adidas Originals have released a brand-new silhouette for 2018, the second drop of Prophere. To support its launch adidas Originals commissioned art director, photographer and stylist, Gabrielle Kannemeyer to create a lookbook.
Gabrielle captured some of her friends and collaborators who are multidisciplinary practitioners. The lookbook features Da Da Shiva, Luh’ra, Siya Andi Biyela, Chester Martinez and Tatenda Wekwatenzi; individuals that resonate with the fierceness of the Prophere silhouette and message.
Gabrielle wanted to take photographs in a town where she grew up feeling quite isolated. Set in areas from Killarney Gardens to Somerset West, the aim for the shoot was the disruption of suburbia. Flames and colourful smoke took over as they navigated these spaces and made them, “our turf”.
“Our Turf is a mindset we take with us wherever we go – a space that enables us to be 100% unapologetic about being who we are. A new generation is at the helm of a march into the future, our turf is boundless and infinite – anything we imagine to be, is.”
Thinking back to the creative industry a number of years ago, creatives of all types generally operated within a specific field and seldom dabbled outside of its borders, unless they were of course, “against the grain”. It is my opinion that institutions of higher learning beg of their young students to specialize in one medium, and to be proficient in this medium exclusively. Multidisciplinary crafts are hardly ever encouraged. In a world of rapid change and instant gratification, the demands of clients ask more of creatives today. I state this as currently there are many stylists who have become proficient in an array of creative expressions to such an extent that they have the capability to wear every hat needed for the execution and completion of a project. We spoke to three of South Africa’s trailblazing all-rounders about their multifaceted creative exploits.
Anees, known for his designs, fashion label and styling, is becoming well versed in the medium of photography. He has set the tone and image (as both digital pixels viewed on electronic screens, and a physical dresscode) for what South African youths look like. Young & Lazy and the Corner Store have assisted in creating an image of our youth that is more versatile and heterogeneous. Looking through the duplicity of lookbooks created by this creative auteur it is almost like seeing Larry Clark’s 1995 ‘Kids’ in still form; yet unlike ‘Kids’ filled with messages of doom, Anees’ message is one of positivity – a celebration of youth.
At the start of Anees’ solo venture he only occupied the position of designer and handed over his collections to stylists and photographers to create lookbooks for him. Regarding it as an act of “letting go” to another stylist, he did not feel capable of styling at that early stage.
Photography by Anees Petersen
“Eventually, I made more collections and I started feeling that by ‘letting go’, the vision that I had, became watered down or changed…” Anees’ persuasion to be more hands on in this regard came from a sentiment that each stylist and photographer inadvertently added their own signature to a specific shoot – a style that he didn’t necessarily want to portray.
From there, Anees took it upon himself to style his designs and worked closely with photographers, making sure he took the lead in the art direction. It took Anees a while to step in behind the lens despite having experience with photographing on a point and shoot.
Photography by Anees Petersen
A boost of confidence intercepted when Anees needed to do some product shots with models and he could not find a photographer for the job at hand. Taking the leap, he photographed the set of images himself. Public review of his images was exceedingly in his favour.“It’s something that I really enjoy. It’s almost [at] a point where I would stop designing to become a photographer, if I could be a photographer.”
His process has become a union of image creator and designer pushing the focal points of his designs for consumers – this differentiating factor is what sets him and his deliverables apart. His style verges on blandness without any frill, lace or prettiness – yet these images should not be construed as unappealing. In fact, they draw you in and mesmerize their viewer.
Gabrielle is a name so embedded in Cape Town’s creative culture that it’s hard to speak about the scene and leave her name out of the conversation. Known for her immense talent as a stylist her hand brings styling to the foreground of any image. But Gabrielle does so much more than styling. A former student of Michaelis school of Fine Arts, she is also a producer, creative director and photographer.
Curious about when her creative disciplines started intersecting, Gabrielle tells me that the process already happened during her school years when she started a clothing business with a friend. Here she took on a chameleon like role of a photographer, stylist and co-director for their lookbooks.
Image courtesy of Gabrielle Kannemeyer
She unpacks her creative process as one that relies on documenting experiences. Her documentation takes the tangible form of drawing, creating mood boards and writing her ideas as they come to her. “Most of my work starts as something I see in my mind’s eye…” She shares that her process is ever changing and doesn’t necessarily take place in a linear pattern, stressing the importance of collaboration in her practice.
The Gabrielle Kannemeyer aesthetic can be defined as one with strong styling and simplified backgrounds. As a child growing up in the Northern Cape area she explored many landscapes which influenced her. She later moved back to Cape Town. She shares with me her strong belief that South Africans should tell our stories in the spaces that we are native to.
Image courtesy of Gabrielle Kannemeyer
The singularity of her styling practice arose from Gabrielle’s ability to recognize that what she wanted to bring across is something that she had not seen in the glossy pages of fashion magazines. “…No one was layering garments in a sculptural way, or in a way I thought was interesting.”
She explains that she thinks of the human body as a sculpture on which silhouettes can be changed to no end by adding elements or tying cloth and fabric to limbs. Inspiration also lends itself via the interpretation of clothes within our country she tells me. “I am incredibly inspired by the individuals I dress / collaborate with and it excites me to see the interaction they have with the silhouettes I build and all of that in relation to the spaces they are shot in is something I continue to explore today.”
Chloe works as both a stylist and a creative director honing her skills at Vega where she studied Graphic Design and Branding Communications, and later completed a short course in Personal Styling at Fedisa. Growing up in Durban as an only child, she cultivated a vivid imagination that has carried over into her adult life; spilling into her creative practice.
Her artistic interests came at a young age and was met with a similar fixation with dress up. Rummaging through her mother’s closet she would put together outfits that she called “characters” and insistently begged for an audience to admire her various ensembles.
Image courtesy of Chloe Andrea
“I started dreaming about my label in high school where I’d often sew myself up a top to wear out for the night. Later, launching my first collection in college called Ramble, which was completely ridiculous and outer space themed. My friend Nicci modelled the outfits, with my cousin behind the camera. It was then I realised I had discovered a new interest – the photograph.”
In the world Chloe creates for her clients framing takes a classical stance and every element within a picture frame is carefully thought out and placed. Her hand is known for its versatility and that is what she believes makes her projects distinct. From beautiful white on white to edgy pairings each project translates into human beings draped in such a way that they themselves become human artworks. “I’m inspired by creating characters and telling stories about them through fabric and images.”
Image courtesy of Chloe Andrea
Chloe tells me that her working in Nigeria has been her favoured project up to date. “Working in Nigeria – you learn a lot about self-identity and where you fit in. It’s also very challenging working in a new place where you don’t speak the languages. That being said, what a beautiful, colourful place! Everyday people rely more on local tailors to create garments for them rather than commercial retailers. It’s quite special.”
When it came to advice for young creatives with similar career aspirations, Chloe had the following to say, “The best advice I ever got was from Caroline Olavarietta. ‘Assist. Assist. Assist.’ I’d say, don’t chase fame and earn your stripes.”
Developing her skill set to encompass that of a fashion designer as well Chloe looks forward to a year of growth. She will continue creating garments for her own shoots as a costume designer while pushing the bill towards launching a full-time fashion label. She is currently being mentored in pattern making by a fashion designer.
Rochelle “Rharha” Nembhard, multifaceted visual artist, has been a loyal customer of SELFI, a Cape Town based fashion brand owned by fashion designer, Celeste Arendse. The comfort, quality and nostalgia of a SELFI garment made Rharha feel grounded and whole. Due to the modern, functional and bespoke design, the natural fabrics and the earthy tones, there was a distinct ease in the way Rharha felt in Celeste’s creations. So before 2017 came to an end, the two style mavens teamed up to produce their alluring collaborative capsule collection named, La Loba.
The name of the collection, meaning “wild woman”, is a story, element and narrative that Rharha added and then portrayed through the colour and shapes of the clothing. With the lookbook styled by Gabrielle Kannemeyer, online store images captured by Gemma-Mary Shepherd, and campaign images shot by Alix-Rose Cowie, they all injected vibrancy to a subtle SELFI shoot. All in all, the final product enhances the strengths of each half of this budding creative duo.
Even though Rharha and Celeste may live in contrasting worlds, they are both fluent in a language focused on its impact and penetration of the retail industry. Their ideal is to express this aim through every La Loba garment. Their collaborative collection juxtaposes a rich and delicate colour palette with flowing shapes and uniform structures “to exemplify the seemingly double consciousness of womanhood and societal expectations.” The distinct merging of feminine and masculine silhouettes challenge the one dimensional ideas of femininity. This collection celebrates duality and encompasses the full spectrum of womanhood with “confidence, charisma, and an undeniable old school African flair”.
La Loba will be available for a limited run, but there pieces available at the SELFI Flagship Store in Cape Town or Convoy in Johannesburg. For more updates on pop-ups follow La Loba on Instagram.
Recent years have seen a creative boom within Cape Town. There is an energy of innovation afoot and this city’s creatives have the game locked down. Playing their cards with calm calculated steps they are pushing the boundaries and making a change within this creative climate. Identifying four of the individuals who have been integral in driving this new-found energy I spoke to them about their approach to success in an industry were the hustle means your survival. From one of Cape Town’s most intimate photographers to the creator of Booty Bass, the founder of Young & Lazy as well as a ceramic jewellery designer. What sets them apart is their ease within themselves, their passion for the game, their eagerness to mentor younger generations, their hunger for change and their inspiration found in one of the most beautiful coastal cities in the world. My pick showcases creatives laying a fresh foundation for future generations to come.
Jody Brand was born and raised in Cape Town and has a background in History and Media studies. With an intention of becoming a journalist, her initial styling and shoots were merely a fun past time. After assisting Richard de Jager she came to the realization that she wanted more ownership of her images that catapulted into a shift in her focus. Jody became known within creative circles for her photographic depiction of South African youth culture and has worked as a production manager for renowned South African artist, Athi-Patra Ruga.
Since her inception into Cape Town’s creative boom Jody’s lens has matured with her and her initial claim to fame has evolved to address problematic narratives. This year saw Jody’s solo exhibition, ‘YOU CAN’T KEEP A GOOD WOMAN DOWN‘ at the STEVENSON gallery comprising of photographic work, installation and performance art.
This arresting body of work addresses standards of cis-genderedness, whiteness and able-bodiedness. Questioning them and regarding them as despicable in their violence against different ways of identifying and being. One of her works in the exhibition is a digital print on fabric with the following words pigmented on to its surface “Come celebrate with me that everyday something has tried to kill me and has failed”. A powerful statement acting as a synopsis of her message.
Celebrating black beauty and rejecting western beauty standards it speaks of the difficulties that marginalized groups of people face within our socio-political context. Jody’s photographic eye is known for its candidly raw and instinctive nature has shaped itself into a calculated lens unfolding a carefully articulated narrative. Shining light on the truth of a narrative Jody comprehends as it acts as a self portrait of its capturer. Jody’s work is a response to our violent past as well as the malevolent nature of the photographic image itself.
ANG is originally from Johannesburg and has set herself apart as a DJ, radio host, promoter and artist manager. Her initial captivation with sound leaned itself more towards technicality than creativity. Her childlike curiosity pushed an increasing desire to comprehend the finer workings of things. “I would disassemble my boombox at least once a week, inspect all the parts and put it back together.”
Studying as an Audio Engineer she became absorbed by everything relating to sound and practiced as a sound engineer after completing her studies. Her shift from there into venue management branched into a DJ career. As a DJ she naturally progressed into online radio hosting with her own show on Assembly Radio.
“I actively pursue creating the spaces I didn’t have the privilege of enjoying when I first started playing. That has been my approach to my career from the outset and what has attracted other artists to working with me.”
Known for the genre Booty Bass that was born from her desire to give a succinct answer when asked to define her electronic music. She states, “The characteristic that got me the most attention was my defiance of genre constraints.” Booty Bass is a multi-genre, influenced by hip hop and RnB. It can be defined as bass driven dance music. “So whether its 4×4, 2step or club music it all makes your booty pop.”
Recently ANG has been named the head of SHE SAID.SO South Africa, a division of a larger global community of women from different branches within the industry working towards equality and the upliftment of women in music.
Reigning from Woodstock, Anees is the founder of Cape Town’s Young & Lazy. One of South Africa’s most compelling streetwear labels that was established in 2009. Completing his studies at the Cape Town college of fashion design, he knew from as young as the age of 10 that he wanted to be a fashion designer.
“My passion was always the construction of a garment. Coming from my background, how you presented yourself told everyone what your status was. Dressing well and caring about what you look like became everything and I got so deep that I wanted to only have things that no one else had. That’s what pushed me to start making my own clothes.”
The title of his brand was chosen to speak to likeminded individuals and ‘young and lazy’ pinpointed his audience. Anees’ initial designs emulated international trends that he subconsciously produced resulting from an aspiration to obtain similar levels of greatness. Recently the designer has shifted his approach to designing from a feeling or experience.
Looking into his heritage and role as a Cape Malay Muslim in South Africa, this wealth of culture is currently a main source of inspiration. Young & Lazy is growing up with Anees and is becoming the individualization of its creator.
Regarding his contribution to Cape Town’s creative energy as one done in collaboration with Cornerstore, Anees passionately states “I see Cornerstore not only as a shell for the brands but a place where the youth and the future of South African streetwear culture come to congregate, find their squad, find their bae. We encourage other people to build this industry with us and our brands act as platforms for even the kid in high school to collaborate with us.” His message to young creatives is to be unafraid of embracing who they are and to stay real, true and original.
Githan Coopoo is a 23-year-old creative from Cape Town making his mark on the South African fashion sphere with his abstract ceramic jewellery designs.
His infatuation with jewellery design was a late discovery in his life. Githan’s love grew only after his first piercing in 2015. “I just became enamoured with notions of adornment and opulence on the body.” Aware of his family line of Indian jewellers he did not initially consider it a personal interest till later in life.
Githan has worked in ceramic from the outset of his jewellery explorations. “I think of clay as something quite universal and accessible. It is literally earth.I love the idea of a relatively unassuming and inexpensive material being utilized and elevated to that of a precious status. I have invested in the fragility of the material after it has been fired.”
Inspired by found objects such as rubble and cement particles from construction sites he states, “I find a lot of beauty in rejected and dejected articles and objects.” Githan is drawn to working with white in his designs as it emphasizes the ceramic quality of his pieces and expresses that he is often persuaded to work within two tones. This choice makes his pieces chic and bold. The shapes that naturally occur from his process highlight a design that is minimalist and abstract.
Having produced capsules for Rich Mnisi and Gabrielle Kannemeyer for runway shows and editorials, this year saw his collaboration with New York’s Tibi. He created a capsule of earrings for their New York Fashion Week showcase.
Photographer Imraan Christian and stylist Gabrielle Kannemeyer have been working with Andpeople and adidas to put together a co-creation studio at AREA3 in Cape Town. They have been appointed the Creative Directors, which involves them being in charge of the fluid structure that makes up the programme. They have put together talks and workshops.
The idea behind the programme is to allow young creators in Cape Town the opportunity to be introduced to a studio space and work collaboratively under the guidance of Gabrielle and Imraan. With adidas as the supporter for the project, creators were provided with three apparel and footwear drops from June to August – June being Campus, July the NMD and August will be the EQT.
Imraan explained that the plan is for the studio to produce 4 shoots per week featuring the products allocated each month. Creatives have been encouraged to push boundaries with regards to styling, concept and execution. “We are pushing them to think unconventionally about the cube,” Imraan explained.
“We thought a work studio would be a great place to share teach and learn – it’s an extremely intimidating place to be if you’re not used to being there (all the lights and complicated machines and people watching, etc.). We want to dismantle the fear and teach them that anywhere you create in is a home,” Imraan explained.
Imraan and Gabrielle have been working with the creatives in the space helping them from the initial phases of conceptualization to execution and post production. “You’ll find us in the space helping creators build and execute their projects every Friday, Saturday and Sunday alongside Ra-ees Saiet, our space manager who runs the space by managing the foot traffic, assisting in bookings for creatives to shoot their projects, John Second our studio manager who teaches the creators how to operate and set up the equipment as well as Keenan Oliver our studio’s general co-coordinator and producer.”
With this sharing of knowledge and resources, Imraan hopes that it will aid these creators in getting a foot in the door and encouraging a sense of community amongst them.
Photographer: Lara Fisher | Lighting: John Second | Stylist: Conway October | Models: Mathew Bell, Shakadelics & Conway October.Photographer: Alexandra Truter | Lighting: John Second | Stylist: Antonio Druchen | Make up: Gareth Coleman | Models: Britani Khan & Damian FredricksPhotography: Sara Lagardien and Haneem Christian | Styling: Sara Lagardien | Styling Assistant: Justin February | Models: Saaimah Badroodien, Saadiq Soeker, Sara Lagardien and La’eeqa Mosam | Makeup Artist: Haneem Christian | Lighting: John Alex SecondEditorial by Jaimi Robin | Photographer: Jaimi Robin | Lighting: John Second | Stytlist: Jaimi Robin | MUA: Haneem Christian & Jaimi Robin | Models: Kayleigh, Haneem Christian & Saaimah
Gabrielle Kannemeyer is a Cape Town based art director and stylist who dabbles in every component of the projects she works on. Establishing herself as an unforgettable and irreplaceable brand in the creative industry she has collaborated with Rharha Nembhard, Petite Noir, Lukhanyo Mdingi, Orange Culture, Rich Mnisi, Nicholas Coutts, Wilton Dawson, 2Bop, Bevan Davis and Travys Owen in the past. Coming from a Fine Arts background, Kannemeyer’s work can be distinguished easily by means of her styling that comes to the foreground in images. In her work she celebrates and documents South African landscapes and people in a way that can only be deemed the Kannemeyer way. In my interview with the influential creative she tells me more about her background, method and shares some tips for young creatives
Kannemeyer studied Fine Arts at Michaelis in Cape Town and was introduced to various forms of expression such as painting, print making, sculpture, photography, film making, digital art, animation, typography and drawing. She specialized in photography during her studies but enjoys utilizing a variety of creative expressions to get her concepts across.
She states that working as a creative director in various mediums, she finds herself taking photographs, producing, styling, casting and art directing. The projects that she works on are at times realized with the input of many other creative minds by combining resources and strengths to create work. Kannemeyer feels that it is important to experiment with various forms of expression and avoids sticking to one medium simply because she is good at it or because it comes naturally to her. She continuously challenges herself and builds on her skill set all with the aim to become better at what she does.
“I enjoy how what I do allows me to see a world that is visibly in a state of constant flux. There is no facade of monotony. When things grow stagnant, they shift / I shift as an immediate reaction. I enjoy working with my hands. I enjoy working with people. I enjoy the challenges. I enjoy seeing ideas from my mind’s eye manifest into work. I enjoy helping young creators find their thing, that thing they fucking love doing… that feeling is a revelation for all parties involved. There’s this light that shoots through them and then it’s over…the universe makes moves for them. There are so many things I enjoy about what I do right now.”
Kannemeyer tells me that her creations are informed by what she sees in her surroundings. Perhaps it is a conversation that pulls her mind into a visual plane or perhaps a landscape that stimulates her visual senses as she drives by. She finds enjoyment in driving around the countryside for hours on end, people and landscape watching. Sauntering through Fabric City sometimes ignites her inspiration. Kannemeyer states that her ideas come from anywhere and everywhere.
In her first year at university Kannemeyer came across a book that excited her by artist Billie Zangewa, an artist who mainly works in embroidery and textiles. At the time, Kannemeyer felt lured by the thought of using textiles in her work, a material she was already familiar with as she altered and sold clothing to support her studies and exhibitions. Kannemeyer chose to make use of it in a more welcoming and forgiving environment. “Fabric has the most wonderful ability to disrupt and transport one somewhere else entirely due to how symbolic it is.”
Reflecting on her process, Gabrielle explains that from the instant a personal project, campaign or lookbook is conceptualized, she centres her thinking around how the cast/collaborators, landscapes and styling could be used to amplify the narrative behind the project. She expresses that for her it means bringing styling to the foreground. She achieves these results by simplifying the landscapes that appear behind her subjects.
Kannemeyer is currently running a co-creation studio with Imraan Christian (co-creative director), Raees Saiet (space manager), John Second (studio manager) and Keenan Oliver (assistant producer). The team of creatives developed a collaborative mentorship program operating from 103 Bree Street, Cape Town. Kannemeyer continues to explain that young creators from a variety of backgrounds are invited to enter the space and work closely with them in order to develop their skills and learn how to tell their stories. The co-creation studio has worked with young aspiring creatives including filmmakers, stylists, creative directors and photographers. The mentorships ask of the participants to build their own teams, mood boards and shot lists. Guidance is provided to them through every step of the process. The participants’ work is published onto Area3.co.za on to the CPT ‘17 tab. The images or content is then theirs to keep and the co-creation studio’s to share.
“Our idea for the co-creation studio was prompted by many things: the inaccessibility of Cape Town’s creative industry and the skills and tools needed to pursue creative careers within the industry, the need for fair representation within communities, the demand for a collaborative creative community within the city and the need for catalyzed inclusive growth of a new creative industry. We want to level the playing field as best we can.”
Kannemeyer has stirred change in the industry as a creative director and stylist and hopes to inspire young creatives with her work. Her message for young creatives is the following: “If you have questions, ask them. Everyone’s just a DM away. For real, Carpe DM.”
Kristen-Lee Moolman’s work is based in a utopian Africa; a fictional mythology is shaped. Fantastic characters inhabit her colorful world and their stories are narrated with her lens. In her world segregation and sexuality are explored.
As female South African photographer known for her work that blurs the lines between documentary photography and fashion photography, Kristen-Lee sometimes explores ideas relating to effeminacy. Featured in her constructed utopia are popular faces amongst the South African creative scene such as Joe Turpin, Desire Marea, Nicci Saint Bruce and Fela Gucci to name a few.
Moolman grew up in what she describes as a backwards-Afrikaans town before the end of apartheid in the Karoo region. She feels as though she still has some political confusion as a result of this. In her constructed world that she presents to her viewer in the form of photographs, she does not strive to make political commentary.
In 2016 she worked with London stylist, Ibrahim Kamara during his Johannesburg residency on the exhibition 2026. More recently she was the photographer for HBA’s SS17 lookbook. Moolman’s work has a very defined feeling, and her images cannot be easily mistaken for that of any other photographer.
An ever-present element in her work is sunshine that fades out the backdrops of her portraits and transforms the costumes of her models to surreal outfits. This characteristic is emphasized by her use of bland and unremarkable locations as the setting for her shoots.
Her subjects can be seen portrayed outside of car washes and garages, spread out on satin-sheeted beds or reclining on plastic upholstered sofas. Her backdrops and choice of styling can be said to be campy and kitsch yet it retains refinement in the way that her characters are posed.
Her work, even though refined keeps an element of grime and edge, that is maintained by her choice of subject matter which consists of musicians, dancers, actors and artists.
Moolman who is not only a photographer but also a video artist, created images in collaboration with Kamara for 2026 that is described in an interview with Dazed as confrontational. This exhibition that was turned into a book examines the fragile relationship between the body of the black African male and his sexuality, masculinity and men’s fashion. The exhibition, now in hard copy, showcases to its viewer the manner in which clothes can be utilized to establish identity.
Kristin is a member of the New Africa movement consisting of artists from Africa and the diaspora. The aim of New Africa is to create an innovative aesthetic exploring themes surrounding identity and belonging.
In speaking about her own work Moolman says: “The one thing I will never do is disempower a person in my imagery, I always try to empower people. I will never try to make them look like any stereotype that people may have about us here”.
Her images give its viewer awareness of her world constructed with subjects that are friends or people she met through social media. Obstructing conservative viewpoints and traditional cultural stereotypes held in South Africa, her subjects demonstrate multifaceted sexual and gender identities.
Moolman was listed as part of Dazed 100 photographers to look out for. She breaks the restrictive way that femininity and masculinity are defined with imagery that pushes boundaries. Her non-binary subjects are carefully curated in stale landscapes. Everyday imagery is pushed into the surreal with her use of a sun soaked pastel aesthetic. In her world she contests uniformity by striving to make what is regarded as unusual the norm.
The forward-tilting trio of sleek bands, arch and encompass the iconic sneaker. A subtle zig-zag of a perforated edge is punctuated by straight stitching. Its rounded tongue, branded with the trefoil logo, peers out from a series of crisscrossing laces. Parallel to the classic three stripes, an uppercase text articulates this particular form of the Adidas Originals – the Gazelle.
Born out the 1960’s, the Gazelle has been manifested in various forms. “Gazelle’s history is made from the fabric of re-appropriation; a legacy carried through style tribes from mod scenesters to the reggae crowd, from the brit-pop crew to the 90’s minimalists. At each space in time, it marked a change in creative ownership.” This season will experience a resurgence of the archival ’90s style.
I am because we are.
Remember the future.
A unique multi-media content collaboration featuring local style tribes and digital artists.
Local artists have been tasked to collectively create a visual remix. Lindiwe Ngubeni and Lulama Wolf alongside Dustin Van Wyk created a nostalgic pastel dream. A pink outline extends the curvature of Lindiwe and Lulama, perched across the page. Faded magazine cut-outs pay homage to the history of the sneaker.
FAKA – the performance pair were partnered with digital artist Aart Verrips. Visually enticing eclectic imagery emerged from these collaboration clusters. Shades of lavender to cobalt form a feint zebra hide, layered over a multiplicity of sneaker side views. Foregrounded by the art duo, FAKA. Donning dark Adidas-branded wear: bucket hats, exposed socks and the iconic Gazelles.
Lex Trickett collaborated with image maker Gabrielle Kannemeyer and Clint Sylvester. City-scape apartments pepper an ombré background. Silhouettes are deconstructed into fuchsian sneaker motifs – overlaid by chalky elevation plans. Each image is entirely different. However, cohesion does exist throughout.
The campaign embraces the humanist philosophy that originated in southern Africa: Ubuntu. Often articulated as the essence of humanity – drawing from a notion of connectedness and unity. Individuals operate out of a sense of collectivity rather than isolated individualism. This principle of collaboration is at the crux of the campaign.
