Bubblegum Club

Tag: South African designers

  • AFROPUNK Joburg as the showground for outfits as declarations of self-love and self-expression

    The first AFROPUNK festival in Africa took place over the weekend of the 30 and 31 December. Fashion, art and music was shared in a collective embrace with all attendees. As with every AFROPUNK festival, the outfits worn by those in attendance can attract as much attention and celebration as the artists on the lineup. With all the people I interviewed at AFROPUNK, they shared with me descriptions their outfits and reasons for wearing particular items. With this they all unconsciously shared with me short, punchy phrases or words in their descriptions which can be viewed collectively as the beginnings of a manifesto or mottos to live by.

    Maga Moura

    Blogger and influencer Maga Moura has been attending all the AFROPUNK festivals held in 2017, and felt it necessary to come to the final one in Johannesburg. “I am also in love with see-through fabrics,” she expressed to me when asked about her outfit. Her full body overthrow is a clear demonstration of this as the fabric looks like a hybrid between chiffon and fishnet. She also shared her love for shiny objects, and so added elements of sparkle into her outfit with sequence and accessories. In Brazil she is affectionately known as the queen of braids because of her colourful and out-of-the-box designs she chooses for her braids. This has led her to inspiring young girls in her home country to feel free to express themselves more freely and creatively through their hair. Maga took the opportunity to make her outfit a physical manifestation of her blog; a liberated expression of black culture and black hair. Making sure not to leave without sharing the connection between her style, her blog and AFROPUNK, Maga stated that, “AFROPUNK is more than the lineup. It is culture, inspiration, force. Be yourself. Be free in your own personality or outfit.”

    Khaya Ngubane

    Taking my hand with confidence, Khaya Ngubane was ready to be in front of the camera. Moving from one power pose to another, it was as if he was in communication with the spirit of the cultures that inspired his look. “My outfit is inspired by an Ndebele/Egyptian look,” he explained. A gold neckpiece is paired with a small bullring septum piercing, and an open shirt to let the melanin glow. The combination of fabrics and accessories was all connected to Khaya’s grounding concept that drives his style. “Unapologetically gay and free-spirited. African all the way.”

    Amonge Sinxoto

    Amonge Sinxoto, while not consciously trying to make a statement with her outfit, she wanted to make sure that she wore all South African artists and designers. With her hair done by well-known hair stylist Mimi (@urban_mimz) to her pants and shirt being made by well-established fashion label House Of Ole. “Carefree, local and just being me. Being comfortable.” This was the motto that guided Amonge. By wearing all local she has made herself a walking everyday model for the talent that South African creatives from across the fashion and design spectrum have to offer.

    Loyiso Ntwanambi and Likhaya Hanise

    Loyiso Ntwanambi and Likhaya Hanise carried the spirit of Loyiso’s mother with them to AFROPUNK as they were wearing creations that her mother put together. “Bright. Free. Young. Happy.” These are the four word that Loyiso shared with me as the statement she was trying to make with her outfit. A recipe for a joyful living that has been shared through fabric and her mother’s labour. “Free. Hip. Not scared to be different. All of that,” Likhaya expressed, almost as a confirmation of Loyiso’s words.

    Kim Barendse

    Dressed by the designer for the label Jigga en Vogue and applying her own makeup. Kim Barendse become the South African version of Janet Jackson from the early 90s. When asked about the statement she was trying to make with her outfit, she expressed that she wanted to look as if she landed from another planet. The blue makeup over her eyes, coupled with thin, yellow lenses from her glasses created a green colour where the makeup and glasses met on her face. Drawing attention with her bundles of curly hair on her head and the jewels travelling down her forehead, she could be described as a celestial queen. “Life inspires my style. I am an artist as well so I draw inspiration from everything around me.”

    Laverne Maart

    As one of the many travelers from Cape Town to Johannesburg for AFROPUNK, Laverne Maart came to share her hair dye and laidback sense of style at the festival. With her bright green hair freshly applied by one of the other people displaying their work at the market stalls, Laverne let her hair play with the wind, mimicking the movement on her colourful dress. “Normally I wear a headwrap with my curls and dreads sticking out. That’s my look,” she explained. Her dress by Gordon House of Six was made specifically for her attendance at the festival. “I just wanted to be colourful,” Laverne expressed about the statement she was making with her  look. “Colourful energy. I like colour especially green so there are  a lot of greens in what I am wearing.”

    Mariah Matthews

    Coupling bargain thrift store buys with her favourite items, sprinkled with African elements – that is the look that Mariah Matthews was serving at AFROPUNK Joburg. Wearing two gold bracelets on top of each other, Mariah created a hair accessory that makes her hair tower above her head. “I wanted to see how high my hair can go today. There are a lot of times when I just want to see how far I can go. I realize even coming to South Africa from New Jersey that I can go wherever I want to go, as far as I want to go, as long as I just want to,” she exclaimed, “I just wanted to be my own art today.” I noticed she had the badge from Very Black pinned to her chest, and asked what this meant to her. “I follow Very Black. I was them at a talk curated by AFROPUNK. I love this pin because I feel like it really describes how I am as well. I like to be unapologetically Black, and unapologetically art.”

    Lamlela Plaatjie

    Interrogating what being African means for an African person living in Africa, Lamlela Plaatjie used her outfit to unpack that for herself. “Essentially, everything we do do is punk just by the virtue of being an African person,” she expressed. Wanting to keep everything close to home, all of the items she wore, beside her Dr. Martins, were handed to her by the women in her family and represent her Xhosa heritage. “My inspiration was using things that have been used before. The fact that it makes a statement and looks the way that it does is a bonus. But I obviously wanted to celebrate my South African heritage, trying to upstage all the other people from previous AFROPUNK festivals and show them what we are working with in South Africa!”

    Zandile Makombe

    A simple black dress with denim vintage pants that were ripped and turned into a jacket. Zandile Makombe fully embraced the punk, DIY element at AFROPUNK. “I guess [with my outfit] I was just trying to be me, because I am a fashion design student.” Her rope braids are a staple for her style, this time choosing to rock the turquoise-green colour. “I usually just wear what I want,” she expressed. Taking inspiration from Japanese designers and the anime scene, she construcs looks that connect these with comfort and being a woman of colour on the continent.

    Toby and Adrian DGA

    As two of the many international visitors who came to Johannesburg specifically for the festival Toby and Adrian DGA flew all the way from London. When asked about her outfit Toby explained that she is half Ghanaian and half Nigerian. “I was looking for something that was similar to kente cloth,” she explained. This was in the hopes of being able to echo her heritage through fabric and being part of the first AFROPUNK to be held in Africa. Adrian was on a similar wave length, and chose to wear a traditional Nigerian piece of clothing which he received from his brother-in-law. “This is me connecting,” he expressed while showing me the fabric the shirt is made from. “I think I just wanted something quite colourful, with my hair and my nails and everything. I just wanted to be really vibrant to kind of match being in Johannesburg,” Toby shared. “I like feeling opulent. I like feeling gold. So this is my Sunday best.”

    Kabelo

    Friends with the guys from TCYF, Kabelo came to show his friends some support. However, he did not forget the fire that continues to burn in his heart. He has been part of the protests at UCT calling for free, decolonised education (Fees Must Fall protests), and feels that this approach to education needs to be filtered into his style and the other situations he finds himself in. “The general look [of my outfit] comes from the cross-punk scene. Very politically and ideologically charged subgenre from street punk. This is more intersectional which goes with the Fallist politics.” The back of his jacket is adorned with the Fallist logo and the gun symbol is an expression of the three pillars of Fallism – Pan-Africanism, Black Radical Feminism and Black Consciousness. Black Radical Feminism is so crucial to this as this is where the terms positionality and intersectionality were coined from.

    Abongwe Qokela

    Sporting the design of a young designer named Afro Grunge, Abongwe Qokela oozed all the confidence that makes people stare out of admiration and celebration. “I am a low-key, but high-key show pony. That means I don’t just go to events in jeans and a t-shirt. No. People must know I am here. During the week I have a 9-5. So when I am out, I unleash.” When asked about the statement she wanted to make with her outfit she expressed that she wanted to be, “unapologetically loud. The whole aesthetic of AFROPUNK where you are like ‘I am here!’.”

    Miles Greenburg

    Embracing the foundations of a minimalist aesthetic, and elevating it with his blonde cornrows and badass boots, Miles Greenburg brought a Canadian spice all the way to Johannesburg. “This is my comfort,” he shared with me while discussing his style choices. “I don’t think this [his outfit] is about a statement. I think it is about a silhouette that makes me feel good in my body. Something I really like about the AFROPUNK vibe is this celebration of the black body.” As a way to pay tribute to this, Miles went straight to his comfort zone, and allowed himself to show as much or as little as he wanted to.

    Lara Fischer 

    Lara Fischer saw the two days of AFROPUNK as an opportunity to unpack what it means to be punk on the first day PUNK. “I see a lot of things on Instagram but I do not necessarily like to follow trends. A lot of clothes get given to me from family and friends so I like to take that and use that as a challenge to style myself,” she expressed. Upcycling and pushing what feels right is what influences the way she chooses to present herself to the world, and everything about her AFROPUNK outfit is a demonstration of this. “I have noticed the people are really scared to explore their fashion sense…but I never feel like that about anything.”

  • UKIYO || Floating World

    Gabriella Achadinha introduced me to the term UKIYO – うきよ – ‘The Floating World’ in the dance and fashion film that she co-directed with Alistair Blair. She explained that the term was used specifically during the Edo era [Edo is present-day Tokyo] as a way to describe an artistic movement within an urban culture. During the Edo era Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa Shogunate, the last feudal military government. Characterized by economic growth and an end to continuous wars, the period also saw a rise in the development and enjoyment of artistic activities. This saw the rise of theatre, dance and music movements. UKIYO-E was also the term used for Japan’s famous woodblock prints which focused on this artistic revival – depicting imagery of actors, dancers, sumo wrestlers, etc. Gabriella also explained that UKIYO is a term which can be used in Japanese slang to refer to ‘one who is on another world, whose head is nestling in the clouds on another plain’ – a ‘dreamer’. With this definition, dancer Tomoko Kim was the perfect protagonist for the film. When she was a child Tomoko’s grandmother would refer to her as UKIYO, her obsession with dance making her take on the characteristics of a dreamer. “Thus, the dance video drew inspiration from this ethereal meaning of the word. Overall danced in a contemporary style, the video transitions from a mixture of the traditional Japanese butoh and bugaku into an African-influenced Dogon Mask step, ending off with a fluid fully-contemporary dance,” Gabriella describes. With Tomoko’s angelic movements combined with garments by South African designers, the film becomes a dream. As the viewer you are transported to three different locations, and the music lulls your senses as you watch Tomoko move across the screen. I had an interview with Alistair and Gabriella to find out more about the inspiration for the film and their creative process.

    Where did the idea for this fashion/dance film come from? What made you feel you wanted to connect dance and fashion in this way?

    Gabriella: I’ve always been a massive fan of dance videos, from Storyboard P to Lil Buck – contemporary dance combined with the medium of filmmaking has always been fascinating. We have such incredible local designers that it felt right to combine dance with showcasing local fashion. I met Tomoko Kim at a house party at the same time I was chatting to Alistair about collaborating on a project, it all fell into place naturally. Alistair and I have a very calm, easy-going rapport and immediately there was a click in our visions and working styles. Working together was perfect as he understands and has such an incredible technical and location vision whereas I steer more towards working with narrative/performers and art department/wardrobe. It was a dream working with Alistair as we share a very similar aesthetic preference.

    Alistair: Shooting fashion has been my main focus yet I like to incorporate the arts into my work. It allows one to feel something when they view a project like this, at least I hope it does. Living at The Forge in Kalk Bay has opened my understanding of art and creativity thanks to the guiding hand of Katherine Glenday. So when Gabi presented Ukiyo as an idea, I was really eager. She has a really cohesive understanding of all the parts that need to come together to make a film.  We both naturally fell into our roles and I appreciated her vision and creativity. I can’t take much credit to be honest. I was really mostly choosing the way I would like to shoot the project and how I would go about it. Gabi was a constant source of good opinions and ideas when we went over how we would light, choose locations and film the project.

    Could you share a bit more about the South African garments that you show in the film? Was the fashion the starting point for this film? This is a dance/fashion film, how did you incorporate the different styles of the designers with the contemporary dance styles you featured in this film?

    Gabriella: The film started off solely as a dance film. However, whilst conceptualising the film and reaching the topic of styling we decided it would be best to represent some local designers. We left the styling decisions to Sarah Byram, wardrobe stylist on the project, and her choices were extremely on point in matching the individual dance themes to clothing items. She combined pieces from local designers such as Sheila-Madge Design (with illustration by Andel Olivier Art) and Meso with vintage finds from her label Better Half Vintage, as well as Babette Clothing. It was crucial for us to match the pieces with the dances being represented thus the need to source vintage items that matched the bukoh and Dogon styles, with contemporary touches that linked the traditional with the modern.

    You shared some interesting info on Tomoko Kim and how she connects to the idea of UKIYO through the name her grandmother gave her. Could you please share a bit more about your choice to have her be part of the film?

    Gabriella: Japanese culture and its traditional butoh and bugaku dancing styles have recently become quite the inspiration to me – it’s rigid yet free-flowing nature, the beauty in its subtle emotion. Meeting Tomoko when I did was serendipitous, she’s a professional contemporary dancer and is extremely passionate about diverse styles. Her background in traditional Japanese, as well as modern and African contemporary styles, made her the best match for the project. She also has an incredibly strong, charismatic energy. I’ve loved the word ‘UKIYO’ for a while – ‘the floating world’, a term used for those on another plain, ‘a dream world’. But I definitely wanted Tomoko’s input with the title as she is Japanese. It was great when she was excited by it due to her background and her grandmother endearingly calling her that.

    It is interesting that you divided up the film into three sections. Could you perhaps share more about how you conceptualized the film and your creative process? What were your ideas behind the different spaces and colours in this video?

    Gabriella: UKIYO is all about a floating world, a world in which a dreamer exists, away from the mundane reality. We wanted to depict this via the various spaces and corresponding colour palettes, representing the dream worlds one creates through prominent influences, especially as a dancer/a creator. The three locations represent the three different dance style influences and the colours further heighten these dream worlds. A shout out to Henry Uys, our editor and grader, for meticulously colour grading the project to represent UKIYO. The conceptualisation was greatly initiated by working with Tomoko as we knew we wanted to do a dance video but she was the catalyst in how it turned out. She gave a lot of input into the dance styles. We researched diverse dance styles and loved how UKIYO / a dream world is beautifully accurate in explaining the space in which an amalgamation of experiences and exposures co-mingle and thus create.  Alistair, Tomoko and I spoke about individual inspirations and moved from there. Overall it was a very collaborative project between all departments.

    Alistair: The different spaces had to connect to the story for us. After discussing a few ideas we came to these three locations. They felt perfect to reflect the ideas of the story. The forest we choose is ideal as a Japanese setting, whilst the warehouse had this rawness that suited the African contemporary dancing and finally shooting a neon lit scene has been something I’ve wanted to do for ages so that was kind of a dream come true. It’s never perfect when it’s not a closed set but I think we did a pretty good job.

    The music adds to the kind of dreamy feel of the short film and it almost mimics the movements of the dancer. How important is the music in engaging the dancer? Could you share more about who you got on board to produce the music?

    Alistair: Gabi and I discussed what type of mood and feeling we were going for in terms of music so when I mentioned that a friend of mine, Mishaq Diesel, could perhaps produce something for us we listened to some tracks he sent us and were sold. We struggled a bit with the middle section because we had a tough time filming that from a time perspective but I felt Mishaq really produced something excellent for us. It’s got this great rhythm that carries you from beginning to end.

    What were you looking to do with this project?

    Gabriella: Honestly, we were not interested in reaching a specific goal with the project as much as we were focused on the process of collaboration in creating a film we felt we could grow and learn from, as well as showcasing Tomoko’s unique dancing style. This allowed for a very relaxed and experimental process. Alistair and I felt we needed a bit of a break from commercials and wanted to create something a bit wild and unlimited.

    Credits:

    Dancer: Tomoko Kim

    Production & concept: Gabriella Achadinha

    Directed by: Gabriella Achadinha & Alistair Blair

    Director of photography: Alistair Blair

    B camera: Keenan Ferguson

    Camera assistant: Ted Saczek

    Edit & grade: Henry Uys

    Styling: Sarah Byram

    MUA: Thandeka Steenkamp

    Music: Mishaq Diesel

    Credit design: Marlize Eckard

    Special thanks to Better Half Vintage, Maison Meso, Sheila-Madge Design, Andel Olivier Art, Babette Clothing, Max Botha from Hokey Poke Bar,Isak Persson, SUnshine Co.