It bears repeating that sustainability in fashion has always been about more than just recycled plastic bottles, all-star ambassadors or donating previously-loved clothing. As Erica de Greef of the African Fashion Research Institute puts it; it’s a holistic practice. A practice which prioritises community, the planet and decolonisation to best succeed. This is what makes…
According to Matthew Edwards, co-founder of sustainable research organisation, Big Circle studios and designer for his brand, Matte, it’s all about “working stuff out.” The core of Matte’s practice is not constituted by a preoccupation with “the end product” as one might think, but rather, it is driven by a concern and approach anchored in…
This season, BIRKENSTOCK debuts its first locally-inspired summer campaign, fusing South African originality with German tradition to highlight a collection against a background of vivid colour and striking patterns. A campaign honouring local supporters of the footwear brand has been inspired by the unique manner South Africans dress down their BIRKENSTOCKS. Three local tastemakers are…
Originally from Limpopo, Sipho Vuyo Lushaba grew up in Soweto. His background and experiences in both places would serve as inspiration for SVL Designs. The fashion brand was established in 2016 when he was a third-year student at Lindiwe Kuzwayo Academy of Fashion Design in Durban. Since its inception, the accomplishments of the brand include…
This season, P.A.M. and PUMA have collaborated to develop a line of clothes that blurs the distinction between streetwear and outdoor wear as part of a bigger, complex initiative called the PAM/PUMA BIO/VERSE, aimed to reestablish a connection with the ideas of community and environment. P.A.M., short for Perks and Mini, was founded in 2000…
Lagos Fashion Week is Africa’s biggest fashion multi-day event and it attracts fashion designers, buyers, consumers, stylists, photographers and filmmakers from all over the continent and the world. It was conceptualised by Omoyemi Akerele under her company, Style House Files which operates as a creative development agency in Nigeria. Last year, Lagos Fashion Week celebrated…
While spending the majority of his time as an intellectual property consultant, Patrick Hawi was increasingly At Odds with the mundanity of a 9-5 life. While his IP background involved helping fashion brands set up their business, he yearned for something bigger and bolder to contribute to Kenya’s relatively young, yet burgeoning fashion scene. “When…
Last Friday saw the release of the first Jordan collab with an African brand. Speaking to Nick, the Founder and Creative Director of Shelflife about the process felt a little like someone describing a fever dream. Hearing someone from the same space as you speak about the process of designing a Jordan is something that’s…
It’s fascinating how we can measure the changes in the world around us. Some changes show themselves cyclically, like the leaf’s change from green to brown to green again, and so forth. In the more material world, we remark at the price of things constantly increasing around us. I was taken aback when in conversation…
“Hillbrow to Soweto, uptown Rosebank to downtown Jozi, the people of this city is my community.” — Wanda Lephoto Although we may come from different backgrounds, opinions, and ideologies, we are united in our desire to advance culture. Together, we will lay the foundation for what comes next, grounded in the communities that made us…
Kunjina Tesfaye’s fascination with fashion started from when she was a tiny tot rummaging through her mother’s closet. The two decade love affair has matured into a successful clothing business. After Tesfaye obtained an engineering degree from the University of Addis Ababa, she transitioned into fashion by taking a short fashion course at Wossi International…
Pioneering streetwear brand TWOBOP is reintroducing itself with a fresh identity and product offering for a new era. Marking this significant moment in its maturity and growth, the brand is venturing into a territory never explored before – jewellery. Designed in the style of heirlooms, it’s a fitting tribute to founder Anthony Smith passing the…
