Sindiso Khumalo X & Other Stories will launch this April

Feb 6, 2023 | News, Fashion

It has been announced that South African textile and fashion designer, Sindiso Khumalo, is set to launch a collaborative collection with Scandinavian retailer ‘& Other Stories’. Sindiso is an alumni of Central Saint Martin’s MA in ‘Design for Future Textiles’ – and has gone on to amass an incredible local and international career, with a win at the LVMH Prize in 2020, and numerous collaborations centred on sustainability and storytelling through textile design and fashion – notably, Sindiso was hand-picked by Sarah Andelman for a Vans X Vault collection in 2022. 

This won’t be the first Scandi partnership for Sindiso; she collaborated with IKEA on their 2019 ÖVERALLT collection. With & Other Stories, the collection will feature ready-to-wear clothing, accessories, swimwear, shoes and bags in a comprehensive showcase of Sindiso’s ability to channel her vision through the brand codes of varying spaces. We are hoping to see more of Sindiso’s Ndebele and Zulu heritage fuel the heart of the collection, as she continues to take reference from her culture across the world. The collection is said to feature Khumalo’s hand-painted watercolours and collage prints, and in a variety of sustainable materials; a deep focus point for Sindiso, and for the H&M Group overall. 

 

Images sourced via harpersbazaar.com

For comment, Sindiso told Harper’s Bazaar that “we want to open up a sustainability conversation with more people. My hopes and wishes for this co-lab with & Other Stories are to shine a light on African design and the magical nature of our enigmatic continent,” she added. “Another goal is to communicate to the customer the importance of the materials when building your wardrobe, showing that clothing made from materials sourced in a more sustainable way, can be bold and playful.”

The collection will launch in April & will be available in mid-level price points as set out by & Other Stories’ retail model.

Written by: Holly Beaton

Published: 7 February 2023

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

Southern Guild kick-off 2023 with a double solo exhibition by Porky Hefer and Wycliffe Mundopa

Feb 6, 2023 | News, Art

Southern Guild is kicking off 2023 with a double-hitter of solo exhibitions by artist Porky Hefer and Zimbabwean painter Wycliffe Mundopa, both opening on Wednesday, 8th February.

Volume 4. Chaos Calamus – Interspecies Reciprocal Altruism by Porky Hefer launches a new collection of seating pods woven entirely in Kooboo cane – Hefer’s original material of choice – and incorporating carved timber sculptures by artist Adam Birch for the first time. This body of work reflects on the phenomenon of mutually beneficial symbiosis between species and looks to microbiology in its development of seating typologies – in particular, to amoeba. 

Pachipamwe (We Meet Again) by Wycliffe Mundopa, in association with First Floor Gallery Harare, presents a new group of figurative oil paintings bearing visceral witness to the complex lives of Zimbabwe’s women and children. Rooted in the power of truth-seeing and the drama and beauty of the ordinary, Mundopa’s paintings elevate the daily ongoings of his people toward historic significance.

Please continue reading for the in-depth press releases of Volume 4. Chaos Calamus – Interspecies Reciprocal Altruism, and Pachipamwe (We Meet Again) :

 

PORKY HEFER: Volume 4. Chaos Calamus – Interspecies Reciprocal Altruism
8 February – 20 April 2023

Image 1-2: Porky Hefer by Hayden Phipps /// Southern Guild
Image 3: Porky Hefer, Adam Birch by Hayden Phipps /// Southern Guild

 Southern Guild is proud to present Volume 4. Chaos Calamus – Interspecies Reciprocal Altruism, a solo exhibition of new seating pods by Porky Hefer from 9 February to 20 April, 2023. Woven entirely in Kooboo cane – Hefer’s original material of choice – and incorporating carved timber sculptures by artist Adam Birch for the first time, this body of work reflects on the phenomenon of mutually beneficial symbiosis between species.

A keen observer of natural phenomena, organic forms, animal behaviours, and ecosystems, Hefer’s work is steeped in his fascination with biomimicry. A patch of forest floor, an anthill, the movement of lava – in Hefer’s mind, each unravels a parallel universe that offers a metaphoric lens through which to view our relationship to each other and the world at large. His collections of sculptural seating environments are speculative interventions, a series of playful proposals that take their cue from nature’s unerring adaptability, resourcefulness and interconnection.

Although originally inspired by the complex woven nests of the sociable weaver bird, the works in Chaos Calamus look to microbiology in their development of seating typologies – in particular, to amoeba. The unicellular organisms are known for their ability to alter their shapes by extending and retracting pseudopods or arm-like projections. Amoebas defy our assumptions around solidity and shape in the way they move, morph, and grow. “An amoeba keeps breaking up and reinventing its own structure in order to move into a space to perform a task,” says Hefer, describing them as the ultimate monster from a sci-fi movie.

The taxonomy of the exhibition’s title refers to the Chaos genus of amoeboid organisms which includes the so-called “giant amoeba”, Chaos carolinensis, the largest and best-known species. In Hefer’s speculative science, these works are a new species incorporating a fictional link to the Calamus genus of rattan palm.

The neat, bulbous shapes of the artist’s earlier nests are here extended and draped, resulting in fluid and oozing forms with interiors generous enough to accommodate at least two sitters inside. They are supported by large tree-fork sculptures by Birch, and as such, constitute a marriage of forms, crafts and makers – a symbiosis to which the title alludes. The works were also produced with the contribution of Hefer’s long-time collaborators, cane weavers from the Cape Town Society for the Blind, as well as welder Wellington Moyo, who crafted each metal frame.

Image 1 & 3: Porky Hefer Process 2020 by Adel Ferreira /// Southern Guild
Image 2: Porky Hefer by Hayden Phipps /// Southern Guild

ARTIST BIO

Porky Hefer was born in 1968, in the era where Radical Design emerged with Futurist-designed environments and objects that were more than a chair or a table – pieces that would assault your eyes and also your spirit. It was during this time that Wendell Castle and Joe Colombo made units of self-sufficiency to isolate and change experiences completely. It opened up horizons and possibilities that fulfilled more than simply a basic need to sit. 

Fascinated by the reactions and energy a piece can generate in a space, Hefer embraces Africa and the skills and processes that are readily available indigenously, rather than trying to emulate foreign processes. Making use of traditional techniques and crafts that focus on the hand rather than machinery, his work ensures that age-old skills are preserved and kept relevant in a modern age. Hefer’s life-size nests, woven with Kooboo cane, are a result of his in-depth study into this social bird’s nest-building skills, made relevant for a human audience. His work’s progression into leather and recycled and sustainable materials has further evolved this exploration of ways in which living pods can be presented.

Hefer is the recipient of two Design Foundation Icon Awards (2013 and 2018), as well as two Wallpaper* Design Awards (2019 and 2022). His first solo show, Monstera Deliciosa, Volume I (2015) was followed by a solo representation of South Africa with Southern Guild at the London Design Biennale (2016), and a solo at R & Company in New York (2017). Co-presented by Southern Guild and SFA Advisory, his Endangered collection was exhibited at Design Miami/ Basel (2018), with proceeds benefiting the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation. Plastocene – Marine Mutants From a Disposable World premiered at the 2020 NGV Triennial at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne.

WYCLIFFE MUNDOPA: Pachipamwe (We Meet Again)
8 February – 20 April 2023

Image 1: Wycliffe Mundopa Portrait by First Floor Gallery, Harare
Image 2: Wycliffe Mundopa, Blind Wisdom Part 2. 2020. First Floor Gallery

Southern Guild, in collaboration with First Floor Gallery Harare, is proud to present Pachipamwe (We Meet Again), a solo exhibition of figurative oil paintings by Zimbabwean artist Wycliffe Mundopa. The exhibition of large-scale canvases bear visceral witness to the complex lives of Zimbabwe’s women and children. The collection will be on view at the gallery from 8 February to 20 April 2023.

For more than 15 years, Mundopa has harnessed his role as an artist to give visibility and voice to the unseen and unheard. The painter’s work is a response to life as he observes and experiences it. Each of his grand compositions, saturated in their carnivalesque colour and brimming with impassioned gesture, canonises the stories of Harare’s women. Believing in the power of truth-seeing and the drama and beauty of the ordinary, Mundopa’s paintings elevate the daily happenings of his people toward historic significance. 

Lurid hues, vibrant pattern, rich allegory and animal symbolism have come to define a potent visual language for the artist. The allegorical mingles with the mundane as a vividly spotted hyena is carried to the local market, fruit-sellers sit streetside in striped stockings and circus garb, a woman’s face bears the distinct snout of a pig. These symbols are visualisations of vernacular expressions. Encoded within each metaphor is commentary referring to the country’s broader societal fabric, and its fluctuating moral codes. The crowding of each of the rendered street scenes creates a shifting sense of perspective as multiple focal points fiercely compete for the eye’s attention. The viewer is initially seduced and overwhelmed by the sumptuous pageantry of the work, but a closer viewing challenges us to engage with the harsher realities that Mundopa’s world is built upon. This witnessing stands beyond literal  documentation; the artist mythologises the everyday with both violence and empathy.

Carousel 1: 
Wycliffe Mundopa, Urban Savannah Part 2. 2022. First Floor Gallery.
Wycliffe Mundopa, Prize Bride. 2022. First Floor Gallery
Wycliffe Mundopa, Flesh-pots Part 2. 2022. First Floor Gallery

Carousel 2: 
Wycliffe Mundopa, A Rose by Every Other Name Part1. 2021. First Floor Gallery Harare.
Wycliffe Mundopa, Better The Devil You Know. 2022. First Floor Gallery.
Wycliffe Mundopa, Nostalgia Revisited Part1. 2022. First Floor Gallery.

Drawing from the tradition of the Old Dutch Masters, Mundopa presents a multi-dimensional image of his countrywomen. These audacious figures – breadwinners, sex workers, mothers and muses – renounce historically reductive modes of representation. His women are dynamic, desirous, joyous and resilient in the face of social circumstances that do not often lend themselves to a life of power. The fullness of this portrayal begs us to see both the pain and vibrancy of these women’s lives.

Valerie Kabov, co-founder of First Floor Gallery, shares this: “Using the dichotomies of anger in beauty and beauty in the pain, Mundopa enables us to emerge from the dichotomy of looking and seeing. Not only do his mythologised but dramatically real subjects compel you to see them, they challenge you to question the way you look, moving between didactic and heroic as though that was a natural oscillation.” Here, the artist utilises a painterly tradition often guarded by the West, to revel in the contemporary complexities of African life.

For Mundopa, the personal is always political. Born in the town of Rusape in north-eastern Zimbabwe, the painter’s practice developed amidst the country’s socio-economic and political upheaval. In the early 2000s, following a prolonged and devastating period of hyperinflation, at a juncture when other artists left the country to seek opportunity elsewhere, he made the choice to remain. The decision was weighted with both personal sacrifice and a life-affirming sense of responsibility. Mundopa is now hailed as one of Zimbabwe’s most recognised and successful contemporary artists.

The exhibition proudly marks the first collaborative project between Southern Guild and First Floor Gallery Harare, which was founded in 2009 by Kabov, an art critic and art advocate, and Marcus Gora, a cultural promoter. Against the odds, in an embattled environment with little to no arts infrastructure, First Floor has grown into an internationally respected contemporary arts space. The gallery is committed to fostering the development of local artists, promoting intercultural dialogue, and bolstering education in the broader cultural sphere.

Image 1: Wycliffe Mundopa, Afternoon Delight Part 2. 2022. First Floor Gallery.
Image 2: Wycliffe Mundopa, Afternoon Delight Part 1. 2022. First Floor Gallery.

ARTIST BIO 

Born 1987 in Rusape, Zimbabwe, Wycliffe Mundopa graduated from the National Gallery of Zimbabwe Visual Arts Studios in 2007 with a National Certificate in Fine Art. A passionate advocate for the lives of society’s most vulnerable, his large-scale works give an exalted platform to Zimbabwe’s women and children.

Mundopa makes an urgent case for the importance of presenting life of his country and his contemporaries with the same pathos and grandeur as the Dutch masters while situating himself as an heir to the grand tradition.

Since joining First Floor in 2009, Mundopa has held multiple solo presentations of his work at the gallery and attracted international attention from important institutions, collectors and critics. His 2020 solo exhibition at Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery in London was followed by his winning South Africa’s FNB Art Prize in 2021. He has participated widely in group shows in the UK, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Spain, Norway, the US, Israel, Australia and Kenya.

 

ABOUT SOUTHERN GUILD

Southern Guild specialises in functional and fine art by artists from Africa. Through exhibition making and community engagement, the gallery catalyses the creation of globally relevant work. Southern Guild’s rigorous curatorial programme focuses on unprecedented modes of making, cross-disciplinary collaborations, contemporary craft, sustainability and social impact. Founded in 2008 by Trevyn and Julian McGowan, the gallery is unique on the continent both for its hands-on involvement in facilitating production and its interest in the intersection of art and design. https://southernguild.co.za/

Published: 7 February 2023

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

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

Feb 6, 2023 | Creatives, Community

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

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

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

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

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

/// Credits:

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

Written by: Holly Beaton

Published: 6 February 2023

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

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

Feb 2, 2023 | Interviews, Art

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

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

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

The show notes for unclear read :

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

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

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

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

 

‘unclear’ is now showing Youngblood Gallery

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

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

Written by: Holly Beaton

Published: 3 February 2023

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

Sabato de Sarno is appointed creative director of Gucci

Feb 2, 2023 | News, Fashion

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

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

Alessandro on redcarpet by Rob Latour/Shutterstock

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

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

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

Written by: Holly Beaton

Published: 31 January 2023

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

Keanan Justin Serves as a Student of Drag

Feb 1, 2023 | Interviews, Creatives

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

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

Featured Look by Keanan Justin September

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

Featured Looks by Keanan Justin September

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

Written by: Holly Beaton

Published: 2 February 2023

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

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

Jan 31, 2023 | New Release, Music

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Stream ‘Noba Bangathini’ HERE

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

Artwork by @travysowen

Will Andrea Riseborough lose her Academy Award nomination?

Jan 31, 2023 | News, Art

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

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

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

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

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

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

This is a developing story.


Featured Image: Oscar Statues by Matt Sayles 

Written by: Holly Beaton

Published: 31 January 2023

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

How to survive a festival over the age of 30

Jan 30, 2023 | Lifestyle

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

 “Say yes to everything, but only in quarters”

– A happy festival goer 

 

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

– A glamourous festival goer

Images: Agustín Farias, Pride

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

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

 

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

– A pro festival goer

 

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

– A festival goer that bumped into their ex 

 

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

– A responsible festival goer

 

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

Published: 31 January 2023

Written by: Candice Erasmus

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

Otsile Moumakoe on the cult-success of VTSEK. Studios

Jan 29, 2023 | Creatives, Community

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

CYRIL X BROKE
MR BEAN X GUCCI X ADI

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

Kasi Michael Jackson
VIRGIL RIKY
MADIBA RIDDIM

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

MADIB VIRG
SARAFINA X GUCCI

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

Written by: Holly Beaton

Published: 30 January 2023

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