Robin Hood steals SAFW Menswear Scout title
By Ludwig Spies The development of strong menswear labels is a notoriously difficult task. In the past, newcomer designers were unlikely to try and enter the fashion industry with menswear collections; it was seen as a conservative category, full of constraints resulting from social and gender conventions. Now, however, it’s the branch of fashion where the most exciting experimentation occurs, and it’s not just about boys in dresses. Trousers, shorts, shirts, suits – all the conventional garment and ensemble types – have experienced reinterpretation and innovation. Henni de Kock from Rogue Wear The SAFW Menswear Scout Competition was launched last year to much celebration, and the second installment at the AW showing this year did not disappoint, with the collections taking note of international movements without simply copying and reproducing established international brands. The winner’s title went to Henni de Kock from Rogue Wear, whose total prize package is R85 000 and includes show slots at SAFW SS16/17 and representation by The Fashion Agent. Read about all the Scout shows below. For contact and stockist information, please follow the links included. INFLUENCED (INF) by Tristan Bain Venn 1-WORD-DESCRIPTION: Metamaterials DESIGN: 10/10 INNOVATION: 9/10 WEARABILITY: 10/10 Tristan Bain Venn truly realised the name of her brand with a collection that clearly exhibited its inspirations. Metallic sheen, polymer textures and basic geometric proportions conjured up images of futuristic/sci-fi aesthetics, utility wear and functional South and East Asian garments. Bell chose to use neither embellishments nor busy patterns. Instead, her cuts allowed the full drama of the exciting fabrics to unfold. By means of clever design and execution, the fundamental and functional parts of the garments – clamp studs, clasps, collars, drawstrings, stitching and seams – provided each item with characteristic and definitive detail. The collection was simply a triumph of minimalist elegance; sexy like cool metal. Facebook: INFLUENCED AGEO by Arnold Phasha 1-WORD-DESCRIPTION: Oceanic DESIGN: 5/10 INNOVATION: 7/10 WEARABILITY: 6/10 This collection appeared to be inspired by traditional male garments from native South American, North African, Middle-Eastern and Central Asian cultures. The thick knitwear in rough textures particularly evoked images of traditional Afghan attire, while the long cloaks, robes and large-volume scarves granted a certain solemn, ecclesiastical quality to the collection. Although the collection comprised individual garments that were elegantly executed and possessed stimulating detail, it was collectively somewhat lackluster. In some garments the fabric seemed to have reacted unfavourably to the stitching, others lacked shape and some of the textures appeared unattractive. Even the colour palette was questionable, which made one question whether they were in fact designed with a collection in mind. Facebook: AGEO RIP ‘N...
SA Fashion Week AW16 – Combining Rugby and Fashion
Ludwig Spies Fashion shows are notorious for running late. In September 2007 guests waited two hours for a Marc Jacobs show to start. An enraged Suzy Menkes, fashion critic at The International Herald Tribune, declared her desire to murder the designer with her bare hands and said she never wanted see another of his shows again. To understand fully poor Suzy’s frustration, one should remember that while attending a Marc Jacobs show in 1991 a piece of the venue’s ceiling crashed down on her. At this year’s SAFW AW16, the Scouting Menswear show scheduled for 6PM was also delayed. In this case, however, it was not due to designer faffing or late models. Someone had arranged to stream ‘n screen the Rugby World Cup semi-final match between South Africa and New Zealand on the runway backdrop, and a wise decision was made not to cut the screening before the end of the game. There was something rather amusing about a tent full of ‘fashion people’ not only watching, but rowdily cheering, a Springbok rugby match. Josh Patner, former assistant designer at Donna Karan and co-founder of Tuleh, regularly answers questions about fashion week in Slate Magazine’s build-up to New York Fashion Week. In one article he says that fashion is both democratic and exclusive. At the major international fashion weeks, entry to all shows is by invitation only, and scandal erupted when it emerged that buyers and PR people were selling their passes online to the general public. How fortunate then that we were able to purchase tickets legitimately for SAFW, and for under R200 at that. There is a definite philosophy of accessibility at SAFW. It is evident amongst the designers, media-relations staff, new talent initiatives and – most clearly – a large group of people with ‘General Standing’ tickets. These are the people (us included) who have to wait for all the other guests to enter and sit down. They have to squeeze together – in heels and elaborate outfits – and crane their necks to see as much as possible. If they’re lucky, there may be some seats open in the back rows. They are undeterred, however, and fabulously so. Before the show they mingle in the reception area with the professionals and the influencers. They ask questions and take selfies with their idols, which means a lot to an aspiring fashion professional. SAFW has been flourishing steadily for the past 19 years. If people initially doubted the necessity or potential of the initiative, its growing legitimacy and appeal must have convinced them otherwise by now. As SAFW continues to develop, however, one just hopes that...
Kaya FM presents: Zonke – Live @ The Bassline
Afro-Soul Superstar ZONKE is making a welcome return to the South African music scene, and also to The Bassline stage. Saturday 10th October will be the third show for the Kaya FM Presents Live@The Bassline series with Zonke Dikana headlining, music fans are in for a rare treat. The graceful songbird is currently riding high with the recent release of her brand new album Work Of Heart. This superb album is already topping the charts and drawing rave reviews across the board as well as holding a place at #1 on the iTunes R&B chart. The multiple award-winning, platinum-selling Zonke is known for her sublime and powerful live performances. She is also a sought-after songwriter and producer, and she produced Work Of Heart. Hailing originally from Port Elizabeth, she now calls Johannesburg home. It took Zonke some time to find her voice and to crack through the tough Jo’burg music scene, and her breakthrough 2011 album Ina Ethe saw her reach the pinnacle after a decade of struggles. She followed that up with a successful live album entitled Give and Take – Live, which went Platinum. Then, just as Zonke was finally ready to start work on another album, her sister and fellow artist Lulu Dikana was struck down with a respiratory ailment and passed away in December 2014. For Zonke, rediscovering her inspiration after such a blow took months, but early in 2015, her muse started to return. “Changes make you stronger,” Zonke says. “No matter what happens, I don’t have it in me to lie down and give up. There is always a way. For me, music is that way. Music is goodness.” The track Meet Me In My Dreams is the centre-piece of the new album, and a fitting musical tribute to Lulu. What is not in dispute is the strength and resilience of this African music superstar, she has risen above pain and hardship more times than she cares to remember, always emerging better, stronger, a more talented, more spectacular version of herself. Support for Zonke will be provided by the multi award winning BERITA. This talented young singer/songwriter/guitarist hails originally from Zimbabwe, but has been making a name for herself locally over the past few years, especially after taking home the Best African Album at the 12th Metro Awards and SAMRO Songwriter of the Year Award in 2015. Saturday 10th October 2015 Doors open 8pm Tickets are R200 available via Webtickets Tickets are R230 at the door....
Travel diary: SoulProviders explores Zimbabwe in style
By Lebogang Mgiba After a long seven days of being kept in suspense, we were finally told the destination for our SoulProviders weekend away. We were going to Zimbabwe! Since we only found out on the day of our departure, we didn’t have much time for the news to sink in before jumping on a plane and flying off to what would be the weekend of a lifetime. Each year, Sarah-Jane ‘SJ’ Boden, our CEO takes us away as part of our long-term incentive program at SoulProviders. SJ believes that we all need to experience the wealth of countries and cultures in Africa, right on our doorstep – and it’s not only a way to encourage people to travel, but her way of saying thank you for all the hard work we do throughout the year and to reward our loyalty. Anyway, if you think Bushbuckridge in Mpumalanga is hot, then you need to visit Zimbabwe. It. Is. HOT! When we arrived at Livingstone Airport (Zambia), the thirst was killing us, but we were all a bit scared to drink the tap water in this new country, since the last thing we needed was to get sick on Day 1. Our shuttle from the airport took us across to Zimbabwe, with its rich history and culture, and our awesome tour guide, Shadrach, kept us entertained all the way. As he talked us thorough the sights, the word ‘activity’ kept popping up and it started to sound quite funny. Actually, it became the ‘word of the weekend’. It turns out that Zimbabwe is a tourist destination and, in an attempt to earn a living, the tour guides are keen for visitors to participate in all sorts of ‘activities’ with a hard sell from the minute you hit the tarmac. Luckily, we already had an ‘activity’ waiting for us at 16:00 – a sunset cruise. I’ve never experienced anything as beautiful as that cruise along the Great Zambezi River and it was then that I realised we really do live on an amazing continent, which deserves to be explored. What made the experience even more special for me was that I could share it with the people I love – my colleagues. There’s a time and place for solo travel and this wasn’t one of them. Back on land, I was blown away by how exquisite The Kingdom Hotel is. It’s actually quite therapeutic, because of the nature, the waterfall and the absolute tranquillity. And then there was the joyful moment when I received my hotel key and a piece of paper with two magic words written on it saying: ‘free...
Whats for dinner? J’Something has all the answers
Knorr is continually striving to make simple home cooking an integral part of every South African family’s routine. Knorr, J’Something and a range of top South African celebrities will bring these simple and delicious recipes to busy Moms (and Dads!) across SA with a weekly TV show called Knorr Whatsfordinner? with J’Something. Catch it every Saturday at 7pm on SABC 3. Here’s what the SoulProviders team wanted to know from J’Something… Angie: What’s the worst dish you’ve ever eaten, and who cooked it? Did you eat all of it or try hide it? Not going to mention names, but I’ve had some horrible experiences. I once went to a friend’s house and it was a traditional cabbage poitjie, not my vibe at all but I had it. I took my time, I won’t lie. Andy: What do you love most about cooking? Plating :). I love making food look appealing. I also just love cooking and zoning out, thinking about life around all my favorite flavours. Lindelwa: How would you describe the experience of sharing an intimate space (kitchen) with strangers? It’s been an AMAZING experience, honestly! Just meeting all these incredible moms and women has been nothing short of incredible. There were so many different characters and ways of cooking. Cooking with these women has really had a huge impact on me. It made me appreciate the moments so much more. Andy: If you could pick ONE, what would be your favourite, most versatile ingredient to cook with? Knorr Dry Cook in Sauce Spaghetti Bolognaise. That product is incredible! Lindelwa: What’s the most interesting dish you’ve ever made that is a blend of South African and Portuguese cuisine? Umngqusho alla feijoada. Go watch the first episode of my first-ever cooking show Something’s Cooking on YouTube. It was DELICIOUS! Nos: Do you see yourself quitting music in the future to pursue your love of cooking? NEVER! I wouldn’t be able to cook if I couldn’t sing; singing is what makes my heart beat. Ingrid: What advice would you have for someone who doesn’t like cooking at all, to motivate him or her to get involved in the kitchen? Make cooking an event, a moment. I always find that gets me more excited. So create a theme around it, and if you don’t cook, it’s going to be even more of a moment for your guests/family/friends. So, if it’s eating with Ingrid night your friends/family will be so excited and possibly nervous...
An extraordinary musical experience brought to you by Nakhane Toure, Moonchild and Johnny Cradle
Over the years, the Eastern Cape has given us a number of great musicians. And now out of that comes the new breed; a bunch of musicians who are informed by their tradition, but who are not afraid to look outside. On the 26th of June, Monchhichi, on 23 Fox Street in Downtown Johannesburg, will be hosting three of these musicians: Nakhane Toure, Moonchild Sannelly and Johnny Cradle. SAMA winner for Best Alternative album, Nakhane Toure was born in Alice and raised predominately in Port Elizabeth. His debut album, Brave Confusion owes as much to traditional African music as it does to recent Alternative music, ‘60s soul and ‘70s jazz. He may have taken the name Touré in homage to his idol Ali Farka Touré, but he is as likely to cite Morrissey, Nina Simone, Black Flag or Radiohead as influences. And he’ll as often pluck the strings of an acoustic guitar as play electric rock riffs or slinky, Prince-style funk. Nakhane will also be performing a few songs from his upcoming second album. Moonchild Sannelly, the “Future-ghetto-funk”, blue headed girl was born in Port Elizabeth. Having being raised by a mother whose independence was ahead of her time, she possessed an unstoppable will with whatever she put her mind on. She studied fashion in Durban before turning her talents to music. Performing at myriad festivals in Kwa-Zulu Natal, she decided to relocate to Johannesburg where she started collaborating with the likes of Tshepang Ramoba (who eventually produced her debut album Rabulapha), Thandiswa Mazwai and Toya DeLazy. She has gone on to score chart hits with her singles ‘Rabubi’ and ‘Cut the Cake’. Johnny Cradle (known to his friends as Sakie) has been making waves with a genre he has dubbed Roots Electro. His bio stipulates his disdain for convention. In this otherworldly music he summons elements from a myriad of musical styles. Born and bred in the Eastern Cape, his minimalist style has brought him to the attention of established media like Okay Africa where he said that his music is “the journey of the DIY artist person of this day. I couldn’t afford tertiary education but have made a career in illustration with work for all the top banks and companies in the country. The I do it from my own pocket and knowledge write your music, play it, record it, shoot it, edit it and deliver it f#ck ‘em all do it attitude.” EVENT DETAILS Date: 26th June 2015 Venue: Monchhichi Address: 23 Fox Street, Downtown JHB (opposite Magistrate’s Court) Time: Doors open at 20:00. First performance at 21:00 Entrance Fee: R100 (pre-sale tickets & before 22:00), R120...
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