IOL
FASHION
Hats off to wonder women
CONTACT US PUBLISHER Vasantha Angamuthu vasantha@africannewsagency.com EDITOR Geraldine Cupido geraldine.cupido@inl.co.za EXECUTIVE LIFESTYLE EDITOR Nelandri Narianan nelandri.narianan@inl.co.za
PRODUCTION Renata Ford renata.ford@inl.co.za BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Keshni Odayan keshni.odayan@inl.co.za DESIGN
Dimpho Mokhoanatsi dimpho.mokhoanatsi@inl.co.za
SALES Charl Reineke charl.reineke@inl.co.za ENQUIRIES info@anapublishing.com
Contents 8 SA Beauty Entrepreneurs l
The Face behind Swiitchbeauty l
The power of makeup l
#GirlPower Makeup Looks l
4 Women in Sustainable Fashion Design l
Meet the Coloured Meisie l
The corset
I’M A mother of two strong-willed, bright and creative girls. My eldest daughter is sixteen years old and has been practising sustainable fashion long before people had a name for it. She has the ability to creatively transform any clothing item into something completely different with nothing but a pair of scissors, needle and thread. When I spring clean my wardrobe she already knows what pieces she wants and how she will re-purpose them. My youngest daughter might only be eight years old, but she’s one of the fiercest little girls I know. She’s confident in who she is. She embraces her natural curls and coils. When it comes to what she wears she knows exactly what she wants. She can confidently walk into a room filled with family, friends or strangers and command attention. I love that my daughters are not afraid to swim against the current tide of cookie cut, copy and paste personas we see across our social media platforms. Long before I even became a mother to a girl (my first-born is a boy) I believed that it’s up to us, the mothers, sisters, aunts, to raise strong independent free-thinking girls. To allow them to be who they are. To embrace their natural beauty. To nurture and grow their God given talents so that they can reach their full potential. Growing up I’ve been blessed with strong female role models. My mother and grandmother, two very different women, both fiercely protective of their children, showed me what it means to be a woman and what we are capable of. It warms my heart to see so many young South African women building their own empires. The makings of strong role models for the younger generations. This month’s issue is a celebration of just a few of the outstanding women in the fashion and beauty industry. Women who are not afraid to take a giant leap, to strongly plant their feet firmly in both the creative and business world. Women who are leaving their mark for the world to see!
y r r e G
Editor’s note
8
SA BEAUTY ENTREP THOBILE MAZIBUKO SOUTH Africa may have a high youth unemployment rate, but there are still those who try to bridge the gap by creating beauty brands. The beauty industry is increasingly becoming increasingly diverse. After years of being ignored by mainstream beauty and skincare brands, black women have decided to take things into their own hands. Over the past few years, there has been a rise in beauty brands in South Africa, where we have seen an increasing number of South Africa’s young beauty entrepreneurs coining it. Here’s a look at 8 dynamic young women making waves in the beauty industry.
Boity Thulo Vuyi Zondi Zondi, a management consultant by profession, started her natural skincare brand Corium Naturals by creating skincare elixirs for herself and close friends. After receiving good feedback, she then started researching natural skincare and traditional skincare practices of African and Indian people. To create her unique products, Zondi sources raw materials from Africa. For example, her African Black Soaps are imported from Ghana and carry approvals from the Ghanaian Standards Board. About her brand, she said: “Our brand is built on the hallmarks of simplicity, purity and credibility. “The natural skincare solutions that we provide are natural and botanical. In other words, every ingredient in our products is derived from nature and, as far as possible, in its most unrefined and natural state. Our recipes are inspired by traditional African, Himalayan and Ayurvedic beauty practices.”
Boity Thulo went from being a TV presenter and rapper to being a budding beauty mogul. In 2020, she partnered with Halo Heritage, a company that makes natural hair and fragrance products, to launch a haircare range and a fragrance. Thulo first launched Boity Pink Sapphire Eau de Parfum, which was then followed by eight hair products under her label. Speaking of her products, she said that she has always dreamed of having her fragrance line. “It has always been a lifelong dream to create a range of fragrance and haircare products that truly represent African women. Now, more than ever, black African women are creating a unique identity and playing increasingly important roles in almost every aspect of life in Africa-from government to business and more. “Creating a brand that is specifically designed for powerful modern African women made this collaboration with Halo Heritage a natural fit,” she said.
PRENEURS
Sebapu, from Soshanguve, worked at the South African National Defence Force before starting her cosmetic brand, Hermosa Flor. The brand name means beautiful flower in Spanish was inspired by her name, Mbalenhle. Sebapu, who has always loved makeup, said her beauty journey started when she was still in primary school, where she would enter beauty competitions. “I loved getting dolled up for those competitions. Although that’s where the love for beauty started, I started fully embracing it in high school,” she told lifestyle digimag, The Throne. Since the brand’s inception in 2019, Sebapu has launched a wide range of products, including lipsticks, eyeshadow palettes, makeup brushes, face washes, serums and, most recently, eyelashes.
Mbali Sebapu
Amanda du-Pont Skeem Saam actress Amanda du Pont has also entered the beauty industry by launching a vegan skincare range, Lelive. Pronounced leh-lee-veh, the vegan skincare range that is made up of 95% natural ingredients was launched in April this year. The name was inspired by the model’s unofficial Swati name meaning “of the nation or world”. Du Pont added that what makes her products unique is that they are unisex. “We thought it was important for us to create a skincare range that wasn’t specifically marketed to any gender but rather focused on targeting how your skin feels and what it needs the most,” she said.
Actress and sports presenter Manku also launched a fragrance line. Manku, who portrays the character of Lizzy Thobagkale on Skeem Saam launched Amascent Fragrances in May when she was mourning the passing of her grandmother. Taking to Instagram, she said: “I’m so excited to finally take this step in growing my baby. @amascent is a concept that came about in 2017 after I had my bundle of joy with the aim of assisting those who wanted to have an extra income and of course those who love to smell good. @amascent we have a variety of fragrances for men and women inspired by some of your popular scents.”
Masego Kunupi
Amanda Manku
Kunupi, one of the pioneering women in the beauty industry, has franchised her cosmetics brand, Chique Beauty, across South African provinces. To celebrate 10-years in the beauty business, Kunupi recently launched 12 Chique Beauty franchises. Her decision to expand her brand was inspired by the gap she saw within the beauty industry. As such, she then created job opportunities for the youth of South Africa. “I have already built an established brand. So I thought, why not empower these young women that want to start something of their own,” said Kunupi.
Botha, the owner of Le Naturel, was inspired by South Africa’s indigenous medicinal plants to create her range of luxury, natural products with these unique indigenous oils. Handcrafted in Franschhoek, Western Cape, Le Naturel products are rich blends of advanced natural skincare with organic and herbaceous ingredients used to craft everything from bath oil to shampoo. “I’ve been an entrepreneur at heart. I love empowering people, learning new skills and growing the community around me and sharing good vibes,” said Botha.
Nomfundo Njibe
Lea Botha
Founder of Chick Cosmetics, Njibe, has always loved beauty from a young age. In her childhood, she enjoyed playing with her mother’s makeup and playing dress-up with her peers. She launched her brand in 2018 after having lost her makeup brand during a short visit to London. “I had to shop for new beauty essentials. Coming from South Africa, I had never seen so many beauty retailers selling all the affordable products from indie brands I knew from the internet and magazines. Being a curious cat at heart, I started researching and learning more about this independent beauty industry I wanted to be a part of. The rise of brands on Instagram fuelled my passion to start Chick Cosmetics,” she said in an interview with Digital Beauty.
The face behind
Swiitchbeauty
Rabia Ghoor scooped the Forbes Young Achiever 2021 Award and is noted as one of South Africa's leading women in business. Picture: Twitter/ Rabia Ghoor @rabiaghoor
At the age of 14, Ghoor took a stab at her entrepreneurial journey and started her makeup and skincare online beauty store, Swiitchbeauty.
VUYOLWETHU FUNDAM “IN PURSUIT of fulfilling any dream or passion you have to start (with a plan of execution),” says the founder and creative director of Swiitchbeauty, Rabia Ghoor. At 14, Rabia Ghoor started her entrepreneurial journey by launching her online makeup and skincare beauty store, Swiitchbeauty. Recently, Ghoor scooped the Forbes Young Achiever 2021 Award and was noted as one of South Africa’s leading women in business. "When I started, I didn’t think that I would be nominated for any award, let alone a Forbes award," she told the Standard Bank Top Women Publication. She explained that the award validated the fact that she was doing something worthwhile. Ghoor admitted that getting into the business at a young age was incredibly daunting, as she is someone who has struggled with Imposter Syndrome for years. What excites her about her job is that she gets to make makeup for a living, she said. When she started, her vision for Swiitchbeauty was to be a tech-enabled, affordably-priced and transparent beauty brand. "Today, Swiitchbeauty is an inclusive, affordable beauty brand that speaks to women, and not down on them," she was quoted as saying. The brand continues to thrive, with an online community of more than 108 000 followers. When South Africa implemented the hard lockdown in 2020, many businesses were left cashstrapped and had to move to a digital platform or shut down entirely. Because Swiitchbeauty is already an E-commerce store, Ghoor said 2020 was their best year yet. They were more than ready to face the challenges of digital transformation, she said. When it comes to building a successful beauty brand from the ground up, Ghoor shares three tips for budding business owners: When your consumer speaks, don’t just hear – LISTEN. Shift your focus to creating valuable products with integrity instead of trying to cash in on the next trend or fad. Social media is not a marketing tool – it’s a storytelling tool. Content is more to do with saying something than selling something.
THE POWER OF
makeup GERRY CUPIDO
SO MANY people view makeup as something you use to cover up. Products simply used to conceal and beautify. There are many women who spend a small fortune on makeup products, brushes and sponges, not for the sake of vanity but to use as a form of expression, artistry and skill. A lick of red lipstick is an instant “pick-me-up” while being able to master the perfect wing liner can leave you with a sense of achievement! It’s the little things that boost your confidence. “That’s one of the things I love about makeup. You can change your whole attitude by just doing your eyeliner or lipstick differently.” – Beyoncé Makeup brings out the artist in you. The elaborate cut crease and perfectly blended contours are both an expression of creativity and masterful application. A skill that comes naturally to you or from years of practice. So often men think that it’s a tool to attract their attention but many women will tell you that 90 percent of the time it’s for themselves. To highlight their features, to have a bit of fun and for some it’s a bit of a confidence booster. Professional makeup artist, Alana du Plooy, is in agreement that makeup is more than just a cover-up. “Makeup plays a significant role in a woman's life. It inspires women to embrace their beauty in all it's glory. To embrace our moods, our style and our individuality as a female using this beautiful art of makeup” says du Plooy. In 2018, du Plooys decided to follow her dream in pursuing her own business and created 'The Travelling Artist' offering a variety of services in the beauty industry to all women in SA. She designed a unique makeup class called 'The Basic Beauty Workshop', which specifically focuses on teaching women how to achieve a beauty look using their own products and enhancing their natural features as well as educating women on which products to invest in as to eliminate unnecessary spending and having women feel overwhelmed with certain makeup techniques. “The perception of what beauty is on social
media can be extremely intimidating for women who want to start exploring with makeup. My Basic Beauty Workshops guide and encourage women and empower them with the knowledge they would need to enhance their natural features and spoil themselves to feel fabulous inside and out.” Du Plooy is known for building great relationships with her clients who have become so loyal to her as an artist over the years. Having sat in her makeup chair a few times, one get’s a true sense of her passion and love for beauty. The time and love she invests in each client speaks volumes for her work and it is rare that you would find a makeup artist who respects and adores natural beauty. She's also branched out in hosting workshops for big corporations in Cape Town and has been a guest speaker sharing her beauty tips for many events working alongside Cosmetixsa as one of her main sponsors. Apart from her workshops Du Plooy continues her work as an artist through engagement shoots, bridal party applications, maternity shoots, newborn shoots, matric ball looks at well as editorials and portrait shoots.
#GIRLBOSS makeup looks
GERRY CUPIDO
WHETHER you want to show off your natural beauty and let your inner glow shine through your bare skin or whip out your brushes and products to work your creative magic and transform your look to whatever mood you’re in, a woman has the power to do whatever she pleases to make herself feel her best. There’s no right or wrong way here and no one can tell you otherwise. Whether you’re a super mom running
a household, a CEO of your own company or a student working on your degree, here’s how to bring out your girl power. “I absolutely love popping on a bright or bold lipstick colour to finish off a natural eye look but since we have to wear a mask all the time it’s not always possible to rock a bold lip,” says MUA Alana du Plooy. However, she has these power looks you could rock even when you’re masked up.
LUSHES L ASHES
STRONG BROWS
Get creative! Whether it’s a dark smokey eye or a bold and bright colour, create a dramatic eye look to make your eyes the main feature. Or go for a simple, yet bold, wing liner. A sleek sexy liner is always a classic and striking.
No look is complete without a sweep of mascara. Apply two to three coats of mascara to intensify your lashes. For dramatic effect add false lashes. However stay away from showgirl, stage lashes and opt for more natural lashes to add volume.
Don’t be afraid to show off your naturally bushy eyebrows. If yours are more on the sparse side then go ahead and fill them and define them. Full brows doesn’t mean solid drawn and coloured-in brows.
DRAMATIC EYES
DRESS by by Sindiso Khumalo
A DRESS by Lara Klawikowsi dress
4
WOMEN IN SUSTAINABLE FASHION DESIGN THOBILE MAZIBUKO
This Women’s Month, we celebrate four female designers who are into sustainable fashion. They produce magnificent garments while looking out for the environment.
LARA KLAWIKOWSKI
The Cape Town-based designer is one of the best when it comes to sustainability. Her eponymous label that focuses on avant-garde design is famous for producing C stunning garments made from recycled materials, especially plastics. In 2020, she won the Innovative Design and Materials Award. She also won the coveted Changemaker Award at the TWYG x Country Road Sustainable Fashion Awards 2020. Early this year, she showcased her designs at the Sandton City Sustainable Exhibition.
BASETSANA Kumalo wearing a Rubicon dress.
A DRESS by Sindiso Khumalo.
HANGWANI NENGOVHELA The founder of Rubicon never disappoints when it comes to sophisticated designs. In most of her collections, she celebrates African heritage. In 2015, she won the Mbokodo Awards for fashion design and innovation. This year, she celebrates 16 years of being in the fashion industry and has launched the ‘Myth Re-imagined’ collection inspired by the fashion trends from the great historical Mapungubwe Kingdom in Limpopo.” It is well known that the Mapungubwe Kingdom was a bustling nation whose people lived in abundance. To show their strength and power, the Mapungubwe’s ruler moved the upper classes to the top of a hill while the working classes remained on level ground. We have included that concept in our latest work. Translating the different levels of authority into fashion, our garments showcase various layers of fabrics while depicting movement throughout the collection,” she said.
SINDISO KHUMALO Also based in Cape Town, Khumalo is known for sustainable textile designs. Inspired by her Zulu and Ndebele heritage, her designs are about telling the African story. She won Vogue Italia “Who’s On Next Dubai” competition in 2016 and was one of the speakers at the United Nations on sustainability in fashion. She has exhibited her work at Royal Festival Hall in London, The Smithsonian Museum of African Art in Washington, Louisiana Museum in Denmark and the Zeitz Mocaa Museum, Cape Town. She was also a finalist for the LVMII Prize last year, which was shared by the designers.
TWO-PIECE designed by Lezanne Viviers.
LEZANNE VIVIERS Viviers is famous for limited edition garments. She does that to avoid the production of ‘Dead-Stock’. As a brand that prides itself on sustainability, Vivers usually repurposes materials to create unique designs. “We source the majority of our fabrics from warehouses that have been sitting with dead-stock from the ‘70s. These old materials were made with integrity and did not form part of the current consumer-greed has driven fashion industry as we know it today. The quality of the fabrics are exceptional and made to last. These form the base of our materials which we then print or re-work to update them,” said Viviers.
ʻ
I do feel like coloured people lack representation
MEET THE
GERRY CUPIDO I’M A sunglass addict, so when I come across really awesome sunglasses, I become completely obsessed with them. While scrolling through Instagram I came across fab pair of shades that I’ve seen in a while, but it was the name and graphics that drove me to the brand's home page and I’m so glad I did. The Coloured Accessories page is vibrant, with pops of colour and trendy sunglasses and other accessories each with their distinctive names. South Africans who grew up and live in Cape Town, in particular the Cape Flats, will immediately identify with the names of the products. The bio on the Instagram page doesn’t say too
COLOURED meisie
much about the brand, other than the fact that it’s “coloured meisie owned”. Intrigued, I simply had to find out who the “coloured meisie” is. One DM later, I discovered Cape Town-born Sheree Stevens to be the meisie behind the brand. The 31-year-old grew up in Seawind near Lavender Hill, now works and lives in South Korea. She’s working as an English second language teacher during the day as well as running her Coloured Accessories brand. A few emails later, here’s what I found out
about the dynamic young woman who’s singlehandedly developing her brand and growing her own business. “My dream was always just to be financially stable because we lived a life where we were one paycheck from the poverty line,'' says Stevens. “Bigger than this, I longed for something that I wasn’t even sure existed at the time. I wanted to be a business owner. Getting there seemed nearly impossible, as after I finished my BA degree in live performance at AFDA private university, the only opportunities I received were either in the retail or customer service industries.” In 2017, she moved to South Korea, with her mind set on gathering a good amount of capital to start a business in fashion driven by her
passion for the industry. “It was only in 2020, with the start of Covid, that I gathered myself and did some introspection about what I want my next chapter to be, and that’s when I started my business,” says Stevens. She adds that she’s always had a great love for accessories. “I was the friend who was always overaccessorised. I remember friends always mentioning to me that I was the only one they knew who could get away with wearing so much jewellery and still make it look fashionable.” On arriving at the name “Coloured Accessories”, she explains, “I feel like coloured people who come from what some would call the ’slums of the Cape Flats’ lack representation. “We are the ones who are always in the news as crime statistics – both the perpetrators and the victims; always with our four front teeth out. Although there are rare occasions that we break the mould, it never seems to be enough to shake the stereotype. I want to be a representative of where I come from and at the same time celebrate what being coloured means to me. “I wanted to create a brand for people like me and for those who come from where I come from and who speak the way we do. A brand of our own. That we can feel like it’s a part of us and hopefully make us feel great about being coloured.” Stevens says that she has the most fun when coming up with the names like “ma se kind”, “yassi” and “hoe lykit”. “I would reminisce on the silly conversations I’d have back home and when I was in high school, words that were commonly used in my youth, and just classic Afrikaans sayings that I use up until this day. It’s also another way to keep coloured culture within the brand. “Even though there is so much of the coloured culture integrated into the brand, it’s not done this way to be exclusive; it’s more of an invitation to join me in the celebration of who I see myself as in the world. The brand is for any and everyone who likes to stay authentic.” Stevens is a one-woman operation running all aspects of the business, from the online store to social media and marketing. “The funny memes, the poems, funny branding, the shares and the responses are all me, and this is why it brings me so much joy to see how well it has been received thus far. It’s just another way of confirming that I am on the right track.” To find out more about the brand and shop the looks go to: www.colouredaccessories.com
CORSETS are the fashion piece of the moment; from casual to dressy, this piece will be the star of any outfit. From sexy lingerie to edgy fashion pieces, women have successfully reclaimed this garment for themselves. The corset has been revived from former eras of fashion, making their way, once again, into the modern world. The flattering garment with a fitted bodice and boning lined structure has been around since the 1500s and was worn by both men and women. Worn as both an outer and undergarment it was used to cinch the waist offering the wearer an elongated torso. Once merely a "contraption" to restrict women’s waists and create a more hourglass figure it has been reclaimed by women. In the present day, period films and series offer us a peephole into how corsets were used as a means of physical oppression and sexual objectification. In a scene from the series Bridgerton, Daphne is laced into a corset and becomes increasingly breathless with every yank of the ribbon which constricts her. The shapewear was used to lift the breasts, beautify silhouettes and ensure modesty up until the wedding night. According to an article by Every Culture, it had as many as fifty laces were worn from childhood. On the wedding night, during consummation, the groom had to tentatively unfasten the lace to demonstrate self-control. Of course, the corset styles we’re seeing today aren’t emulating the Middle Ages, but rather, they're the product of late 90s and early 2000s fashion influence. Icons of the decade include Paris Hilton, Beyoncé and Christina Aguilera. In 2021, the colours are more muted, classic and avoid the glitzy extras of denim patchwork, bedazzled studs and feather trims. This transformation allows the garment to seamlessly find its way into any wardrobe and pair perfectly with a variety of outfits for any occasion ranging from formalwear to streetwear. More recently, Billie Eilish graced
THE CORSET
SACHA VAN NIEKERK
the cover of British Vogue for their June 2021 edition. Shedding her usual garb of baggy tracksuits and oversized t-shirts, the seven-time Grammy Awardwinning artist broke the internet with a regency-esque lingerie look featuring the now iconic pink corset with a satin sheen. wThe bombshell of a cover was shared all over the internet with fellow celebrities praising Eilish for her message of body positivity and confidence. As the voice of the younger generation, the star has an insurmountable influence when it comes to any decision she shares publicly. From her fashion choices to social activism, political views and beyond, when Eilish speaks, Gen Z listens.
WITH SOME JEANS
OVER KNITS AND SWEATERS
Who knew that in 2021 we’d all be rocking corsets with a pair of blue jeans as casually as t-shirts? Since these waist-flattering pieces reemerged, they’ve been given a very sleek and minimalist makeover with little to no bells and whistles attached. From linen to knit, the fabrics are more versatile than the luxurious silks, satins and even denim and lace we’re used to seeing.
Knit dresses, oversized sweaters and cosy sweaters are what autumn and winter are all about. However, the material is often not the most flattering especially if you’d like to show off your figure. In place of a chunky, wide belt, use a corset to achieve the same effect in a more fashion-forward way.
WITH A SUIT Wearing lingerie under oversized blazers has been the trend for the past few years, but taking over is the corset. The curved boning, elegant lace and curvaceous silhouette it offers the wearer complement the rugged, masculine energy of suits with their wideshouldered jackets and flowing pleated pants. This look can easily be dressed up with accessories for a smarter, more formal look.
OVER A WHITE SHIRT
GO ALL OUT WITH Y2K Sometimes when you mix a few of the most popular fashion trends, you get an outfit so remarkably Instagrammable balanced out with the edgier elements of streetwear. For example, wide-leg pants - they’re bottom-heavy so the delicate sweetheart neckline and cinched in the waist of corsets pairs beautifully. Add black rectangle framed shades, a mini baguette bag and some squaretoed strappy sandals to finish the look.
White shirts have become a staple piece in most wardrobes since the 1940s and continued to gain traction in the decades to come thanks to cinematic masterpieces like Roman Holiday starring Audrey Hepburn. Their versatility has the ability to elevate any outfit whether it’s being worn tied at the front as a beach cover-up, as a light layer during the summer or tucked into a pair of jeans. In recent years the white shirt has taken on a more baggy style that needs the femininity of a corset. Cinching in the waist and pushing the outfit to something a little edgier, the likes of Kylie Jenner and Bella Hadid have been seen rocking this combo either with strappy
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