Tatenda Chidora’s commitment to ‘Africanism’

Mar 22, 2023 | Interviews, Creatives

Tatenda Chidora’s biographical epitaph on Instagram reads, ‘I believe in AFRICANISM’. This conviction is palpable in Tatenda’s many bodies of work; landscapes, sceneries and the poetics of people materialise through his photography in the way that one would imagine from a visual doctrine, descriptive of this precise time on the continent. If someone were to ask me, what does Africa look like right now, ontologically or sartorially? I would point them to Tatenda’s work, and I would tell them that I believe he is one of the eminent visual architects in Southern Africa. 

Tatenda’s path to image-making is one steeped in alignment of both space and time. The medium of photography wasn’t always so clear, until it crystallised itself front and centre through his love of magazine collecting. As Tatenda explains,  “I’m Zimbabwean, and so I was born and bred there. I moved to South Africa in 2008, due to economic situations, and I was trying to find a place where I could study. Initially, I was supposed to go to culinary school – but I ended up working instead. I’ve loved magazines all my life, and I’ve collected them for a long time. My favourite was one small seed, which was such a beautiful, independent zine. I think that habit, of pouring over images in magazines, prompted me to pursue photography. I thought, if I could buy a camera, perhaps I could give this a try? So, when the opportunity came for me to study, I decided it had to be photography. I feel like I was pulled into visual arts in that way; I had to realise it was meant to be photography, and everything happened from there.” One of the most ineffable aspects to Tatenda’s work is his technical mastery over light. In a layman’s sense, some may not realise quite the potency that the refractional or tonal nature of light is the greatest companion of any photographer. Hence, the practice is founded on the ability to weave light almost as its own characters in images; Tatenda achieves this with dizzying effect. I learned that as a long-distance marathon runner, it is quite literally the light of our earth, of the dawn and dusk, that Tatenda has employed as his teacher, “I am always in spaces where I see a sunrise, or a see a sunset – and sometimes I even find myself running in the peak of the day, especially when I’m training for marathons. It is a beautiful analysis of light, and most of my subjects are Black – and depending on the type of day, the skin has the most incredible reaction. Black skin and the quality of light interact together. I find there is a temperature that can be translated onto skin depending on the time of day, and that is light’s domain. It really helps me to create my images in a deeper, more textured way. Observing light is one of my most important tools, so much so that I will take mental notes on a run about the light, the time that it was and the conditions of the weather. Then, when I have an idea, I can seek out those conditions, and experiment. One of my favourite things is how the sky, or clouds, bounces in the foregrounds and brings illumination to the skin or bodies of the people that I photograph.” Tatenda’s work is a synergy of light, texture, skin and colour; this alchemy is definitive of Africanism, and the accentuation of that inarticulable magic that governs the continent.

Tatenda Chidora, CAPTURED II.

Tatenda Chidora, Un Ordinary.

Regarding Black photographic portraiture and African photography, Tatenda has felt a responsibility to communicate what he knows best and most intimately, “I always say, if you stay in New York as a New Yorker, you have the best perspective and most authentic point of view, so you can translate New York stories the most accurately and the most honestly, because you inhabit the space day and night. For me, it’s the same thing as an African photographer. I have a responsibility to tell African stories accurately. I know how it is, and how to interact and interpret scenes and people. Also, to change the narrative that has been placed over African photography is critical. Whenever I photograph, I am in a space of celebration; I am celebrating Blackness, and the beauty that lies in being Black and in being African. I remember how difficult it was in university to find full archives or works by African photographers, and that was awful – I wanted to bring out a more conceptual, artistic viewpoint of Africa. Even in the grungy-ness, or the textures of everyday life, within the changing tides of the continent- there is so much beauty and so much richness to capture.” Almost everyone I speak to with the creative space is affirming this sense of an African renaissance; it’s happening, and it’s wildly energising. Even against the backdrops of uncertainty, of socio-economic difficulties, the sentiment sweeping across varying artistic disciplines is one of immense hope and foresight for the future. I ask Tatenda his thoughts on this, to which he says “it’s really quite exciting. Before, there was this narrative that people had to come to Africa, and ‘see for themselves’, consuming or making assumptions – and then they go back home and describe their stories or narratives. What gets lost, even not just distorted, is those stories and experiences of Africa that are not available to everyone. Now, the world is listening to African human beings. We are being asked to tell our stories, while refusing to have our stories told on our behalf. We are seeing this across fashion, art, music and so on – and we are showing them. It is the greatest time to be alive as an African artist, because everywhere you go; people want to know, they are curious about what it means to be African. This is a time where Africa is being represented on the world stage directly from the source, from African people themselves.”

Tatenda Chidora, METAMORPHOSIS I.
Tatenda Chidora, METAMORPHOSIS II.
Tatenda Chidora, METAMORPHOSIS III.

Last year, I picked up a copy of Dazed Magazine at Exclusive Books – a moment that comes around spontaneously, whenever we seem to get a shipment of publications other than the usual suspects of Vogue and Vanity Fair. In it, a feature spread with musician, artist and healer Desire Marea contained an essay interview by Nkgopoleng Moloi, and images by Tatenda with incredible styling by Nao Serati. Shot in KwaZulu Natal, Tatenda reflects on this experience, “that was quite a magical and challenging experience. The first day we were supposed to shoot, the floods in KZN started. So, we had imagined what we would do, we had understood our approach and came with all these beautiful garments. We couldn’t get to Desire’s hometown due to the floods. It was such a beautiful experience in the end though, and I don’t know anyone who could have embraced the forces of nature the way he did – I believe between his creativity and his spirituality, things came to be aligned, and in the midst of the powerful rains, we ended up capturing exactly the kind of mood and depth that you see in those images.” There, in the heart of KZN, the images revealed storm clouds in the background with Desire’s portrait centrally focused – or Desire finding stillness among a thick meadow, recently effulgent from the heaven’s rain. Tatenda speaks to the power of this collective story-telling across the continent, saying “As Africans, we have embraced our own identity. We are healing the idea of being either African American, or completely westernised and colonised. I have so much respect for artists, designers and so on – and they are on the stage in Europe, and they point back at the continent, and they are coming back home. There is this understanding that, well, if the world wants me – they can love me from my home, from my continent or country, you know? That’s so powerful, to be who we are, and to allow ourselves to do so.”

Desire x Dazed.

In the week of our conversation, it has been revealed that Tatenda’s work ‘If Covid was a Colour’ has been announced as a winning series for the British Journal of Photography’s ‘Portrait of Humanity, Volume 5’. The colour, to Tatenda, is a cobalt blue captured across varying models, with one in particular featuring stylised surgical gloves, replicating the spiked characteristic of the virus – but more interestingly, it reads as an avant garde head-piece. Tatenda says, “I remember reading the British Journal of Photography when I was in university. The curation is really beautiful, and they really try to broaden out across the world, and every Sunday they bring out ‘Sunday’s Inspiration’. I submitted my body of work last year, and I wanted to communicate a different point of view of the pandemic. There are many documentary images of that time, which are very real, harsh and factual of what we went through – and so this series was a way to celebrate humanity. We really stood up and above the pandemic as humankind. It’s such an honour to see my work recognised in this way.” With the thoughtfulness and tenderness of a visionary, I know that we will continue to see Tatenda’s work take shape in the world; his future is saturated by all the illumination of light, and beyond.

Tatenda Chidora, If Covid was a Colour.
Tatenda Chidora, Self Isolation I & II.

Written by: Holly Beaton

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

Chapter 14 | A round-up of moments for South African designers in March 2023

Mar 20, 2023 | Fashion, Interlude

I have been thinking about how these last few years in South African fashion history will be reflected in years to come. There are many designers doing many things, and spotlighting all of them is something Interlude intends to do, month by month; building an archive of memory and moments, brands and designers, who are quite literally carving out a roadmap for aspiring generations in the country and on the continent. This last month, six moments in particular crossed my path, and altogether they reflect an incredibly healthy, beating heart of South African luxury fashion. Whether taking flight in Paris or Milan, or in publications like Vogue and Business of Fashion, or creating campaigns that draw out the essence of what it means to design with intentionality; the year has barely begun, and great things are already afoot.

Lukhanyo Mdingi Featured in Vogue Poland ///

Lukhanyo Mdingi’s eponymous label has emerged firmly on the international stage. This last month, the label was featured in a full-feature spread in Vogue Polska, selected by guest-editor and supermodel, Anja Rubik; who has heralded Lukhanyo Mdingi as one of fashion’s new favourites. As a celebration of Vogue Poland’s 5th anniversary, the feature highlights Lukhanyo, his team and the vision of contemporary, luxury fashion from Africa as a mainstay of the past, present and future. Although I coulnd’t translate the entire piece, I did employ google translate for the following excerpt: “Mdingi’s approach to fashion can be called pragmatic – he has a clear goal and meticulously implements it. Maybe he’s doing so well because he knows what it’s like to feel not be seen enough.” (Podejście Mdingiego do mody można nazwać pragmatycznym – ovary sobie jasny cel i skrupulatnie go realizuje. Może idzie mu tak dobrze, bo wie, jak to jest czuć się niewystarczająco widzianym) A beautiful recognition from eastern europe, and a reminder of just how far South African is being noticed.

Images and Layout from Vogue Poland @vogue.polska

Viviers Studio presents ‘KARROO – Land of Thirst’ in person at Milan Fashion Week for FW23 ///

Last year, Viviers Studio made its digital debut at Milan Fashion Week, which we covered here. This year, the label presented ‘KARROO – Land of Thirst’ as a physical presentation in Milan, in partnership with Cape Wool South Africa and Mohair South Africa. Lezanner Viviers referenced the landscape of the Karoo, the semi-desert landscape in South Africa, transforming her own photographs into surrealist artworks, which were printed into the fabrics shown in the collection. In collaboration with Dina Christiaan, Nama San translations and interpretations brought the original ancestors of the Karoo into the collection’s narrative. Lezanne stated, “What I find most fascinating about the arid scorched Karoo, is the irony; most of our warm, cosy and luxurious raw materials (Mohair, Wool, Ostrich Feathers and leather) come from the barrenness of this land of thirsts. Chiaroscuro, an effect of contrasted light and shadow, best describes the changing landscapes of South Africa; both physically and metaphorically. I “cry for my beloved country, (Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton, 1948) as I protest against institutional and systemic structures within our government, that hurdles us as South Africans in our daily practice and living. Load shedding of our electricity supply, water-shortages and pollution are all challenges to be overcome.” The presentation and collection demonstrated Viviers Studio as a space existing precisely at the intersection of fashion and art – with the label’s epitaph remaining ‘Art, Artists, and Artisans’.

Images by Eva Losada @eva.al.desnudo

Rich Mnisi debuts at Paris Fashion Week for FW23 /// 

Rich Mnisi’s second debut in Europe took place for FW23 – this time, at Paris fashion week, with  TRANOÏ, a collective aimed at highlighting contemporary and luxury fashion through a community-driven network. With a serious flex of fabrication and silhouettes, TANK is a study in the complexity and workmanship of the brand’s vision forward. The show notes for TANK read, 

“When we were kids, we didn’t know much. 
But that’s exactly how it should be, right? 
We were learning, observing and absorbing everything we saw, heard and touched.
Little tanks, filling bit by bit, holding more than we knew we could.

That’s where the Tank collection comes from. The tank of muddy questions and bright ideas, of wonder and awe, of good things and bad things, that every young mind becomes. Filled to the brim with inspired curiosity, and fuelled by the psychedelic power of imagination. This collection is the tank’s overflow, a spill over the edge, marked by early scribbles, collages and messy paint drops from when we first discovered the joy of colour. Mythical tartans peek out, both celebrating the Maasai and calling back to early awe of Vivienne Westwood. Fluid shapes clash with right angles, and contrasting patterns blend into each other organically because when we were kids, we knew nothing of the urge to make every idea fit in a neat little box.

We’re not kids anymore, and in some ways, it’s a monumental loss. In others, it’s not. Because now, we can be who those kids needed. We have what we need to catch up and tell those early magical stories, to explore what we didn’t have language for.

This collection is for the echoes of those children that we carry with us now, finally handing them a stage and a megaphone for all we left unsaid. Because when we were kids we didn’t know much, but what we did know, what we filled our tanks with, was wonderful.”

Images by Michael Oliver Love @michaeloliverlove

Wanda Lephoto’s Strandfontein Pavilion Campaign ///

Early in March, Wanda Lephoto released what seems to be a sneak peek into a new collection. Three images by Anke Loots offered up a Wanda Lephoto soft ‘RAMA’ corduroy suit, set against a backdrop of the historical Strandfontein Pavilion in Cape Town. Known for his continued marriage between cultural, historical and sartorial archiving through his collections – I am deeply intrigued to see more of this story. Below is the official statement from the brand on this campaign: 

Memory: of place and feeling. Strandfontein Pavilion: Cared for by the community, meant to be protected for future generations. 

The Strandfontein Pavilion was built between 1974 – 1983 by Vaughan Burn and Graham Parker built on the False Bay Coastline in Cape Town with the purpose of realising the global competitiveness of South African heritage and cultural resources through product development, sustainable tourism and economic development of our natural, historic and indigenous heritage.

Of place: Although like many South African places The Pavilion lacks support in economic growth opportunities for residing communities, it is still a place for the people, a place for local fisherman, traditional healers and surfers to mention a few. 

Of feeling: Water has always been used spiritually for healing, cleansing and praying ceremonies, practices and experiences seen at The Strandfontein Pavilion, a safe space that nurtures the feeling of belonging and spiritual connection, with The Pavilion housing the biggest Tidal Pool in the Southern Hemisphere.

Images by Anke Loots @ankeloots

Thebe Magugu Gets Frank with Business of Fashion ///

Thebe is always up to something; in fact, many things, all at once. Rarely much time passes without a body of work or conceptual project arising from the label – in this way, Thebe Magugu is achieving what he set out to do, as described in this interview with fashion media behemoth, BoF. Written by Yola Mzizi, the piece is a poignant portrayal of Thebe’s rise to accomplishments, and the current vision of the brand. He says in the piece, “I want to give back to my country and keep the brand local for as long as possible. I have had to make crucial decisions that may set us back financially, but advance the goals of the brand.” While maintaining a direct relationship between the label and global fashion leaders, Thebe describes in the piece that he is staying with his own pace, with no plans to move the brand outside of South Africa. In fact, and what one feels deeply about Thebe’s work, is that it’s all for the continent. This is the precise strategy that many southern hemisphere originating creatives have to enact; international recognition, connection and doors add value, but these are to be brought back for the benefit of the region. Sign up to BoF and give the piece read – dreams become reality, as embodied by Thebe Magugu. 

Images by Business of Fashion @bof

UNI FORM’s ‘Rebirth at Tarkwa’ is another showcase of Luke Radloff & Bee Diamondhead’s creative synergy /// 

UNI FORM by Luke Radloff is a label that I will never keep quiet about. The collections and pieces arising from the brand makes the word ‘chic’ feel cheap; it’s more than that, energetically descriptive of a serenity and flow that is moving, majestic – all the while, simplistic and clean. The label’s ‘Project 4’ featuring handwoven dresses made in collaboration with Barrydale Hand Weavers is burned into my memory forever – least not because it flexed the synergistic partnership between a creative director like Bee Diamondhead, and a designer like Luke Radloff. This last month, the release of ‘Rebirth at Tarkwa’ saw the duo head to Tarkwa Bay, an island near the Lagos harbour in Nigeria, alongside Ivorian artist and photographer, Nuits Balnéaires. With the models perched in trees, on rocks – in solitude and together – the images are hard to describe. I think they are intended to be felt.

Images by Nuits Balnéaires @nuit_balneaires
Written by: Holly Bell Beaton

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

Shahrokh Dini & Illinois release ‘Inner Core For Love’ (Omer Tayar Remix)

Mar 20, 2023 | New Release, Music

Omer Tayar is a storyteller who uses melodies and rhythms to tell a profound and engaging musical tale. His journey began at the age of 12, when he first started playing guitar, and it evolved in the years to come as he pursued a DJ career and electronic music production. As a proud music geek, Omer invested many years as a music collector on the one hand, and as a sound engineer on the other. With a unique and vast knowledge in both music technology and music history, and with years of experience playing in many venues in his hometown Tel-Aviv and the rest of the world, Omer has built a reputation as a DJ who knows how to light any dance floor on fire, as he fuses slow and deep electronica, space-disco, raw grooves and house bangers into one boiling set.  As a producer he already released his original music and a few remixes for well known labels such as ‘Mau House’, ‘Empire’ and ‘The Garden Of Babylon’, and the best is yet to come.  

Shahrokh Dini delivered two top notch EPs in 2022, “Now We Can Dance ” with Illinois and “Ubuntu”. After gathering some decent remixes, a proper vinyl release became self-evident. Now, with splendid re-works by the likes of Lehar, David Mayer, Omer Tayar, Tooker, Kovi, Patrick Zigon and Apoena. Not even that he played a lot of nice gigs during summer (Amsterdam, few times on Ibiza, lot of gigs in Berlin, Italy, Corfu, Sardinia), and has been busy in the studio with several releases and remixes such as “Now We Can Dance’’ with the strong and lovely vocals by Illinois is a contemporary house smash with an 80s indie dance twist. Shahrokh met Illinois at the Garden Of Babylon parties, where Shahrokh is a resident DJ. This track signals their collaborative synergy and the synchronicity of that meeting. 

/// Listen to and Download ‘Inner Core for Love’
Bandcamp
Spotify
Beatport
JunoDownload
Trax Source
Apple Music
Tidal 
Deezer

/// Shahrokh Dini 
Instagram 
Facebook
Soundcloud  
Discogs  

/// Illinois 
Instagram   
Spotify  

/// Omer Tayar 
Instagram 
Facebook
Spotify
Soundcloud

Oliver Whyte Launches ‘OW Lab’ as an experimental extension of his practice

Mar 20, 2023 | News, Art

Award-winning design studio, Oliver Whyte, have launched their answer to experimentation and play: OW Lab. As an extension of Oliver Whyte, the designer is led by a hunger to explore, refine and grow his own voice unhindered by the often constraining avenues to disseminating furniture and object design. With a thoughtful website, OW Lab is a digital gateway to purchasing Oliver Whyte pieces; with a more democratic view of accessibility in bringing exceptionally crafted works into your home. 

Through the introduction of a fresh way to experience the local design landscape, Ross Robertson of Oliver Whyte Studios explains, “OW Lab is an online treasure chest of beautiful, functional objects born in freedom to allow an outlet of creativity unobstructed by outside forces. You will find lights, vases, candle holders and tables to begin with, but the lab will explore many of the found objects in the home, over time. The pieces will be released in monthly drops, and there is only one of each piece – hesitate, and you will lose out! I cannot wait to share my lab with you.” 

The pieces are a continual exploration of Oliver Whyte’s signature resin-sand composite, a blend that is hand-shaped into a final form, and finally spray painted in a variety of hues. In this way, no single piece can ever be replicated – with each object forming a stunning expression of Ross’ intuitive practice. As a proponent and progenitor of South Africa’s burgeoning design space, OW Lab brings nuance and curiosity to the celebration for audiences of local design at varying points of entry.

Explore more and shop ‘OW Lab’ at www.ow-lab.co.za

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

A Fall/Winter Fashion Week Retrospective with South African Photographers Cris Fragkou and Tsele Nthane

Mar 15, 2023 | Interviews, Fashion

South Africans are killing it. As the core of what we dialogue at Connect Everything Collective; it is often no surprise to us when talented people from our country do incredible things, but it is no less awe-striking. Cris Fragkou is an inimitable fashion photographer, with whom it has become a tradition for her and I to retrospect regarding her whirlwind journeys to Europe and the US to photograph the people, shows and designers that we simply dream about from our corner of the world. What Cris sets out do in building her career is not simply to capture the essence of fashion as a creative energy; rather, it is to do this while continually developing her own enlightenment, and such – Cris dances the harsh and beautiful boundaries of what fashion is as an industry, as an event, an experience; and as a force. This Fall/Winter 23 season was no exception, and the regular updates via her IG tell the tale and showcase images and moments that are explicitly surreal. More on that later. Firstly, to add to this, is Tsele Nthane, AKA @melanateyourmood, suddenly appearing on the scene in Milan and Paris. All at once, the distance between us and fashion week in Europe feels even closer, intimate and more possible. This has been demonstrated by designers such as Lukhanyo Mdingi, Thebe Magugu, Rich Mnisi and Lezanne Viviers – and the many ways in which South Africans and Africans are forming part of the global cast of fashion creatives. 
JPG x Haider Ackermann Haute Couture SS23, Loewe AW23 PFW for 10Mag and Paco Rabanne AW23 PFW by Cris Fragkou.

CECILIE BAHNSEN & CFCL PFW by Tsele Nthane
Puppets Puppets AW23 NYFW for SSense, Simone Rocha AW23 LFW BFC, Victoria Beckham AW23 PFW by Cris Fragkou.
In chatting to Tsele about his experience, he describes what led to him being in Milan and Paris, “FW23 happened just as I was making the transition to pursuing photography and art full time so it represented the perfect opportunity to be fully immersed into the fashion world. It was actually a really intense immersion and probably too much too fast but I had two great people I met there who were kind enough to show me how to navigate fashion week. That was really essential and the biggest stroke of fortune. Prior to February I was doing full time academic research in the fisheries sector and that’s where the social documentary work comes from.” With Tsele ended up shadowing Cris, the two linked together to navigate a scene that Cris has spent a few years familiarising with; this makes the experience no less intense, though. As Tsele describes it, “I met two incredible South African photographers at the Milan and Paris weeks. In Milan, Cris Fragkou let me shadow her the whole week which was the biggest gift any first-timer could ask for because she’s so busy shooting a range of bigger and smaller shows. My favourites weren’t necessarily the bigger shows because it’s really chaotic and you don’t get many chances to shoot what you want amidst a sea of other people. Cris knows many of the top models so well she would personally call them over and have a chat with them while taking their exit pictures away from the crowds and I’d be there with her. The bigger shows also attract a lot of people and the outfits aren’t as impressive as people attending the smaller shows. I really liked Fendi, MM6 Maison Margiela, Prada, Iceberg, Annakiki, and Viviers’ was a stunning presentation!” Tsele explains the other chance meeting and another tie back to South Africa, “In Paris I went to see Thebe Magugu’s latest work which was brilliant! South African born Italian photographer Filippo Fior showed me around some of the shows backstage. He sits centre on the photographer’s podium and that’s the most important position shooting live for global magazines so it was really really kind of him, he just loved seeing another South African there and I’m fortunate to have met him. We did Cecilie Bahnsen and CFCL together, both gorgeous. It was really fun in Paris and shooting night exits at Valentino was really interesting.” Filippo Fior is a legend in his own right, and if you’ve ever read our fashion column Interlude – you will have seen Filippo’s images, along with many, many archives of his work on VogueRunway.com.
OFF-WHITE and Milan Act No 1 by Tsele Nthane.
Dior and PRADA Exits by Tsele Nthane.
VIVIERS by Tsele Nthane.
For Cris, this season has been her record: 61 shows in seven weeks, “When I counted it up, I couldn’t believe it. I started the season off on a high note coming from a three month summer in South Africa, so I arrived really ready, and ready for battle – I felt so grounded and super connected. But it’s intense; fashion weeks at that scale contain so many, many moving parts, with really short windows in which things have to happen. It’s weird for me to start in Milan, because my start was New York and then London. I had my least amount of shows in New York, which is a great place to begin the season. I had a really good time there – there’s interesting and weird stuff happening there. I feel like New York has become the young, queer cousin of fashion, and so it’s a beautiful expression of independent, experimental brands. Obviously, Hillary Taymour of Collina Strada is like the queen of that whole scene. Then, London is very student driven; and there’s a youthful, less jaded energy there. People are dying to show their work, and they do it on a fraction of the budget that you would ever see in Milan and Paris. I think that DIY ethos is so critical to fashion, so it’s really cool to experience fashion as a large ecosystem, divided into these smaller, unique parts.” For Cris, navigating fashion week for her clients such as Dazed, her image-making draws her directly into the most intimate parts of the shows; back-stage, where the models, garments and creators are quite literally seeding our fashion dreams. As Cris says, “it’s what this is all about – you know, sitting on your bed at 12 and watching Fashion TV, and then being in a city like Paris, in the heart of it. Even though each season brings me a new level of challenge, or comfort and familiarity, it never gets old – the magic of it never get lost.” Until this season, Cris had never had someone assist or shadow her – with Tsele’s burgeoning passion and curiosity around, Cris reflects on the nature of being connected amongst the chaos and intensity of fashion week, “It was really great having Tsele around, and having a local friend from South Africa really, really helped. I’m not used to having support, and I get into an automated pilot mode. On the day, I will talk to my body and prepare it for the way I have to move through the experience – 20 minute shows, across different venues, negotiating with security and personalities – and Tsele just had this extra eye. One day I was telling him that I never drink water, and then 30 minutes later he got me water – and everytime we got onto the metro, he reminded me to take a sip. Small acts of care make so much difference. Having done this work for a while now, sometimes it feels like it’s an accounting job and I get wrapped up in the professionalism and order I need to maintain. It was so cool to see his excitement.”
AW23 for DAZED by Cris Fragkou: Cormio, Moschino, Eckhaus Latta, Sunnei.
AW23 for DAZED by Cris Fragkou: Dior, Di Petsa, Ferragamo, Vaquera.

AW23 for DAZED by Cris Fragkou: Loewe, Mawalola, Off-White.
Tsele says of the considerations in experiencing Milan and Paris as a photographer, “first just the basics like knowing where the show is happening. Milan is great because they publish the locations in advance but Paris you only really know if you’re invited or know someone with the connections. Learning how to navigate the different locations is also really interesting because there’s a shuttle but most photographers just walk or use public transport and the busiest ones are always in a rush for the next show; we walked so much, and it’s a great way to see the city. Paris is different in that they use a lot of the same venues for the shows so you’re not running around as much. Milan is really really flat and walkable. I’m personally drawn to colourful and quirky looks from both people attending the shows as well as the public around there; I loved capturing model exits, getting close enough to focus on the details in motion without necessarily having a face in frame. Shooting away from the crowds can throw up some nice surprises as well.” And the energetic differences between the two, “Milan feels so much more accessible and social because everyone’s walking around to shows as each show is typically in a small enough venue to access. Paris is so much larger in scale and prestige and usually at a few venues that can accommodate that – so it feels really different in that sense; it feels like attending an actual event you’ve booked for weeks in advance and you just have to arrive. Socially, though, Paris is gorgeous and so diverse it just feels better as a place you’d want to live and work.
Milan MAX MARA Exits by Tsele Nthane.
ANAKIKI Milan by Tsele Nthane.
Florentina Leither Paris by Tsele Nthane.
Written by: Holly Beaton
For more news, visit the Connect Everything Collective homepage www.ceconline.co.za

Paradise Worldwide and SAMPRA launch ‘Building Bridges Internship Programme’ for South African musicians in Berlin

Mar 13, 2023 | News, Music

Paradise Worldwide and South African Music Performance Rights Association (SAMPRA) have joined hands to promote cross-continental understanding and connection through the Building Bridges Internship Programme. The programme offers young South African professionals a unique opportunity to gain international experience and cultural awareness by spending three months in Berlin, Germany. 

During their three-month stay in Berlin, the interns will receive training in various aspects of the music industry, including publishing, label management, distribution, and event planning. They will also work alongside African and German team members to develop a comprehensive knowledge base for future expansion. 

Paradise Worldwide is renowned for its expertise in music rights, collection, and protection, which will be emphasized in the training programme. SAMPRA, on the other hand, is committed to advancing the South African music industry through collective management and licensing of music rights.

The programme aims to provide interns with both theoretical knowledge and practical skills that they can apply in their future careers. It also offers them the opportunity to build an international network and gain experience working in a different business culture.

“We believe that internships are a pivotal moment in the lives of many individuals, as they are often the first exposure to a professional working environment and all its key elements,” said a spokesperson for Paradise Worldwide and SAMPRA. “We are thrilled to offer this opportunity to Martha, Rhema, and Sharon, and we look forward to seeing them grow and succeed in the music industry.” 

Upon their return to South Africa, the interns will continue to gain experience and apply their newly acquired skills in SA offices. Paradise Worldwide and SAMPRA share a common goal of promoting global understanding and cooperation through cultural exchange programs. This partnership aims to provide young professionals with the opportunity to develop their skills, gain new perspectives, and build connections that will benefit them in their future careers. The Building Bridges Internship Programme is a testament to the commitment of Paradise Worldwide and SAMPRA to fostering cross-continental understanding and connection capital, work experience, and global recognition of music rights and technology.

Facebook: Paradise Worldwide | South African Music Performance Rights Association
Instagram: @weareparadiseworldwide | sampra_rsa

Buqaqawuli Nobakada paints so her younger self can dream

Mar 12, 2023 | Interviews, Art

Buqaqawuli Nobakada’s mixed media works are poignant expressions of the Black, female experience. Her works define what it means to be a woman – that contemplative, tender resolve that embodying femininity often asks of us, and what it means to take up space, and the responsibility of this. For Buqaqawuli, her forthright purpose as an artist is to craft imagery that younger girls may see, especially Black girls, and realise that those foregrounds are precisely the spaces that they can inhabit. In our conversation below, Buqaqawuli’s retrospection of her work depicts the precise and critical need that art serves; art is not frivolous, it is an inherent requirement for shifting, healing and articulating the consciousness of human beings. On the matter of who she paints for, Buqaqawuli describes why her recents works showcase luxury settings, “I had a conversation with a cousin of mine who comes from  the context I started in and I remember telling her I wanted a house with an infinity pool and she didn’t understand what that was, and I decided that that’s the kind of thing I want to paint. She’s never seen someone that looks like her in that sort of space, owning or existing around those kind of things so she can’t dream it or work towards it because even if she looks through a magazine with luxury homes, the little white picket fence family in the magazine doesn’t look like her or anyone in  her immediate surrounding so she grows up thinking she doesn’t deserve to live like that or she  doesn’t belong there: that’s the thing I want to change. That’s why I paint the girls in the fast cars and lace fronts, so my younger self can dream.”

Toward her professional emergence in the art world, Buqaqawuli is a fine artist for whom I feel destiny will be made manifest. There is no greater alchemy than the kind of intellectual and social depth that Buqaqawuli demonstrates in our conversation –  I will leave the rest of your understanding of Buqaqawuli, in her own words, below.

How did you arrive at being an artist – what were some of the most formative moments that showed you that this was your path?

It’s interesting because on a craftsman level it’s something I’ve always been naturally good at, I  don’t know where to say I may have learnt it. Since I was a child I’ve been interested in making beautiful decorative things as a hobby. Things changed when I was in grade 10, I had taken Visual Arts as one of my academic majors and my art teacher at the time was very adamant on art class excursions to artist studios. I vividly remember a trip to bag factory studios and a talk with the late Benon Lutaaya in his studio on one of those small school excursions. That was the  first time I understood art as a career. The world and my immediate family had kind of trained me into believing that art is something reserved for the ‘hobby’ category and it’s not something  to be taken too seriously. Still, I wasn’t completely convinced, and then I did  architecture at Wits for a year and I absolutely hated it, I had friends studying fine art so I  would skip my construction lectures and go sit in their classes, and even in architecture school, I was really good at the design and drawing side of things, my lecturer at some point criticised  me saying that I design like an artist and not an architect – I took that as a sign and never looked back really.  

It just became a ripple effect, I’m still seeing it now. Every time I see South African artists showcasing their work all over the world, doing creative collaborative projects with huge renowned  brands like Cristian Dior and Gucci, all of it is affirming that what I’m doing is valuable and that  the journey isn’t as simple as selling paintings, there’s a whole world of creativity that I get to  unlock, and painting is just the first step of the beautiful journey that is to come.  

Now that I’ve completely surrendered to the craft I’m also realising how important art is in anthropological study. It’s a reflection of people and their beliefs and how these beliefs are  performed in different times. Art is about politics, it’s about science, it’s about collective memory and psychology, culture conservation – it’s about representation and storytelling. It’s important, and  now that I realise its importance I feel a responsibility to share it with the world.  

 

Can you talk about your medium and materials, the stippled way that you create your figures?

I prepare paper with lace fabric and then paint on that prepared paper. I enjoy this process because it  adds a layer of detail to the work that dares you to stare a little longer, and it also has a lot to do with the dimensionality of the subjects I’m presenting. They aren’t simply figures so in my mark making, I try to reflect not just the shape that we see with the eye but to bring forth the complex femininity of  my subjects. We’re never just one thing, and telling a layered story with still images is a difficult thing. I use the details on the mark making to present layers of the story to audiences.

Who are the figures and women in your works, and what does it mean to focus on the feminine as your muse?

My work is very autobiographical in its nature, so a lot of the time my work is about my own  navigation of my femininity and sensuality in a changing world. So I paint myself and the women in my immediate surroundings because those are the stories I’m reflecting back at the world. It’s  also beautiful because my work grows as I grow. I remember switching degrees from architecture to fine art and there was a shift in the kinds of spaces I was in and thus the kind of women I  painted changed. In the school of arts I’m coming across bold, more regal women, with brighter  hair and larger personalities and now I’ve got a whole series of portraits of women based on the  way I see beauty and femininity being performed around me.  

I also paint largely for my younger self. In my recent body of work I’m painting women in the nude  in imagined luxurious architectural spaces: this is a love letter to young me, telling myself that I, a black girl from the most rural parts of the Eastern Cape, deserve repose, I deserve rest, I deserve to  take up beautiful spaces – so that’s what I paint. We need to see ourselves in the ways that we want to exist, it’s a form of manifestation. I had a conversation with a cousin of mine who comes from  the context I started in and I remember telling her I wanted a house with an infinity pool and she  didn’t understand what that was, and I decided that that’s the kind of thing I want to paint. She’s never seen someone that looks like her in that sort of space, owning or existing around those kind of  things so she can’t dream it or work towards it because even if she looks through a magazine with  luxury homes, the little white picket fence family in the magazine doesn’t look like her or anyone in  her immediate surrounding so she grows up thinking she doesn’t deserve to live like that or she  doesn’t belong there: that’s the thing I want to change. That’s why I paint the girls in the fast cars and lace fronts, so my younger self can dream.  

 

What is your vision right now as a young, fine artist in South Africa?

My vision, or curiosity rather, is our collaboration and engagement with other artistic  disciplines on a global level. Art isn’t simply about art objects anymore, and I’d like to watch  how our potential unfolds. I’m enjoying seeing South African artists doing shows all over the world and collaborating with other large creative enterprises. It’s like we’ve challenged ourselves to take our stories to every corner of this earth and it’s a beautiful thing to be a  part of.

Written by: Holly Beaton

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

William Kentridge’s ‘The Head & The Load’ is coming to Joburg Theatre following world premiere at Tate Modern

Mar 9, 2023 | News, Art

The Head & The Load comes to Joburg Theatre following World Premiere at Tate Modern

Co-Produced by Centre d’Art Battat, Montreal
Supported by RMB and FNB, divisions of FirstRand Bank Limited
Music Conceived and Composed by Philip Miller with Thuthuka Sibisi

William Kentridge’s large-scale theatre work, The Head & The Load, will be seen for the first time on the African continent at the Joburg Theatre from 21 April  – 6 May 2023 for 14 performances only.

After a resounding opening at the Tate Modern in London in 2018 – followed by sold-out shows in New York, Amsterdam and Germany – bringing the production home to South Africa was delayed by two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic and prolonged lockdowns. Needless to say, it has been a long wait and the production’s arrival in Kentridge’s hometown of Johannesburg is highly anticipated. This internationally acclaimed exploration of Africa’s role in the First World War illuminates the untold story of the millions of black African porters and carriers who served – and in many cases died for – British, French and German battlefield forces. A play on the Ghanaian proverb “The head and the load are the troubles of the neck,” the historical significance of their crucial role in the conflict has remained largely unexamined for a century.

This exceptionally ambitious production runs across a purpose-built stage stretching over 50 metres along the back of the Nelson Mandela Theatre, with an intimate seating configuration for approximately 500 audience members. The wings and backstage of the reconfigured theatre become a site-specific performance space large enough to accommodate this monumental work, while the audience takes its place directly onstage for a once-in-a-lifetime theatrical experience.

The Head & The Load sees Kentridge reunited with long-time collaborator Philip Miller, one of South Africa’s leading composers, as well as co-composer and music director Thuthuka Sibisi and choreographer and principal dancer Gregory Maqoma from Vuyani Dance Company. Together, they  created what the artist describes as “an interrupted musical procession”. The powerful and evocative score is performed by an ensemble cast of extraordinary singers and musicians drawn from across the globe – South Africa, Guinea, the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom and Italy – offering a perfect complement to Kentridge’s imaginative work.

This rich and multi-layered production features an international cast of 38 performers, with a majority from South Africa. The cast – which includes actors Hamilton Dlamini, Nhlanhla Mahlangu, Dambuza Nqumashe and Luc De Wit, with vocalists Ann Masina and Joanna Dudley – vividly brings history to life through a combination of music, text, dance, film projections, mechanised sculptures and shadow play.

It has been described by the international press as ‘A fiercely beautiful historical pageant’ (New York Times – Critics pick), ‘a masterpiece’ (★★★★★ London Evening Standard) and ‘electrifying’ (★★★★★ The Independent).

Speaking about the production, Kentridge said, “The Head & The Load is about Africa and Africans in the First World War, that is to say about all the contradictions and paradoxes of colonialism that were heated and compressed by circumstances of the war. It is about historical incomprehension (and inaudibility and invisibility). The colonial logic towards the black participants could be summed up, ‘Lest their actions merit recognition, their deeds must not be recorded.’ The Head & The Load aims to recognise and record.”

 Speaking in support of the production, Bonga Sebesho FNB Head of Brand Experience said: “We’re very pleased that FNB and RMB are collaborating to tell this vital African story through The Head & the Load. FNB and RMB are committed to the development of the creative sector because it is an important pillar to our economic growth. Additionally, the support of choreographer Gregory Maqoma, founder of Vuyani Dance Theatre, by RMB, through the FirstRand Foundation, goes back over a decade. As a responsible corporate citizen, we remain committed to initiatives that add value and make a meaningful difference to society.”

Joburg Theatre performances will be preceded by a range of audience development and education initiatives, including a series of workshops and public programmes at The Centre for The Less Good Idea. These initiatives, alongside sponsored tickets, are key to reaching diverse communities across Johannesburg. Making the performances accessible to as many people as possible from the communities where it is most meaningful, is one of the main objectives in bringing this work to Africa.

Booking Informations & Tickets ///

Please note seating is limited. 
Book: At Joburg Theatre Box Office, tel. 0861 670 670 or online at www.joburgtheatre.com or www.webtickets.co.za
Patrons can also book via the Nedbank app or selected Pick n Pay stores (full list www.webtickets.co.za/pnpoutlets.aspx )
Patrons who hold tickets for the previous dates should contact the Joburg Theatre Box Office.
Evening performances: Fri 21 (Opening Night), Sat 22, Wed 26, Fri 28, Sat 29, Tues 2, Wed 3, Thurs 4, Fri 5 & Sat 6 at 20:00 (Final Performance)
Matinee performances: Sun 23, Thu 27 & Sun 30 at 15:00
Where: Joburg Theatre, Braamfontein

THE HEAD & THE LOAD  Joburg Theatre is a Co-Production with the Centre d’Art Battat, Montreal  

The Head & the Load performances in Johannesburg along with the extensive community outreach program has been made possible the generous support of Rand Merchant Bank and First National Bank, The Ford Foundation, The Rolex Mentor and Protegeé Program, The Stavros Niarchos Foundation, Bank of America Securities, The Ivor Ichikowitz Family Foundation, David and Amy Abrams, Robert Gold, Joe Battat, Christophe Charlie, and Brenda Potter.

The Head & The Load was originally co-commissioned by 14-18 NOW: WW1 Centenary Commissions, Park Avenue Armory, Ruhrtriennale, Yale Schwarzman Center and MASS MoCA with additional support from the Holland Festival. The Head & The Load acknowledges the kind assistance of Goodman Gallery,  Lia Rumma Gallery and Marian Goodman Gallery.

 

 CREATIVE TEAM

Concept and Director              

William Kentridge

Composer

Philip Miller

Co-composer / Music Director           

Thuthuka Sibisi

Projection Design                                 

Catherine Meyburgh

Choreography 

Gregory Maqoma

Costume Design                                     

Greta Goiris     

Set Design                                 

Sabine Theunissen

Lighting Design                                      

Urs Schönebaum / Georg Veit

Sound Design                           

Mark Grey / Michele Greco

Video Editing and Compositing           

Janus Fouché / Žana Marović / Catherine Meyburgh             

Associate Director                                 

Luc De Wit

Studio Technical Director                     

Chris Waldo de Wet

Video Orchestrator                              

Kim Gunning

Cinematography 

Duško Marović

It’s not just you, the cost of living crisis is really bad

Mar 8, 2023 | Lifestyle

It was a rainy summer morning, not all that long ago. I made my way down to the little coffee shop at the base of my building as I did every morning, my limbs heavy, my movements sluggish, my nervous system screaming out for the coffee it so desperately craves. It’s rush hour, and the queue, although moving, seems somewhat overwhelming. As the queue meanders towards the counter, I start listening in to the conversation taking place between what I assume must be two colleagues making a coffee run before work. The distinctly British lady draped in a camel trench coat talks loud and brashly about her troubles finding an apartment in London to her Afrikaans colleague, whom I wouldn’t say seemed disinterested but most definitely needed a coffee as badly as I did. 

“You know it’s ridiculous out there to find an apartment. It’s not just that it’s expensive. What I pay here in Cape Town could get me something that looks like a closet back home. I went for a viewing, and when I got to the apartment, there were already 30 people there, so I just left. My boyfriend and I realised that if we liked a place, we had to offer the landlord more money than the property was listed for, and never less than an extra £200 a month.” I remember sitting there with my fancy little coffee and having that last bit repeatedly play in my head. You have to offer the landlord more than the apartment is listed for just for the opportunity to actually have a space to live in. What kind of absolute Capitalist cost-of-living crisis hellhole had the world become? 

Repulsed by the state of affairs, I retreated back to my apartment, luxury coffee in hand. With each sip, the story from downstairs seemed more and more dystopian. “Ahh, that’s just first-world problems,” I thought. Well, that is until I confirmed that I was moving back to Johannesburg. The apartment I had been living in was listed the next morning, and the rental agent asked if some potential tenants could come and view the property. Sure, how bad can it be? There were 25, yes, 25 different people meandering in and out, desperately trying to secure an apartment that, to anyone with any financial savvy (me not included), is ridiculously overpriced.

It’s no secret that financially, the world is in a bit of a precarious position at the minute. “The cost of living crisis” is a phrase that you may have seen pop up quite a bit in developed economies such as the US and UK and much of Europe, but that same crisis is on our doorstep. Our situation is already that of a pretty devastated economy that was already on the ropes from pirates parading as politicians, freely plundering and pillaging a stagnant economy hooked up to life support, but what do I even mean by the cost of living crisis as it stands right now? 

Simply put, it refers to “a situation in which the cost of basic, essential items such as food and energy bills have increased rapidly in a short period of time, and much faster than average household wages.” So essentially, inflation is absolutely out of control, which means that the meticulously planned monthly budget that got you through the month last June is leaving you with cents, if anything at all, in the current climate. What’s happening globally, however, shouldn’t be confused with lifestyle creep in which we gradually spend more and more as our salaries grow. No, this is very much a case of our habits and routines not changing but our bank balances at the end of the month being in an absolute chokehold. 

Now I know it isn’t sexy to bring up stats and figures, but this is just one of those topics that need those statistics to illustrate to an extent just how dire the situation is. First and foremost, it is crucial to note just how sluggish the South African economy has been in terms of growth. Just recently, the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) slashed the economic growth forecast for 2023 from an already pitiful 1.1% to an alarmingly low 0.3% (healthy economies grow at around 2-3% a year). So we have a practically stagnant economy, all while prices of essential goods are skyrocketing. Helena Wasserman writes in her piece that the cost of living crisis in SA can be attributed to a handful of key sectors. The first is fuel prices which are reaching eye watering levels amongst a weak Rand compared to the dollar and the ongoing Ukrainian-Russian conflict. Transport hikes, travel cost increases, and aeroplane ticket increases have been hit hard. 

 

Now I know it isn’t sexy to bring up stats and figures, but this is just one of those topics that need those statistics to illustrate to an extent just how dire the situation is. First and foremost, it is crucial to note just how sluggish the South African economy has been in terms of growth. Just recently, the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) slashed the economic growth forecast for 2023 from an already pitiful 1.1% to an alarmingly low 0.3% (healthy economies grow at around 2-3% a year). So we have a practically stagnant economy, all while prices of essential goods are skyrocketing. Helena Wasserman writes in her piece that the cost of living crisis in SA can be attributed to a handful of key sectors. The first is fuel prices which are reaching eye watering levels amongst a weak Rand compared to the dollar and the ongoing Ukrainian-Russian conflict. Transport hikes, travel cost increases, and aeroplane ticket increases have been hit hard. 

The next key factor is the massive increase in food prices, particularly staple foods such as wheat and maize, with 20 to 30% price hikes across the board, primarily due to the ongoing Ukrainian-Russian conflict, with the two nations being the biggest grain exporters in the world. In general, there was a 13% rise in food prices in the year to October, with meat going up by almost 10%. This is why that same basket of groceries at your favourite grocer seems so ludicrously expensive now. For example, the same coffee I was talking about earlier was R18 for a black Americano when I got to Cape Town in July of last year. However, this was short-lived as the price soon rose to R20 and then to R22 by the time I left. A R4 price increase doesn’t sound like all that much but take that R4 price increase on something that is bought as frequently as coffee, and the bigger picture becomes far clearer, particularly when you remember that not only coffee got more expensive, but practically everything in your shopping basket did.

Before the one that is obvious to all South Africans, there is also the point of massive interest rate hikes to combat high inflation levels. Although inflation fell to 6.9% in January, down from 7.2% in December (healthy economies hover somewhere around 1-3%), the interest rate is unlikely to come down until the Reserve Bank meets its inflation targets around 4.5%. So here’s the deal; South Africa generally has less money, but interest rates are so high that loan repayments have become an increasingly big concern for those that are just about making it through the month.

Finally, and we all knew it was coming, we needed to talk about electricity. Now, this is a topic that feels like beating a dead horse. Our energy crisis is severe, and it is intrinsically linked to many other economic concerns for our country. Loadshedding at Stage 6 costs the economy up to R900 million a day. That 0.3% growth forecast makes a lot more sense. Coupled with the fact that Eskom has applied for a 32% tariff hike in a service they can’t consistently provide, the situation seems almost comical. Please pay 32% more for the few hours we can provide you with electricity, and so that we can buy massive amounts of diesel to prop up the electricity supply because the power stations aren’t producing nearly at max capacity? I think all South Africans, regardless of socio-economic background, have had it with a shambolic husk of a state enterprise. 

It’s not all doom and gloom, but we may need to change our own habits to combat the crazy curve of costs. For some, that means looking at our expenses and seeing which low-hanging fruit we could cut away. For example, those two-morning coffees at the coffee shop weren’t the wisest call, nor was my overreliance on Uber Eats when I was lazy, as some easy-to-achieve examples. This may also be the right time to have a peak back at that budget you set up. Now, this is not to clutch as pennies but to look at and evaluate the importance of what you spend money on. Maybe you can get slightly slower internet for cheaper, and maybe you hold off on your cell phone upgrade to save some extra Randela’s. Perhaps, as I decided, the price of that lovely apartment has reached a point where it isn’t worth it anymore. Maybe it’s time to get rid of some of that unnecessary clutter, and it’s pretty fun to have your model moment by styling all the unwanted pieces you’d want to get rid of, and setting up a Yaga page or attempting to navigate whatever weird, almost robotic conversations tend to happen when you sell furniture on Facebook Marketplace. Definitely, just some suggestions, which I’d take with a pinch of salt given that I’m also the person that blew their medical savings on a pair of Gucci glasses that I probably didn’t need. The point being, that while we may be in this situation simply by virtue of existing in this world; its a poignant reminder that working longer or harder cannot always protect us from economic cycles, and at some point we are required to make adjustments – however unfair this may be. 

It’s hard and I can’t assure you all that it’s going to be okay because, frankly, I do not know. Just know that you aren’t going through this financial anxiety alone. We tend to be hard on ourselves regarding money and where we think we should be at different points in our lives. Still, in a world as unpredictable as ours, that has recently been through a global pandemic and seen a globally economically crippling war break out, I think this is really a case where we all should cut ourselves some slack. Quite a lot of this is completely out of our control, so let’s focus on the small things we still have control over – and as abstract as the economy itself seems, so too does it fluctuate, ebbing and flowing in the background while our lives invariably move on. We are as adaptive as ever because, well, we simply have to be.

Images: DTS, Money Bag$, Mackenzie Freemire.

Written by: Casey Delport

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

A brief glance at Fall/Winter 23 trends at Paris Fashion Week

Mar 7, 2023 | News, Fashion

We don’t know about you, but we love seeing the continuity of staples in both silhouettes and materiality on the runways. With nearly every second month feeling like it’s fashion week again, this recent week of Fall/Winter 2023 in Paris proved to be no exception; but now, firm favourites appeared across varying houses and labels, all of which are essentials that speak to building longevity in the proverbial winter wardrobe of consumers and observers. We’ll probably be thrifting and buying local when our autumn hits in the next few months and not Givenchy, and although our cycle seems to be ‘later’ because we are in the southern hemisphere: in a digitised world with the kind of peeks we see into fashion through our screens, these are trends that we can get a head start on as we edge neared to autumn in South Africa. Remember, though, trends are not rules; more importantly, they’re a view into the collective, sartorial consciousness.

Blazers
Tailoring is eternal. A blazer never really goes out style; and while iterations might change, the blazer or suit jacket remains an absolute essential. This season, bigger is still better; oversized blazers seen at Stella McCartney, Givenchy and Dries Van Noten in shades of charcoal and root vegetable plaid are perfect for layering and finalising a look, and for those of us thrifters; men’s blazers hit the spot. Head to your nearest charity store and play with different sizes.

Images: Isidore Montag, Stella McCartney.
Images: Alessandro Lucioni, Dries Van Noten, Givenchy.

Long Coats
Coats, for winter? Groundbreaking. With that said, a coat is very important – and an investment piece worth taking care of for years to come. It seems the trench coat with its usual accents of a belt and oversized collar is a firm favourite; with Paco Rabbane and Chloé going one step further into the realm of fur in a trench-coat silhouette. Courrèges A-line, pin-stripe coat with a rounded neckline was a flex on the importance of dynamic coat shapes – chic, cute, clever.

Images: Alessandro Lucioni, Dries Van Noten.
Images: Carlo Scarpato, Chloé and Courtesy of Courrèges.
Images: Alessandro Lucioni, Paco Rabbane.

Faux fur
There are varying views on fur – of course, the standard anti-cruelty regarding fur skins from animals, but it appears the perceived luxuriousness of fur has returned largely in the form of ‘faux’ fur. This means, however, that many houses who have made the great exotic animal exodus, are now using polyester-rich fur replicas; which is just plastic. While not cruel to animals directly, it does beg the question as to whether ecologically harmful materials are still cruel, particularly if they harm entire ecosystems. Fashion’s sustainability darling, Stella McCartney, is one of the labels that has never used fur – being raised vegan, Stella herself is vehemently opposed to using animal skins in any way. With lots of furs on the runway, Stella McCartney made the most noise as far as innovative fabric development; as their faux-fur manifesto explains, “Our Fur-Free Fur looks and feels luxurious, and is completely animal-free. Plus, we are doing our best to make it even better; we have been working with our partners to develop a new plant-based material called KOBA® that will help us reduce the amount of virgin polyester we use.” Chloé has also shown faux fur in the last week, having banned exotic animal skins since 2018, along with Bottega Veneta and Paco Rabbane.

Images: Alessandro Lucioni, Paco Rabbane and gorunway.
Images: Filippo Fior, Bottega Veneta and Carlo Scarpato, Chloé.
Images: Isidore Montag, Stella McCartney.

Leather
Leather will always be a winter fabric – and in the realm of luxury, too. In different forms at FW23, Matthieu Blazy’s use of leather at Bottega Veneta was a standout success. With oxblood skirts and top sets, or ochre leather trenches, seeing leather in a variety of ways brought what can sometimes feel like an overdone fabric, back into a space of nuance and complexity. Matthew Williams’ leather vision at Givenchy was perhaps a bit safer, but in the realm of deep charcoals with a slightly subversive twist.

Images: Alessandro Lucioni, Givenchy and Paco Rabanne.
Images: Carlo Scarpato, Chloé and Courtesy of Courrèges.
Images: Filippo Fior, Bottega Veneta.
All images sourced via VogueRunway.com.

Written by: Holly Beaton

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