songwriter Luh’ra harnesses a purity of sound and story that reveal an artist on the cusp of reaching a wider, global audience, with her second release, “Nice”. The seven-track record, a follow-up to her 2019 debut EP ‘Luh’ra Luv’, takes the indie soul that Luh’ra has been sharing with audiences for the past five years and gently, and quite beautifully, expands it. Subtle notes of jazz, silky R&B and smooth beats now also help propel an intimate journey through the multiple facets of human connection that Luh’ra sketches out on “Nice” bringing the artist into the sonic terrain occupied by artists like Lianne La Havas, Cleo Sol and Raveena.

“I took it as an opportunity to grow – especially in terms of the musicality of my work,” says Luh’ra of her 2022 release.

Luh’ra describes the title track as being inspired by a post adventure story that was shared with her. “My friend and her sister had spent a few days together out in the wild and the way the memories were shared with me evoked many visual ideas as well as feelings of admiration at their sisterhood and friendship. It allowed me to reflect on my own relationships which I have in my life.”

With strong reviews already for its first singles, Luh’ra’s EP is a welcome addition to a timeless musical canon that matches beautiful music with words that connect directly to the human heart.

/// Stream and download “Nice” on

Spotify

Apple Music

iTunes

Deezer

Amazon

Soundcloud

Tidal

The Rise of Thrifting in Cape Town

Jul 26, 2022 | Fashion

To be “thrifty” is to be economical – and with the rise of second-hand resellers, vintage stores and the culture around thrifting – the fashion purchasing landscape has seen popularisation of consumers opting for unique, often cheaper priced garments; a welcomed challenge against the onslaught of fast-fashion’s hyper-consumption and ceaseless trends. In Cape Town, second-hand culture is an expression of a larger African informal economy, and locally it can be seen to emanate from vendors at Grand Parade, outwardly across markets, online, and brick & mortar stores. This landscape of thrifting, although positive in its intention, speaks to a greater systemic issue – where countries in the northern hemisphere send massive bales, regularly, to key ports along the continent’s coasts; most notably, this is an almost epidemic aspect of garment trading in Accra, as researched and reported by the OR Foundation’s project Dead White Man’s Clothing. During my initial “thrifting” awakening as a teenager, there was a store in Spencer Rd, Salt River that brought in bales of army jackets, fur coats etc – redirecting these garments from “aid” towards profit for the owner. While this appears deeply problematic, there is also the inherent problem with “aid” – the idea that the global south should only advance or benefit from the charity of wealthier countries. As with any large-scale systematic reflection of our greater economic state as a society, I urge you to dig deeper into thrifting as a practice for low-income people; and the care we must take in understanding the nuances of gentrification of this practice.

I spoke to a number of store owners around the city on their thoughts about thrifting. Iin asking Abigail Merhar of Eku Collective how curating and re-selling can be more dynamic for her clients than conventional fashion retail, she says “I think it makes the creative process behind curating your wardrobe much more fun and dynamic. It challenges you to find new, fresh ways to wear clothing you wouldn’t otherwise consider wearing. You will be able to find one of a kind treasures, collectors pieces and pieces that no one else around you would be likely to find as well. You also know that the footprint and impact of your purchase is much lower than that of a conventional fast fashion or retail purchase.” Thrifting is an act of lengthening the life-cycle of a garment, preventing it from reaching a final fate in a landfill – where it may never degrade, along with the rest of our intense amounts of waste as a species. Robyn Uria and Michelle Solomon of Kaap Diem – a thrifting collective located in Bo-Kaap – speak to the circulatory of thrifting, and normalising it as a desirable purchasing method for young people, “We really believe that gently owned or previously loved fashion always has a place for a new home. If we can contribute to well priced pre-loved fashion being continuously cycled rather than putting additional strain on the environment we are doing our part in ensuring a healthy future for our beautiful planet. Styles come and go but they are cyclical and there will always be a demand for them again. Our key is to have an ecosystem of trading and buying or selling of beautiful styles but not necessarily designer brands. We try to cater to all genres and sizes.”

A favourite of Cape Tonian thrifters, Sarah Byram’s Better Half Store is an exceptionally curated offering in Observatory; showcasing the possibilities for thrifting as effortlessly aligned to a concept store setting as any brand or label, and not merely the usual chaos of rails and piles of clothing (although the latter is always a fun exercise in finding the right piece). 

Sarah explains the origins of Better Half, and how it has always functioned to complement and host local, small-scale designers embodying the same values, “The backbone of Better Half has always been rooted in sustainability, although it is my belief that no brand, no matter how big or small, is 100% sustainable. We can only do our best to be as transparent as possible while still aiming to run a profitable business. Other than sustainability, quality and consistency are our core points of focus, so we consider each of these in every decision that is made. When we opened our store in 2017, our focus was primarily on second hand clothing, specifically 70s – 90s garments. By 2018, we were ready to open up a store in Johannesburg and decided to run a 6 month pop up at 99 Juta Street called Better Half and Friends.The aim was to spotlight upcoming Cape Town brands, and included some of our favourite women-run brands such as Sama Sama, Artclub and Akina.” The store, online and physically, is set to host more events in the future – as Sarah grows the adaptive nature of Better Half’s vision, “In 2019 we broke down a wall and expanded our store to include a curated range of dècor and homeware pieces, sourced locally or from independent family run businesses in India. This expansion seemed like the natural evolution of the brand and had always been a dream of mine. A treasure-trove oasis of carefully curated and exhibited items, my aim for this version of Better Half was to spark joy and inspiration within our customers to explore their unique style through offering an alternative to mass manufactured garments and homeware pieces. The next version of Better Half includes the Better Half Content Studio and A Rentable Section, which we plan to launch this Spring. By 2023, we hope to move fully online, but we’ll keep our store as a base for weekend try-ons and pop up events.”

Shelby Bailey of Threads and Stitches conceptualised her business as a response to the hard-hitting industry scarcity of the COVID pandemic, and utilises the philosophy of “rethink, reuse and recycle” – and has since added an up-cycling brand of her own, using offcuts to create beautifully stitched and unique pieces. Commenting on thrifting as a profession, she speaks to her experience as a thrifting consumer, and the greater responsibility of store-owners to be cognisant on how thrifting needs to remain accessible even as it continues to be more coveted, “For me, it started to change, by rather buying, for the means of necessity, rather than out of want and popularity. I love clothing. Some might say it’s an addiction, and  I needed to change how I was doing things and thrifting was my start. There are loads of articles on these issues and how we can convert our wardrobe into something that is fun, recirculating, and sustainable. We as the consumer can also look at personal preferences and style and build a wardrobe that’s durable, functional, and timeless. If we look after our things well enough that the next person can use them then we are creating a sustainable wardrobe. A noticeable difference that I have seen is that thrifting has changed from charity shops circulating in an accessible retail space catering to those that rely on secondhand clothing to becoming infatuated with the new thrift trend and putting up the prices to make necessities unobtainable. This, in turn, causes thrifting businesses to sit with an excess of leftover stock that finds no home.”

Before Andile Dlamini pioneered BROKE, his initial entry into the thrifting market was through his much loved business Hopeville Grailz; in which he channeled rare finds from his own experience thrifting and styling, to a destination that reflects he and his friends’ affinity and passion for streetwear. Now predominantly curating and reselling pieces that can’t be thrifted in Cape Town like Patta, Palace or Stüssy – Andile comments, “Hopeville is definitely the sister to the clothing Brand BROKE as it inspired us to find our own place in the streets, as we stood out in the colourful and cheap thrifted garments we couldn’t move a thrift store, we had to find a name for us as the movement hence Broke Boys, at that time it was a group of friends just trying to make the most with what they had, everything was achieved through a shoestring budget. The importance of thrifting is that more than anything, it is financial and environmentally sustainable,but besides that it allows you the opportunity to travel back in time through the old  clothes that you need to browse through and appreciate the era it came from; trust me they don’t make them like they used to.” The crux of these owner’s vision is young entrepreneurship, each building a business and creative models that speak to their experience as consumers and that of their communities; and this is the essence of thrifting as a practice,  born from a joy that cannot be bought at just any store. It is part of a solution, of which we need many, to tackle our growing global fashion-consumption crisis.

Written by: Holly Bell Beaton