an eVe without adam production for STR.CRD
OPPOSITES ATTRACT
CRAZY WHITE BITCHES|ANTHEAKNOWSBEST| KRISTIN-LEE MOOLMAN|JANA HAMMAN|MANTHE RIBANE|GRACE LADOJA|CHUN-MUI MILLER| SHARMADEAN REID
WELCOME Welcome to OPPOSITES ATTRACT an eVe without adam exclusive online magazine in collaboration with STR.CRD, South Africa! We were invited to explore South Africa’s female power in Johannesburg and Capetown, to meet interesting females, to talk about our business to them, to inspire and motivate. Looking into the cultural differences and similarities between local and international women, we hope you will find yourself entertained by the following pages, and hopefully we will be able to share what we felt during this unforgettable ride.
CONTRIBUTORS
CONCEPT & ART DIRECTION: Mayra Fateh Michal Tesler EDITORS: Dreea Pavel Mayra Fateh Michal Tesler PHOTOGRAPHY: Paul Ward Kristin-Lee Moolman Peter Z. Jones Julia Schoierer Mayra Fateh Michal Tesler PRODUCTION: Mandla “Streetbaus” Mazibuko Chealse Chingono Shoni Special thanks to Hardy McQueen & all women involved
CONTENTS 6 16 34 70
PEOPLE
8 20 66 72
7 7
18 64 71 83
14 22 68 82
SOUTH AFRICA BY D.P. & M.F. & M.T.
The land of differences. In everything. From townships to the richest districts of the continent, tropical to dry red fields of dust, slow internet to major malls and Nando’s, oh yes South Africa is one hell of a ride and one beautiful place. Seriously, we rolled through many different kinds of neighborhoods and despite the fact that some townships do not even have proper sewage systems, nothing was ever really crazy. Or smelled extremely unfamiliar. Make sure you have enough lotion with you and drink a lot of water because Johannesburg’s high elevation is NOT cute for dry skin. Joburg, a city with at least 30 year old tall skyscrapers, has huge wide streets and stop lights that seem to be indifferent to pedestrians. Public transportation is scarce, so cars are a necessity and your best friend. The furthest we were allowed to walk was three blocks away from our hotel, everything further would be strongly forbidden. The language of “Taxi Hand Signs” is to some the 12th South African languageyes, they have eleventh official onesthough English is the most dominant. Indian, Mexican, Italian, Japanese, Ethiopian, bakeries, corner stores, little cute café’s all “homemade and organic” of course- you can really find it all out there. There is no difference in consumption. If you have money to spend, you will spend it and the more you have the more you’ll spend. People hit the malls and farmers- or flea markets, little boutiques or fast food joints.
Mc Donalds, is really fucking eVerywhere. It is surely not the best place for vegetarians and you better get ready to be at least a pescaterian for the time being, because South Africa loves meat and Fast Food. We were shocked to see literally what felt like five KFC’s on one block. That is if you are in a more city-like area obviously. It is difficult to grasp South Africa without asking locals thousands of questions because it seems really chaotic. You can be on a block that is totally populated by Rastas and then turn and think you’re in Soho. The streets can be flooded with people and then look completely abandoned the next. When shooting with Manthe, we discovered a Soweto that we did not expect - nice little made (government) houses, with small little lawnsright next to tin constructions and shanties.
REOCCURRING CONTRASTS The absolute and always reoccurring contrast: Three days in Cape Town. About 45 minutes outside of the city, we lived in Kalk Bay, a beautiful small village at the beach, surrounded by mountains and the endless view of the horizon. The nature is what will blow your mind. Penguins, crazy sunsets, pretty flowers and trees everywhere- showing us an extra ordinary view of nature. Or maybe four Nando’s and a McDonalds.
PEOPLE BY D.P. & M.F. & M.T.
Most of the people we met were colorful, lively and naturally curious. With open arms, they were ready to show us what their cities have to offer. We got the impression that realness is really valued amongst younger South Africans. People were blunt and real but very polite at the same time. Seemingly the perfect balance. We’d be very curious to see how peoples personalities unfold if you live there. Being a generation who believes everything, including light, comes from darkness, we really appreciated the fact that nothing was sugar coated by South Africans - when someone said that there was a lot of love in Jo’Burg, they were quick to respond “and a lot of hate”. No lie. The girls were feisty, the boys were cocky and yet traditional gender roles run strong. Anything is possible. We met people with dreams and aspirations. People that fight and hustle for what they believe in and won’t give up until they have conquered the world. May it be their passion for fashion, music or dance, sports or food; anything they touch, they seem to give themselves fully into it and one hundred percent.
WELL EDUCATED, STREET SMART AND ELOQUENT
From a business to a personal level, respect is given in all aspects. Kind, unselfish, giving, friendly and understanding people that smile. The friends we made while we were out there were surprisingly helpful and supportive. We couldn’t have asked for a better crew. Many of them carried interesting nicknames, that can be remembered forever: Streetboss, Sunshine, Chocolate, Desire, TeeTee and Boogie just to name a few. Some of them took us to one of the many Braai Day events - “braai” means grilling in Afrikaans - which is basically a humongous cook out/ BBQ fest, which seems to be one of South Africans’ favorite things to do. This year it was a special year: On September 24th, 2013, South Africa broke the world record in “most people “braa-ing” at the same time”, to be exact with 2353 participants, us being three of them. You can imagine the smoke clouds we were stuck in but it was surely worth the win!
A FAMILY OF LIKEMINDED PEOPLE
All in all we can say people were very open, extremely caring and fun to be around. They give you the feeling that you have known them for a life-time and that is probably also what A well educated, street smart and eloquent will happen. The current movement of creating young generation trying to adapt to the fast a worldwide strong unity, a family, of likemindpace of the west, within a down paced country. ed people, really stretches out to eVerywhere.
The relevance of the individual has probably never been as highlighted as in these current times of digital revolution. Everything and everybody can be the next hype, the next movement, the new trend or is at least worth a topic in a magazine. The fact that we can reach out and touch thousands of cultures in no time without actually feeling “different” or “new” has turned the level of globality up another notch. Another notch meaning we flew out to South Africa, to Johannesburg to be exact, to meet our peers and see what the deal is down there. Who does what with whom and why? We spoke to Hardy McQueen, co-founder of STR.CRD. First things first: What is STR.CRD? STR.CRD is an urban culture showcase that aims to create a credible platform on the African continent for the culture. Furthermore it seeks to build a bridge between the culture as well as brands internationally with Africa. STR.CRD’s main interests are… ... All the elements that make up the urban culture landscape i.e. Fashion, music, dance, sports, graffiti. Why would a brand want to join STR. CRD? For brands it is becoming a crucial platform to launch on the continent, starting with South Africa. These launches include both product introduction and campaign releases.
LOOK
STR.
A TALK WITH HARDY MCQUEEN, CO-FO What was the biggest brand that was new to STR.CRD this year? Palladium Boots was definitely the biggest new brand this year. The event also served as their official launch in the country. Why do you think an event like this exists here and not in other countries on the continent such as Congo or Ghana, lets say? The culture definitely exists in those countries, they are just under-exposed. In general the rest of the continent is still seen as the great unknown. As a result of this, many brands do not have major presence in those territories. On the other hand the importance of urban culture is still greatly under-valued as a movement. As the access to those markets improve, we feel that the relevance of the culture will become a whole lot clearer as an effective means to communicate with youth. On an international level – what do you do to promote STR.CRD? We are currently planning on extending into other countries on the continent.
K INTO
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OUNDER OF STR.CRD BY DREEA PAVEL A large part of the promotion is around the guests we invite to the show. Our biggest ‘promotion’ is most definitely when we come to Bread and Butter in the summer. It is a great way to meet brands and to let them know about the opportunities this side. Looking at the culture here in Jozi, what can you say is the relevance of STR.CRD to it and vice versa? What are people here inspired by on a fashion level? The relevance goes both ways, we are able to add an extra injection in the local scene with the show content and our community is able to re-interpret it. The most important element for me is that people take from it what they want and bring in a particular local flavor that makes it unique. Break down the creative output of Johannesburg to me and where most people are from. JHB is like your typical mining town, many of us are from somewhere else. This has definitely added to the creative output of the city.
Traditionally Cape Town has been regarded as the creative capital of SA, this is definitely changing with people moving to JHB from within the country as well as the rest of the continent. What is the racial filter on a business side like here in S.A.? We are still affected by the legacy of our past, though 20 years later changes are becoming a whole lot clearer. Business across the board is way more reflective of the country than previously. But as with all things change takes time and people take time to find their particular niche. What are your ultimate goals for STR.CRD? Ultimately, there needs to be 4-5 events a year in different cities across the continent with its own unique flavor and vibe. This way the quality of the culture will improve as well as the level of cross country collaboration. By being consistent it will make it easier for brands to introduce themselves to an African audience as well as to understand the nuances involved with marketing to us. The STR.CRD Team: Stephan Le Roux (co-founder), Malissa Malheiro, Mandla Mazibuko, Thabisile Tilo, Keitumetse Noinyane, Tracey Byrne, Vouks, Kundai, Murapa, Shonisani Lethole, Bogosi Matsheka
LOCAL TALK
CRAZY WHITE BITCHES
ANTHEAKNOWSBEST
KRISTIN-LEE MOOLMAN
JANA HAMMAN
BASICALLY TWO WHITE BITCHES FROM CAPETOWN AN INTERVIEW WITH FANI SEGERMAN & ISA GOEMAERE, CREATORS OF CWB, BY DREEA PAVEL Crazy White Bitches - are basically two white bitches from Capetown. And they are crazy. They also make clothes and stormed STR.CRD as the Capetown Takeover together with Bitches Must Know, 2Bop, Young&Lazy and many more. They know why there are only so few female representatives within the street wear designer game down there and they filled me in on who their ideal customers are. It is the case with STR.CRD for sure You are Crazy White Bitches and but also with street wear in general. you are here because… We are part of the Capetown Takeover There is little selection for girls in together with Young&Lazy, 2Bop, some street wear. Always kind of been the case here. You could go to a street other people we should probably wear shop and not find one item for know but basically a bunch of guys. girls. There are a lot of guys period. Is that the case in general with street Why do you think that is? Well, there hasn’t been a large wear here in South Africa?
demand from the female demographic. It’s only been in the last maybe five years that girls started growing an interest in street wear. Before, girls would wear more proper clothes like dresses and heels. But the market is opening and we think it is about to seriously change. It is taking way too long for us but it is happening. So where does that leave you two then? Are you happy with your current position in the market? We just started. We just been a blog that started an online shop selling vintage but we are done with vintage and now we want to do our own stuff. We can see a lot of stuff coming and once our resources grow, we will have a better position.
How do you guys finance all of this? Well, Isa is a full time student and I have a job so we finance ourselves. Every bit of cash goes into the brand. The market in S.A. is small but it is all about who you know. If you do not know the right people it can get difficult to find an investor. What are the main items you make and fabrics you use? T-shirts! Cotton, jersey‌ that kinda stuff. We like soft fabrics and loose fits. We want to be comfortable and not wrapped up and sweaty. Who are your ideal customers? Girls who have their own style and are into street wear to keep it short. Or even guys.
MESH AND MISSSHAPE AN INTERVIEW WITH ANTHEAKNOWSBEST, BRAND AMBASSADOR & RESEARCHER, BY DREEA PAVEL
AntheaKnowsBest - is a South African sweetheart who shared with us the most valuable lesson we learned in Johannesburg - if you don’t want cracked lips like Tyrone Biggums, you better drink loads of water because we are 1765 meters above sea level. Too bad we didn’t meet her before the 5th day of our 7-day-stay there. Together with her friend Jamal who runs a brand called Missshape, she exhibited a pretty lucid amount of traditional South African inspired street wear. Why a researcher gets into fashion, how and what else Jamal is up to are a few infos she revealed to us right here. Who are you? My name is AntheaKnowsBest and I am a researcher. I research youth culture and I also work in branding.
What are you exhibiting at STR.CRD? I am collaborating with Jamal - who has a brand called Missshape. Basically, Jamal and I are friends and we realized we like the same type of clothes; he was interested in my style so kind of by accident we were like ‘let’s do something together’. I don’t really have any kind of skills in design, I just tell Jamal my ideas and show him my mood boards and he comes up with stuff that just makes sense. So besides you being friends, why would Jamal collaborate with you? He just likes the way I dress, my personal style. I tell him what I want or like and he visualizes it. That’s just it. For him this is only the beginning of something new. He is currently
doing an ambassador’s project and this is the first collaboration. Each time he picks a different person to collaborate with and they are mostly people from outside the fashion scene. What is your favorite piece of this collab so far? My favorite is a jacket that looks like a button up shirt. It’s made from a baseball jersey kind of fabric and with the weather here in South Africa, layering is really essential. This piece is super versatile because you can wear it like that but you can also layer it. What are your favorite materials / fabrics? I like local traditional fabric like the fabrics Sangomas (traditional healers) use. It’s called Kanga. We are inspired by the
way the Sangomas use it. They usually create these amazing spaces in tiny rooms that would have everything they own. Like everything constructed around them in one little room. Jamal is from Durban and it is also very popular there. Is there a concept behind how you set up the booth? We have used a lot of little symbols that mean big things and traditional items - so I guess you can say it’s a tribute to South Africa.
5 MINUTE TALENT HUNTING A CHAT WITH SOUTH AFRICAN BASED PHOTOGRAPHER KRISTIN-LEE MOOLMAN, BY DREEA PAVEL Kristin Lee-Moolman - a blessed photographer who had lines of people from Street Etiquette over Brooklyn Circus to Art Comes First and numerous local trend icons waiting for her to take some of her legendary black and white portraits. She answered a few Q’s about her love for cameras and what she really does at STR.CRD. Do you remember the first time you took pictures? Haha, I was kind of a late bloomer. I started taking pictures seriously when I was 19, I was always drawing before that. Digital or analogue? Digital. What’s your favorite camera? I have to say the Hasselblad at the moment. Can you live off your photography work? Yup ^_^ Where are you from and where have you lived? I’ve been living in New York for the last while, before that I was in Cape Town, South Africa. Who was the most extra ordinary person you took pictures of?
I would have to say Sam Lambert from ACF, we did one impromptu which has sparked ideas for many future projects. Is fashion your favorite subject within photography? I’m more of a portrait photographer to be honest, though there is a fashion element to my portraits. What are you doing at STR.CRD? We decided to do a last minute series of portraits. Are you living your dream? Which are your upcoming projects? I’m definitely living my dream! More so now, than before. I have 2 projects coming up that I’m particularly excited about. One is the launch of Machine magazine, with my very close friend and collaborator RhaRha Nembrand, coming December 1st!
“JACK-OF-ALL-TRADES” AN INTERVIEW WITH JANA HAMMAN, CO-FOUNDER OF JANA&KOOS, BY DREEA PAVEL Jana Hamman - one half of Jana&Koos, a total workaholic with a bottomless source of ideas including a seemingly unstoppable drive to create and produce. A South African woman from Pretoria who started in advertisement and now dabbles with design, conceptual art and fashion - and everything in between. We met up with her during STR.CRD and dragged her to the back of a parking garage where, sitting on massive piles of GQ magazines, we forced her to answer all of our damn questions. Who are you? My name is Jana, I am one part of the creative consultancy called Jana&Koos. We basically do idea based work that goes into a variety of different media - from advertisement, to design, to experimental,
to event, to fashion, you name it. So it’s quite a nice area to play in. Where are you from and what is your professional upbringing? I am from Pretoria, I also studied Information Design there together with my business partner and then we moved to Johannesburg together. Information Design is partly Graphic Design but we both started working in advertisement. It was always highly conceptual, nontraditional ads which was quite a fun space to be in. Activation is what they called it at that stage. From there we got hired by an idea agency and then two agencies we were working with merged and we were part of a company called Hello World. After a few years in the advertising field, Koos and I decided to start our own company.
You seem to be one of our era‘s bestknown phenomena - the all-doer, the all-rounder. What exactly do you produce and how do you find your projects? We really enjoy working in different areas. People say it makes you a jack-of-all-trades and a master of none but for us it just feels right and we have always moved with the time. That is the era we know today. I also get bored quickly so it is only right to dabble in more than one creative field. As far as what we produce - a lot of times we get paid in trade exchange, meaning we do work for a gallery and in exchange they give us gallery space which then again forces us to produce something. It’s easy for us to come up with ideas. Recently people have been trying to visually and graphically find their own aesthetics more and more. There is so much attention on Africa now because people finally own it. The inspiration gained from that is actually where we always find ideas of what to produce. I mean look at STR.CRD. Koos Groenewald is your partner and an illustrator. Where do guys complement each other the most and where do you block each other (if at all)? We have a really weird way of working together. I don’t know anyone that works like this and I am very lucky to have found someone that I can work with. It’s literally like a work marriage - we fight and make up like a couple. We have very different strengths and weaknesses and if one of us can’t do one thing, the other one will. In terms of personality Koos is braver then I am and he pushes us to a lot work that I would have never thought we could do. Like interior design or events. I would have never done that by myself. In terms of blocking - well in times of pressure when shit gets really hectic our personalities clash. He stays calm while I freak out and it pisses me off. It’s like any other relationship really. What are you working on right now? There is a Nike Concept Space opening
in Braamfontein here in Johannesburg. We did the entire interior for it. It is going to be the space for meetings for the Runners Club or for an event - nothing will be sold out of that space and the lease is limited to six month so we couldn’t actually build anything. It was quite a challenge. We also do branding for a boutique coffee roastary - we basically help with everything from name to location. We also do branding for Simon&Mary who are a lot like ArtComesFirst. Proper hats, proper style and so on. We basically always work on twenty different things at the same time. What does designing things mean to you? Does it matter what you design or is the thought of „creating“ that counts? I think it is difficult to be a designer. We are not artists but we try to collaborate with as many art projects as possible. You try to give everything your own note but at the same time you are executing someone else’s work. In the end of the day it is a job and it is an important one - even though the line between self-expression and doing the job for your client is thin we just try to keep the balance. We don’t try to look cool, we do essential work. What makes your work YOU then? I wouldn’t be able to explain that to you. It’s just there. It’s mainly the beauty we find in something gritty.
JHB
Blouse, s
Photography: Paul Ward Styling: eVe without adam Make-Up: Tracey Byrne Model: Manthe Ribane
shoes & backpack: adidas Originals x Opening Ceremony, pants: adidas Originals x Bedwin & The Heartbreakers
THIS PAGE: Jacket: Jordan Retro, shorts: adidas Originals x Opening Ceremony, sandals: Dr. Martens x Agyness Dynn, rings: Ele Misko
NEXT PAGE: Mesh top: V AVE S.R., sweatpants: adidas Originals x Jeremy Scott, shoes: Underground, watch: G-Shock, earring: AKKESOIR
LEFT: Neoprene top: ZARA, pants: LaissezPasser, Necklace: Starstyling, heels: & Other Stories RIGHT Dress: Patrick Mohr, wedges: adidas Originals x Opening Ceremony, sunglasses: CAST Eyewear, rings: Ele Misko NEXT PAGE: Swimsuit: H&M, rings: Art Youth Society, Ele Misko
joburg e al
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WHEN YOU DRESS UP YOU CAN ESCAPE REALITY THE WORLD OF THE WONDERFUL MANTHE RIBANE, BY MICHAL TESLER
Johannesburg, September 2013. We are on the hunt for a dark skin model with character and charisma, someone who has a story to tell. Manthe Ribane was suggested to us, and it was love on first sight. Although she is introduced to us as being the dancer of Die Antwoord, we would soon find out that she is much more than ‘just’ a dancer- by now she surely is a local celebrity. We went from meeting her for our shoot’s fitting and getting along instantly, to then spending the rest of this and the following days with her. The world of the wonderful Manthe Ribane is an outstanding story. Besides the beautiful and unique appearance, it is the huge amount of depth, strength, motivation, belief and spirituality within this artist that kept us intrigued to find out more. Her extraordinary story begins during her childhood, when her mother stopped existing in the physical world. Manthe and her two younger siblings are raised by relatives. 2010, during a shoot for a dance film, she meets her future co-founding partners of the Vintage Crew. Instantly inspired by each other, Manthe takes over the crews’ art direction and is responsible for styling and conceptual design. The collective becomes her new family, proving to be popular among the young generation of South Africa’s street culture, to then even find its space within the commercial circle of dance. In this time, Manthe meets Die Antwoord in a club. While she is dancing with all her heart and soul, she describes it to almost being in a state of trance, Ninja from Die Antwoord approaches her with confusion, asking her if she was a girl or boy. Yo.Landi clears that up and the three start the conversation. Next thing you know, Manthe finds herself in rehearsals for the “Fatty Boom Boom” video and joins Die Antwoord’s European tour as a dancer. A dream seems to become reality for a young girl from Soweto, as she describes herself. When Manthe speaks about Die Antwoord, her eyes sparkle - they became her mentors. 2013, three years after founding the Vintage Crew, Manthe was hit by another stroke of fate that leaves her to be the head of the family. After thirteen years, Manthe and her two siblings return to the house their father once built with his own hands. Manthe’s priorities shift and she separates from the Vintage Crew. Nevertheless, her deep love for art and music still runs strongly. She tells us about an upcoming music project, of which we will hopefully soon hear more of, about still working with Die Antwoord and how she dreams about one day owning an art gallery, creating a sports school for the township kids, opening a sustainable fashion store and to collaborate with humans, who are not human. Manthe is a big sister role model who you will like to follow. With a lot of respect for her, her strength and her amazing positive energy, eVe wishes her more than the best for her future. Shall she flourish within her art and motivate people to follow their dreams, as only then life is worth living, right?
OPPOSITES ATTRACT SA
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“INTERNATIONAL YOUTH” IS A SUBJECT THAT WE ARE CONFRONTED WITH ON A DAILY BASIS WHEN MEETING LIKE-MINDED FEMALES FROM ACROSS THE GLOBE. WE THINK WE SHARE THE SAME INTERESTS, BUT IS THAT REALLY SO? THIS TIME AROUND, THE WORLDWIDE FAMILY STRETCHED ITSELF OUT SOUTH AFRICA. TO UNDERSTAND THE DEEPER CONTRASTS BETWEEN SOUTH AFRICAN FEMALES AND WHAT WE ARE USED TO HEARING FROM BACK HOME, WE ASKED A SERIES OF PRETTY FREQUENT AND SOMETIMES OVERLY PERSONAL QUESTIONS BOTH TO SOUTH AFRICAN AND INTERNATIONAL WOMEN. OUR RESULTS ARE HANDLED ANONYMOUSLY AND ARE SOLELY BASED ON OUR PERSONAL SURROUNDING OF THE FEMALE SOCIETY. NOTHING IS ULTIMATE, YET THERE ARE SURELY SOME REVELATIONS.
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.TERCES A SU LLET
INTERNATIONAL TALK
GRACE LADOJA
CHUN-MUI MILLER
SHARMADEAN REID
CONNECT THE INTERNATIONAL CREW AN INTERVIEW WITH GRACE LADOJA, FOUNDER OF LADOJA & SONS, BY DREEA PAVEL Grace LaDoja- is one of our favorite international female guests. She is a filmmaker from London and the curator of London Takeover including brands like Trapstar and WAH Nails. A true visionary who just came from Russia where she shot the new global campaign for VANS. Why a filmmaker is so relevant in the fashion world and how she brings all these amazing people together are only a few details she shared. What name do you enjoy going by the most? Grace LaDoja or Amazing Grace? Is there a reason behind the different titles? HA! Amazing Grace was a nickname I adopted when I was really young, somehow I used to be able to do / get things that no one else could like getting into Jay-Z shows or free Nike shoes so people thought it was “amazing”. I really love my surname ‘LaDoja’, it sounds really exotic, I guess I’d just prefer to just be called LaDoja! You mainly run a film production company called Ladoja and sons. Who are your sons? Tell us more about your film work, favorite clients? Main projects? I run the company wit my business partner Jordan Stokes. When I started I would also get local kids, mainly boys, to intern for me to get them off the streets, so I’d always have some teenagers around that people would start to call my adopted sons... I guess that’s how the name came about. As a company we do lots of brand films and I do a lot of personal music and art projects. My favorite client would be Vans, they
completely embrace creativity. What is your most loved part of the film making process? I love the research, I get completely obsessed and absorbed with everything and I love learning! The best part is the actual shoot too and seeing everything come to life. How did you build that bridge from Grace the filmmaker to the fashion-world relevant London Takeover? London Takeover is just me tapping into my global contact list and taking people around the world to “connect the international crew”, it has nothing to do with me as a film maker. It’s just a side project. What were your biggest impressions of South Africa? I fell in love with Johannesburg immediately. I find the youth really inspiring, I love that they embrace their local environment, the way they dress, their inspiration mainly for the photographers that I met. The music scene is incredible too, especially house music, probably the most creative I have seen in a long time. What interesting persons/things/items have you seen at STR.CRD? I met Justice and Innocent from iseeadifferentyou, I think they are the future; their vision, photography and execution is so interesting to me. I really loved spending time talking to Wanda Lephoto and Kabelo Kungwane who have the blog Wandapronto.
Their style is impeccable and the story behind their choices alongside how heavily influenced they are by their grandfathers is fascinating and informative. Have you been working with people from SA before/ are you right now? Not yet, I have plans to in the future! What main differences have you noticed (if at all) on a cultural, work, ethical level? The culture is rich and the people I met are really hard working. I can’t talk for the whole country. Also, there is no instant fame (like the USA or UK) - here you really have to put the work in.
As someone who focuses on cultures/ subcultures, how do you feel about your surrounding as of now? Is it changing, progressing? Is it stagnated? London constantly changes, what I mean by that is every part of London has a different vibe so you find new things that inspire you depending on where you are. No matter how much I travel, I am always happy to come home. I love it, like everywhere in the world it has its peaks and valleys but because it is so multicultural we always have a new way to present ourselves that keeps things fresh. I’m currently obsessed with Victorian style, again!
THE STRENGTH TO BE ONESELF AN INTERVIEW WITH CHUN-MUI MILLER, FOUNDER OF OAK STREETSTYLE, BY MICHAL TESLER
Chun-Mui Miller- is the creative director and brainchild of Oak Street Style. With a team of photographers, filmmakers and other creatives, she captures people all over the world to (re)define style and testify that it has very little to do with „fashion“. The blog shows a series of people who embody true personal style, irrelevant of current trends or upscale financial means. We met Chun-Mui during Str.Crd, another international female guest and asked her to share her project with us. Where are you from and where do you live right now? I was born in Oakland, CA and raised in Chicago, IL. I currently reside in Oakland, CA. Where did OSS start? I think we all have a desire to feel purpose in life. OAK Streetstyle was started in this way, as an outlet for me to enjoy life doing the things I love to do - working with great people, being creative and having a platform for self-expression.. OAK Streetstyle has attracted a great team of photographers, filmmakers, stylists and creative media professionals. We have started working with companies and brands on building content, creative direction and brand development but really OAK Streetstyle is still so young and developing itself. The great part about OSS being so new is that it is still ripe with lots of possibilities. I definitely have a vision of what I would like it to become but at this point the focus is really about creating great content that captures the present movement of style and culture. I am inspired by bringing the vision to life but I also want to allow the space for it to grow organically.
Born Free Project: Tell us about it! The BORN FREE project is an original film & pictorial series centered on exploring authentic global streetstyle, beginning with a journey from Oakland, CA to Johannesburg, South Africa. The documentary will explore the subject of identity & freedom of self-expression by (re)telling personal stories of what it means to have the strength to be oneself. Any new projects coming up, you want to talk about? We are currently editing and working on the imagery from South Africa. We are working on an exhibition of this series in the Bay Area and at Parson’s School of Design NYC in Feb 2014. When you talk about style on your website, it almost sounds like a religion. Would you agree? No, not at all. It really is more like the opposite of religion. It is just the simple act of being oneself. Not giving a fuck what anyone else thinks or tells you that you should do or should be. It is trusting that you are born perfect exactly as you are and having your own unique voice in this world. To me this is why style is greater than fashion. It is not just about the latest brands or labels and it is not restricted by your economic means. Style is not about what you have but what you do with what you’ve got. It’s a way to express yourself creatively everyday. Being a woman, what do you wish other women the most? To fall madly and deeply in love with your Self. No one or thing outside of ourselves has the power to make us whole. Only we can do that for ourselves. There is nothing more powerful than a woman who knows her own beauty, worth and value.
WORKING IS FREEDOM AN INTERVIEW WITH SHARMADEAN REID, FOUNDER OF WAH NAILS, BY DREEA PAVEL Sharmadean Reid - stylist for Nike, editor of Dazed&Confused, CEO of WAH Nails, future president probably too…who knows. This London Lady is unstoppable while raising a baby son by herself. Just our type of woman. How exactly she climbed her way up from a teenager in Wolverhampton working as a maid in a hotel to being a foxy London Entrepreneur has always been something we have been dying to know. So we grabbed her and found out. Can you give us a short introduction of your background? My name is Sharmadean Reid, I am 29 years old, born in Wolverhampton, England. My mother is British born Jamaican and my dad is Indian. I looked more Indian as I was born and more Jamaican as I have gotten older. I have read that you had a job since you were 14 and you love working. What is the motivation behind it all? I learned at a really young age that if I wanted things I have to work. When I was 14 I got a job as a chamber maid and eventually got promoted to being a waitress. I only worked two or three days a week but I always had money. It just feels really good to me to work and then get your money at the end of the day. I come from a simple, working class area. There have been numerous opportunities in my life where I could have been a permanent criminal. Even when I dabbled with it, the stress of being caught was way too much for me so I started making money the right way.
class or to get the things you want? My main motivation for working is freedom. I know it sounds like an oxymoron but I’ve always did work that I loved so it never seemed like work. I have been really lucky and I always tell people that if you turn your passion into your profession you will never work a day in your life. When I think of something I want and money is the limitation, that is really frustrating. There are many experiences in this world that are free and I have happily enjoyed them when I was a kid like playing with your friends or hanging out on farms or in the woods. As you get older you want more experiences and I hate the thought that I can’t afford them. That is pretty much the reason and the motivation. You really took that motivation to the next level though - you were Nike, you were Dazed & Confused, you styled Azealia Banks, you built the WAH empire, you threw a pop up restaurant - it seems endless. Where do the connections come from and who supports you?
I have learned that, when I was assisting and styling, what people want from an assistant is someone who is happy and uppy, organized and keeps everyone together. So I used my people skills to make sure I leave the right impression. In the end of the day you have 24 hours to make people believe you are a nice person and you are good at what you are doing. I met A-Side in a record store that doesn’t exist Would you then say that your main motivaanymore called Deal Real in London. All the tion was to not be affiliated with the working major figures in the scene hung out there.
I recognized him as he came over to me and commented on my outfit. We started talking and four years later right after I graduated, he gave me my first job which was styling a lookbook with Kenneth Capello. From there on I met a lot of people between New York and L.A. through these shoots, then I met more people - I mean it is like a spider web, isn’t it? As far as my supporters, I must say Nike has always been really good to me. Nokia also, they financed films I produced in LA and Atlanta, on about how strippers dictate the music market. What philosophy is most important to you when it comes to educating and passing on knowledge to your peers? I try to teach my girls that as a brand we have to be representative. WAH is bigger than us now, we can’t post stupid things on Instagram. Know how to play the game and choose your battles. What is really important to me is to instill self confidence. You know when other people look at rich people and they think they got what they got because of who they know? No! It’s not that! It’s that they were told from birth that they are privileged. Even if they are crap and completely untalented and don’t know what they are doing, they truly believe they do. It’s all a state of mind. You have to think of yourself as a Queen. If young women stay believing that they are expensive, it holds them in a good position forever. When a guy tells you to suck his d*** you don’t just go head and do it! No, because you are expensive. And no, you won’t go out with your hair looking shitty because you are expensive. Any females out there that you think represent just that? I love women like J.Lo and Beyoncé because of what I told you just now. All J.Lo talks about in each lyric is how much she is the shit! To come from nothing and be where she is today - whether she is cool or not isn’t even a factor because she is paid - and she is still wearing them Juicy Couture track suits, you know what I mean? She sticks to who she is and that is self-belief. The other one is Martha Stewart because she actually turned domesticity into a multi-million dollar business. Martha Stewart is basically like, you can make cupcakes and that
is totally okay. One public figure whose outfit you‘d throw shade on any day: I really hate blogger style.. like “let’s put a neon necklace on this outfit and a bright belt!” It’s like dressing by numbers. I hate everyone who dresses by numbers. It is lazy and true style has a personal note. I think Beyoncé’s style is terrible. She never had good style even until this day, she is just not cool. She is a great chameleon - like in every video she looks totally different, I loved her outfit in Videophone but on the street in her own clothes - it’s a shame. As a black female entrepreneur have you ever had issues with race or gender at a job or used your gender to your benefit? No one has ever actively been racist towards me. I just found people in Paris to be really rude but I guess they are rude regardless. I think if you go into a situation thinking someone will be racist towards you, they probably will because you develop an aura of a chip on your shoulder. You get back what you exude. I always make sure I know what I am doing, I do my research, make sure I am briefed and I leave the best impression I can. I go into a situation starting at minus three and I have to work myself up to 0 then I work to get to plus three. When it comes to gender, sexuality is something you can use if you want. In your heart you will know whether what you do is morally right or wrong. It kind of disgusts me when women flirt to get a job but I am not going to lie and say I haven’t been cutesie to get something I need to get done right now. I just avoid sexuality at work, though. In masculine environments I dress down to not confuse men without repressing my personality. You want to open up a club. Tell us more about that idea or other future plans. I want a club or more so a Hotel where I can have a restaurant and a club in. I did a Jamaican pop up restaurant and I loved it. A hotel is perfect for me, I can do the interior design, I can have a room to produce shoots in, I can have my restaurant and I want to open it up in Jamaica.
SPIRITUALITY BY D.P. & M.F. & M.T.
South African hearts are warm. Some of their auras radiate so strongly that it is impossible to ignore them. Growing up with a mind state of living a spiritually conscious life, they speak about their beliefs with strong awareness, knowledge and pride of their tradition. 60% of South African medicine is traditional. Healers, who are also called Sangoma’s, are entitled to practice and make decisions equally to a scientifically approved doctor.When connected to their senses and to what their grandparents told them in childhood stories, South Africans would address any sort of pain or issue to their healer, to then hopefully be cured with chants, powders, liquids, or even animal heads in some cases. Love spells, healers and herbal medicine are deeply rooted parts of society.
gifts of nature and knowing that you are not alone in this world are the essentials. When these senses are blocked, because one has never learned how to use them, it is hard to understand- yet if you allow it, it will be your partner for a life time.
A PLACE THAT UNDERSTANDS THE LANGUAGE OF NATURE AND SCIENCE
What made a difference to us was seeing how excited and openly South Africans At home, narrow minded people often see speak about it which is certainly not so spirituality as a hocus-pocus, horoscopes common in other places, where spirituwithin lifestyle magazines are for the most ality has been oppressed for centuries. already the limit for the supernatural. Places like many Caribbean Islands or the Southern States of America, for example. In South Africa it is a fundamental part South Africa is a place that understands of the culture and existence, where spir- the language of nature and science alike ituality is given to you from scratch. Lis- - enough to understand that they stem tening to a conscious mind, the universe from the same source. We salute South Afand to your soul, learning how to treat the ricans for standing tall and being proud of their heritage just as they should be.Â
NIGHTLIFE BY D.P. & M.F. & M.T.
Nightlife in Johannesburg is definitely an experience once you manage to get it YOUR way. It is seemingly extremely multi-faceted just like the entire society of Jo’Burg but being part of a traveling group only gets you so far. The impressions gained are based on places we were brought to and got accustomed to, which had a serious vibe of English pub and 90ies conscious rap. Yeah. Some sort of Brooklyn Nostalgia with a dash of ‘oi mate’. As Berliners we might be spoiled, but we have to say: “the South Africans definitely know how to party!” Not one night passed in which we didn’t end up in a bar, at an event, a club or even our hotel room with a super social and fun crowd. The people are open, boys flirt like crazy - pretty unusual compared to the Berlin “too cool for school” attitude - plus, the cannabis consumption is similar to ours. The Kitcheners, at the corner of our hotel became a new living room and was mostly the stamping ground of our outbursts… except that one night at The Summit. Not all that glitters is gold when you hit South Africa’s nightlife, being confronted with harsh juxtapositions. Our boundaries of disgust and literally the visual openness towards the females
were tested when visiting off-the-record strip clubs such as The Summit, in which open legged stunts and playing with funky toys are regulars. No pictures or videos allowed during these live sex shows with only one golden rule to follow: what happens here, stays here. Women washing their pussies on top of the public bathroom sink or disappearing with strangers into super hidden side rooms for private dances, or sometimes $15 blow jobs. An experiment of acceptance, battling between trying to understand how this can be seen as normal and how showing it all is, even then, sometimes not enough.
JUST MAKE SURE HOW TO GET HOME SAFE So once you separate from the borderline corny but apparently safe tourist environment, you might also experience the charms of Bassline on a Thursday night. Now think the movie Belly minus the black/blue light and minus the guns but plus the weed and double the Jamaican experience. One big room full of ganja and Reggae Dancehall. Just make sure you know how to get home safe.
LEFT PAGE T-shirt: Marcelo Burlon x IWISHUSUN , shoes: adidas Originals x Jeremy Scott, cap: STR.CRD x Starter watch: G-Shock RIGHT PAGE: Crop top: Crazy White Bitches, baseball shirt: Berlin Braves x Majestic Athletic, socks: HUF, sneakers: Vans
CPT Photography: Paul Ward Styling: eVe without adam Make-Up: Kelly Paitaki Model: Cayla Van Der Merwe (Twenty Model Management)
Shirt & shorts: adidas Originals x Opening Ceremony, collar: COS
Top: NLP, jacket: Barre Noire
RIGHT PAGE: Raincoat: the adidas Originals x Jeremy Scott, sneakers: Nike LEFT PAGE: Crew-neck: Young & Lazy, shirt: Daily Paper, sweatshirt: Bitches Must Know x Starter, lace pants: Aula Aila, shoes: adidas Originals x Opening Ceremony
FAME GAME BY D.P. & M.F. & M.T.
The one thing we enjoyed about South Africans is the high interest in EVERYTHING. Super curious and aware, very collective and supportive of each other, they boost each others fame. No one seems cooler than the other, it didn’t seem like a society of fame driven backstabber’s. A lot of people knew who would attend STR.CRD and who would also pay them the right attention, and all that without the dick rider after taste many other cities leave in your mouth.
PEOPLE LIKE TO LOOK UP AND BEING LOOKED UP TO It is not that every South African has the desire to become famous. Alas, that is far from what we are saying. Like we know it from home, South Africans need to jump on the fame game to become successful. The talents that stick out are pushed and promoted, their hands are shaken, plans are made.
One can doubt the content of the fame bubble but that is not the point here. People like to look up and being looked up to. At the end of the day, the importance of “who are you and what do you do” seems to be international topic. Question still is who will be able to climb the ladder or will be forgotten. There are tons of bloggers and when we say tons we mean tons, so do NOT get gassed. They will ask you for a photo they will know who you are and they will compliment you on your work and outfit but it is only who they are. We have never been approached and photographed so often in one day like at STR.CRD. We actually have fans there! Thousands of kilometers away from home and they know you regardless. Internet makes it possible. Everybody wanted a picture, if alone or together, with their cameras or why not use ours if they don’t have one- whatever, lets just take a picture! We were overly flattered. To find out about such support from so far away is something very special.
FASHION BY D.P. & M.F. & M.T.
Clothes make the man. This quote fits pretty well to South Africa, as the kids we met are crazy about showing their personality and individuality through their appearances. Within the world of street wear, STR.CRD is the climax of fashion happenings in Johannesburg. Consequently, everybody put their Ritz on for that one day of the year and shone in their exceptional outfits. Street style seems like a total exaggeration of what we may know in Berlin, London, Paris etc. It all appears to be a bit overwhelming, sometimes putting authenticity into question, as often it is more of a styling parade than really an outfit. Group identity and a group recognition also seemed to be of high importance. The perfect harmony was sometimes so staged, that you could recognize individual crews because of their coordinated styles. Colorful African prints mixed with vintage stuff, sunglasses, sneakers, caps or beanies and a lot of big jewelry, were part of their selections. May it be girls getting back the 90’s or boys riding a sort of modern gentlemen wave - the waters are similar to home. Yet when it comes to the Gentlemen of Bacongo-esque, the Les Sapeur-esque, the Sub Saharan Dandies kind of style, South Africans killed it, distinguishing itself a lot from the dandy fashion land scape out there. The dandy gentlemen were really young teenage boys who pretty much thrift pieces
of their grandfathers style and got it custom-tailored. No accessories were left out either - canes, sunglasses, hats, gloves, watches, earrings, handkerchiefs .. you name it!
MOST KIDS OUT THERE GIVE THEMSELVES FULLY INTO THE EXPERIMENT What kept on resonating was one simple sentence: “We can’t get this out here”. A lot of international fashion styles arrive very late into the fashion relevant places of S.A., if they ever do… And still, everybody looked “up to date”. May it be an original or a self-made-even-cooler version, most kids out there gave themselves fully into the experiment of fashion with so much talent. Some of them a little too much but maybe those were just possessed with tumblr or Rihanna (we do love her though). And that is exactly what it is over there. The too much is really good. It all fits, the taste is challenging, interesting, wanting to make you look around and get inspired. Hopefully the market will naturally listen to that enthusiasm and bit by bit the gap of being up-to-date and wanting something but not being able to get it will slowly disappear.
an eVe without adam production for STR.CRD
OPPOSITES ATTRACT