The SA Fashion Week SS16 Collections – Part 3: Desmoiselles de Paris
Words by Ludwig Spies Photography by Simone Oranje The common problem with fashion writing is that we either overlook the most brilliantly conceived and painstakingly produced elements of a collection – or we ramble on, praising, criticising, fainting and gasping to a point where it’s no longer clear whether we’re talking about coats, shoes or an obscure branch of 19th Century philosophy. So we set ourselves this challenge for the SAFW SS16 Collections: reveal the essence of each collection – in less than 50 words. Keys Fashion SS16 All the fantasy of the grand Parisian showhouses, and perhaps of some more scandalous establishments, thrives in this collection. Shimmering mermaid dresses, seductive gauze, sequins and feathers were followed by solemn, baroque gold and white pieces. Frivolous indulgence followed by a moral check. Rubicon SS16 (Accessories by Skyler T) It seems ironic that a brand named after something intimately associated with irrevocable change should so excellently create something distinctly from a previous era. The textures and arrangements are faultless ‘30s glamour that seems to say: “You can never be too rich.” ...
The SA Fashion Week SS16 Collections – Part 1: The Goddesses
Written by Ludwig Spies and photos by Simone Oranje. The common problem with fashion writing is that we either overlook the most brilliantly conceived and painstakingly produced elements of a collection – or we ramble on, praising, criticising, fainting and gasping to a point where it’s no longer clear whether we’re talking about coats, shoes or an obscure branch of 19th Century philosophy. So we set ourselves this challenge for the SAFW SS16 Collections: reveal the essence of each collection – in less than 50 words. Colleen Eitzen SS16 Beautifully unfettered, midnight-blue pieces clothe the wearer in a simple but grave elegance. Light botanical patterns are perfect for the free-spirited nymph. Lunar SS16 The moon’s different phases, its variations under different skies, could be glimpsed in each of these creations. It’s easy to imagine these gowns on temple priestesses from a time when we were closer to nature. Clive Rundle SS16 Rundle’s geishas do not exist for the entertainment of men. They are more likely to reveal a Samurai sword than a hand-fan. Instead of being tightly wrapped up, the fabric swirls and cascades as they march...
Valentine’s Day with the SP Team
Valentine’s Day is a special day for love birds, as they go the extra mile to show affection to their partners. Not everyone celebrates this day, but most of the SoulProviders team got spoilt yesterday. Check out what the team got up to yesterday. Nicole G Yummy french toast brunch homemade by my lovely partner. Nicole K Spent the day with my love for music. #IHeartBeat #WeHeartBeat Stuart Hendricks My regular morning run, a visit to church and spending the afternoon with friends. Keza Gatari A day in Presley’s past life. Angelique Redmond My Valentine was a little furry, with my pet kitty cat – I got snuggles and purrs first thing Sunday morning. Lebogang Mgiba Spent the day with Malangana and Mthwakazi Simone Oranje A fiery feast on the day of love at Hells Kitchen Andy Wassung We spent Sunday hobbling around the beautiful KZN Midlands after swimming the Midmar Mile, with one of our highlights being the Mandela Capture Site and museum near Howick. Ludwig Spies In bed with Madonna, and Nataniel....
First Wednesday Film Club presents Half Of A Yellow Sun
First Wednesday Film Club presents Half Of A Yellow Sun tomorrow at 7:30pm, Studio 4 at Atlas Studios, 33 Frost Avenue, Corner Owl Street, Milpark. Don’t be late as there is limited seating. Check out the synopsis below and make sure you also get Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s book If you haven’t yet. SYNOPSIS: Biyi Bandele’s feature film debut is an adaption of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s multiple award-winning novel by the same name. ‘Half of a Yellow Sun’ follows twin-sisters Olanna and Kainene, whose lives are uprooted by the Biafran War that tore Nigeria apart 1967-1970. – Film Courtesy of Biyi Bandele...
SoulProviders Workshop Week: Inspiring and Visionary
Lebogang Mgiba At the beginning of every work year we hold our annual #WorkShopWeek at SoulProviders. Featuring workshops presented by guests representing different industries, the second week of January was a chance for our team to be mind-blown, get inspired, plan their year and discuss topics and trends dominating the media landscape. Two of the speakers at this year’s event included Tefo Mohapi, the co-founder of iAfrikan and Bradley Kirshenbaum, owner of distinctly South African brands such as Love, Jozi and Eat Your Heart Out. As a team member, I found that there were many lessons to take from all the sessions, which only motivated us SP Ninjas to work harder and smarter to achieve our dreams. This is testament to the power of storytelling, and how it can influence and change lives. During #WorkShopWeek we were also treated to an exclusive preview of John Barker’s latest mockumentary. Barker’s film delved into the current state of politics in a humorous way, and at the end of the film, we were all given a chance to share our thoughts and discuss the film’s different narratives.. The big take-out for me was that you can achieve whatever you want as long as you work hard towards it and stay focused. In light of racist comments surfacing recently on social media, one of the key workshops found us exploring on the issues of race, identity and culture in South Africa. Thembi, the facilitator, did a superb task of starting the privilege and race conversation through various group-based activities that got the team thinking, questioning and understanding. New skills were imparted and lateral thinking was employed to get everyone to see outside the box. I asked some of my colleagues for their highlights from #WorkShopWeek: David Tshabalala “I loved Bradley’s talk, I think young designers in general aren’t exposed enough to to the entrepreneurial possibilities of their craft. Too often, schools train students to be robots who churn out work for big agencies and not enough credit is given to these individuals who may aspire to grow beyond the four walls of your Ogilvy’s.” Angelique Redmond Workshop week was inspirational and aspirational. The talks gave us a glimpse into some of the most creative and talented minds in S.A. It showed us that the people who make the difference or do something amazing are the people who don’t fit into boxes, who think outside the margins of their craft and push the line beyond what people are used to seeing. My highlight was the new mockumentary by John Barker – as an avid politico the film was exactly what every South...
SoulProviders 2015 Fleektionary
In 2015 a number of slick slang terms became part of our vocabulary. If you’d like to add some spice to your chats with homegrown urban lingo, take a page out of the SP Fleektionary 2015. On a 100 – expression for perfection. Kaizer Chiefs’ performance in the PSL this year was on a 100. Mama, I made it (also shortened to #mimi) – expression used when you achieve something of great value. Just bought a new house #mimi Cav – imperative used to instruct someone to look at something. Cav my new sunglasses! Fetch – to address someone when he/she has disrespected you and it is expected of you to retaliate. Friend, Thobi said you don’t look nice today. Fetch haaa! Drag – to tarnish someone’s reputation. They dragged Bonang on Twitter today. Miss me – expression used when someone doesn’t want to be involved in something or with someone, or is uninterested. I don’t watch that show. It sooo repetitive. Just miss me with that. Lit – describes something extremely exciting and fun. The party was so lit yesterday! Squad – group of friends I’ll be chilling with my squad tonight. Adeleing – being emotional about something, especially something that you claim is no longer an issue. I was adeleing all day. I can’t dzeal. Inner – describes someone who claims to be something or behaves as someone they are not. This guy has been posting photos all day. He’s such an inner model. The most – describes someone doing something excessively. That girl is doing the most on Twitter. Dololo – the lack of something. I am so hungry but dololo food. Unlock – expression used when you are on the verge of great achievements, i.e. landing a big, new job. I’m so excited about my first day tomorrow. About to unlock new possibilities. Woes – friends (made popular by a song by Drake entitled Know Yourself) Can’t wait to chill with my woes this weekend. Woke – to be highly conscious and alert. You need to be woke in South Africa because so much is happening. Spicy – describes nastiness or used as an expression with a meaning similar to ‘rubbing salt into someone’s wounds’. That girl was being spicy when she said we should not talk to her. Files – evidence that could potentially be harmful, especially in digital form and taken from a social media mishap, e.g. screenshots of message threads. I was not ready when the files on that celebrity were...