Vol. 1 Issue 01
MA I
ASHANTI Rediscover Africa Through us
M A R C H / A P R I L
E D I T O R I A L
D R I P
I AM ASHANTI
03
Editorial team 04
Conversations with Meiga 28
Conversations with Darley 38
Conversations with House Of Lordes 45
In collaboration
2
Creative Direction Nicholah Opoku Moyo Photography Marcus Tshepo Mgadule Editor Anitta Banjwa Senior Features Editor Sihle Qekeleshe Styling Mondli Pike Models King Bonda Erica Chipato Darren Solomon Diana Kasongo Eudes Andre Chizoba Bhene Make-up Nhlanhla Yebe Make-up Sinothando Jack Make-up Okuhle Mbude Location Atlantis Sand Dunes, Cape Town
3
CONVERSATIONS WITH MEIGA Meiga Abdullahi takes us through the looking glass to his journey of having profound understanding of different cultures and respecting traditional dress styles in his clothing creations.
Model Chaberth King Bonda Nguimbi Outfit Mali South Clothing
6
7
8
11
Model Erica Chipato Outfit Mali South Clothing
10
Meiga Abdullahi’s expert knowledge of African cultures and traditional clothing styles, and his mastered tailorship, is conspicuously reflected in the quality of his many bespoke and handembroidered pieces. In 1994, he embarked on an odyssey from homeland Timbuktu province in landlocked Mali and brought with him unique artisanal knowledge to South Africa. He came to South Africa to expand the cache of his skill set by including the local cultures in the creation of traditional wear and ethnic-inspired fashion for his brand, Mali South Clothing. Unlike the conventional strategy adopted by many African fashion brands to be contemporaneous, Meiga’s dominant design strategy is reversion; he retains quintessential qualities of dress styles of each culture he draws inspiration from. Mali South Clothing’s display of some men and womenswear designs at the window of his store on 96 Long Street, Cape Town, gives you a glimpse of his travels. Upon entry, you could get a coup d'oeil of all of Africa in just a few steps.
15
16
Model Darren Solomon Outfit Mali South Clothing
22
Model Diana Kasongo Outfit Mali South Clothing
25
27
Conversations with Darley creator of MIMSHAC COUTURE
Darley's design inspiration to modernise African motifs in her clothes sees her expert knowledge of textiles, print, and silhouettes combined to create clothes that are on par with global fashion trends.
29
Model Eudes Desiderio Moreira Andre Outfit Mimshac Couture
30
32
It has been a year of lessons learnt, and growth, for Francisca Larbi. The Ghanaian designer had barely been in the local fashion scene for a year before the pandemic hit – taking along with it many fashion houses and businesses as its casualties. Yet, on a crisp, sunny day in February 2021 we sat down with Francisca – she insists on being called “Darley”, short for her Krobo tribe name “Naa-Darley”, which means the first female child – in her cosy studio in the bustle of central Cape Town.
The journey was long, and it continues to be rewarding for the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology graduate, where she got her Bachelor of Art in Integrated Rural Art & Industry. Her academic life in Ghana is the root of her artisanal capabilities, from secondary school where she learnt about textile, to her higher education qualification in the arts. Her journey really started to take shape through her latent
quest to study fashion design in Johannesburg, South Africa, which was halted by an unexpected pregnancy in 2018, and has led her to the infamous strip of Long Street, Cape Town.
"When I gave birth, I didn’t want to work for anyone again.” - Darley
Her milestones did not come easy and without sacrifice. When she arrived in Cape Town, (she had already been selling a service of customized shoe art designs to friends in Johannesburg) she found work at Africa Women’s Market owned by a fabric seller she affectionately calls “Auntie”. She helped and encouraged Darley's design prowess even as a pregnant woman. It was there where she truly embraced her passion, “We were making clothes and the response…the joy you have in doing what you love, there’s nothing compared to that even if you feel tired and are pregnant," Darley commented.
Model Chizoba Hope Bhene Outfit Mimshac Couture
35
With the help of her husband, Darley found a workspace in 2019, on 134 Long Street and there Mimshac Couture was birthed and her fashion brand continues to grow eponymously. Her long-term goals for the brand are to absorb and teach other aspiring designers the art of fashion design, open more studios and be on fashion week runways. She might well be on the fast track to achieving her goals; she already has a studio at the heart of the city, an assistant, international clients. With COVID-19 Lockdown regulations forcing borders shut, she has expanded her brand through social media where she is currently marketing and getting the bulk of her revenue, which has helped Mimshac Couture stay afloat.
“Our prints are busy, very bold, so [I am] not allowed to make boring clothes." - Darley Her main artisanal inspiration and selling point for her loyal clients is her modernization of African prints through her designs by following trends. She caters for a variety of local and international women while keeping Mimshac Couture unique and exciting.
37
CONVERSATION WITH HOUSE OF LORDES The use of pastels, minimalist motifs, and reimagined formal wear is at the centre of streetwear brand, House of Lordes.
Model Erica Chipato Outfit Hpuse of Lordes
House Of Lordes (HOL) is a South African, Cape Town based streetwear brand founded in 2019 by Fashion Institute of Garment Technology (FIGT) dropouts, Bruce “Brucifer” Carter and Lusindiso “Lorde” Ndlumbini. Like many small fashion businesses founded by young designers, the genesis of the brand was one riddled with creative conflicts which reflected in the pieces produced. These issues manifested to the point that HOL closed its doors shortly after inception, and the designers suspended operations and went on hiatus to find themselves and the identity of the brand by enrolling to FIGT.
When asked about their academic career in fashion, it was unanimous from the pair of designers that they found institutional learning to be an impediment to their journey. “I tried studying. I went to fashion school. It was not what I wanted, it felt like it was taking longer to do what I wanted to do especially because I felt like I could do it immediately.” said the Co-founder, Lorde. In the middle of a spring season riddled with unseasonable weather, and another month filled with inundated reminders of the COVID-19 and the fashion businesses it put to death, Brucifer and Lorde rebranded and rebirthed their fashion house.
41
They shed their previous grunge aesthetic and installed one of minimalism using standard, semiformal two-piece outfits of high value, low saturation colours – Lorde said “Our designs are very calm, chilled, cool…just to make a person feel comfortable.” Even more apt for the general business climate, the brand is completely digital with a careful image curation for aesthetic appeal, he further commented that “People can only connect with us through these [digital] platforms…it’s the [creative] finish line when we post our stuff.” Their ambitions are vaulting and they already have a clear vision of the long-term brand position. In contrast to why they halted their academic journey in fashion design at FIGT and the pace they moved to relaunch the brand entirely, the designers’ current strategy for the young brand is to take things slow by releasing one design each month. With HOL becoming a local brand to be on the lookout for in 2021, they think that being cautious and patient is the wisest decision they’ve taken as a business to help them materialise their dreams of eventually opening a store, and ultimately seeing their pieces being on runways in Paris.
44
IN COLLABORATION
IN COLLABORATION
IN COLLABORATION
DIGITAL
www.issuu.com/iamashanti
coming soon
WEBSITE
www.iamashanti.com
LAYOUT
Nicholah Opoku Moyo
PROUDLY
Made by Africans
SOCIAL MEDIA @iamashantimag