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Budweiser Presents The Alter Ego Issue
BLUE MBOMBO
AUGUST 2018
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adidas Falcon is available at selected retailers and shop.adidas.co.za
“THEY TELL YOU: FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS. LISTEN TO YOUR SPIRIT. CHANGE THE WORLD. MAKE YOUR MARK. FIND YOUR INNER VOICE AND MAKE IT SING. EMBRACE FAILURE. DREAM. DREAM AND DREAM BIG. AS A MATTER OF FACT, DREAM AND DON’T STOP DREAMING UNTIL YOUR DREAM COMES TRUE.I THINK THAT’S CRAP.I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE DREAM. AND WHILE THEY ARE BUSY DREAMING, THE REALLY HAPPY PEOPLE, THE REALLY SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE, THE REALLY INTERESTING, POWERFUL, ENGAGED PEOPLE? ARE BUSY DOING.”
― Shonda Rhimes, Year of Yes
THE THRONE | ISSUE 6
THE ALTER EGO ISSUE Presented by Budweiser OCT/NOVÂ 2018 Editor-in-Chief: Caron Williams
Cover Star: Blue Mbombo
Photography: Austin Malema | Pixel Kollective
Make-up: Luther Galloway
Styling: Blue Mbombo Caron Williams
PR Agency: Orchard On 25
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Blue Mbombo Blue Mbombo has ascended to become one of South Africa’s favourite media darlings. The towering beauty has lived an extraordinary life faced with harrowing challenges, and persevered to obtain tremendous success along the way. She’s risen to become an esteemed model, fashion and lifestyle brand ambassador and has recently become the Creative Director for local talent management agency, Vth Season. We chatted to the beauty about her passionate love for fashion, current brand endorsements and all things alter ego with Budweiser’s forthcoming Blood Hotel event.
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Q: For those who may be new to you, who is Blue behind the fame and the fashion? A: I’m from a very small town in the Free State. I grew up ko kasi, l literally grew up in a shack. I’m from extremely humble beginnings and have worked very hard to be where I am. I have a beautiful twin sister who is my support system. I got to Johannesburg in 2012 as part of a modelling competition called Diamonds in the Rough, which was a model search show that awarded each of the participants a bursary to study wherever they wanted to. I then got scouted by G3 models, which was one of the biggest agencies around at the time. Q: At which point did you realise that you wanted to be in the media and fashion industry on a larger scale and where did your consistent drive and passion to pursue it come from? A: The way I entered the industry was through modelling – I was known as a model before anything else. I studied Public Relations and didn’t really know what to do after that. An opportunity for Big Brother South Africa arose and I entered and that’s literally how everything else began.
Q: Since then, your brand has grown exponentially and you’ve been a part of a number of brand campaigns and endorsements. Can you please touch on a few of those? A: I’m currently sitting on two major endorsements – I’m the face of Clere Radiance and have been for two years now and it has been absolutely amazing. I’ve also just renewed my contract with Dark & Lovely. The crazy thing about the Dark & Lovely deal is that it’s not a national endorsement deal, its an international endorsement deal. I grew up using these brands, so for me to travel to Joburg CBD and see a massive billboard of myself for Dark & Lovely is truly so humbling.
I’m from extremely humble beginnings
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I’ve been working with Vth Season as a Creative Director Q: You live a life that consists of constant media attention and the spotlight, are there ever days that you wish you could be someone else, or just had an option to escape the media scrutiny for a while? A: There’s absolutely no way I’d want to be anyone else, I love being myself and I love my life. I wouldn’t wish to trade my life with anyone else. Q: You’re part of Budweiser’s Blood Hotel event this Saturday at Carfax alongside Lady Zamar, Sho Madjozi & Sjava - who would best be described as your alter ego?
A: Definitely Lady Gaga! That’s something many people don’t know about me but I really feel like Lady Gaga is the one for me. Q: What is it about Lady Gaga that you love so much or that is different from your everyday persona? A: Her incredible style and the fact that’s she’s so brave to wear the clothes that she wears. Q: You’re known for your impeccable style. Who or what will be inspiring your costume for the Budweiser Blood Hotel Event?
A: Lol I really wanted to go as Beyoncé and Jay Z, but I don’t have a Jay Z. So I’m looking at Cardi B and obviously Lady Gaga as inspiration. Kim Kardashian is just such a safe option and I really want something bold and different. Overall, I’m very excited and humbled to be a part of this campaign because it’s a big, international brand. Q: You’ve recently been working with the Vth Season team. Can you please share more on that? A: I’ve been working with Vth Season as a Creative Director for their music
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A: The one thing that keeps me going is where I come from. It’s so hard for people to make it from the circumstances I grew up in, however, I’ve always had a vision, I’ve always had a dream and I’ve always known what I want to achieve and I worked hard for it. I never depended on anyone – I pushed myself, I stood in long lines, I cried and did everything I could to be where I am today. So the advice I’d offer is to never depend on anyone – the world does not owe you anything. No one can tell you that you’re not capable of achieving what you want to achieve. You just need to believe in yourself and always work hard.
videos. Vth Season is my PR and management team and the role emerged as I saw an opportunity to improve the style of one of their talents. Q: What is your vision for yourself and where do you see your personal brand in the next 5 years? A: I’ve made a lot of money for brands and things do need to start changing. The goal is to starting creating my own ventures and empowering people with work opportunities. Q: You’ve touched on the challenging circumstances you’ve overcome. What advice would you offer your fans who are currently faced with similar circumstances?
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HAS STREETWEAR FINALLY WON?
FOCUS
HAS STREETWEAR FINALLY WON? Words by Neo Mtshali Fashion used to be a world (and word) for the elite. A world of carefully tailored garments and shoes that would tip-toe over what men of a lesser cloth would trudge through. Today, the landscape is completely different and everchanging still. Dirty sneakers that were shooed away before they could muddy the expensive carpets casually roam fashion weeks. Fine artworks and ironic graphics are printed on tshirts and sweaters. Hoodies and slides are found next to beautifully tailored garments, with neither out of place but right where they’re supposed to be. High fashion’s rejection of streetwear and its custodians is a stark resemblance of the real world. The higher class has always looked down on the layman and this had come to shape the attitude around the fashion sect. In the past few years, however, there has been a growing angst and a more fervent drive from the middle class to regain respectability, freedom and the ultimate gift of sitting at the table - power. The shift in fashion wear is as visible as the shift in consciousness on social media and both present themselves as a barometer for the current climate. This makes a great deal of sense seeing as that streetwear has always been the uniform for misfits and rebels and a canvas for “the people”, hence its strong affiliation with Hip-Hop and the black urban community. It has a raw attitude that can’t be hemmed in, a sense of originality that threads together people of different cloths and it applauds those who go out and find their own formula for making it. These ingrained principles go against every fibre of the elite community.
It is this accessible feel of streetwear that has given it its overarching appeal to the masses in recent years. There’s a pretty low bar to entry - all you need is a decent grasp of how to translate your ideas onto Photoshop, find some blank tees and hoodies and you’re done. Well, not really. There’s a little bit more but that’s partly the beauty. There’s the false allure that you could be the next Virgil Abloh by virtue of a few strokes on your laptop. Maybe this isn’t necessarily a bad thing considering that it is somewhat of a practical tool to learn how to run a business, how to market a product and how to interact with customers. This new trend of streetwear being a staple of pop culture is showing off its essence of people taking charge and making something for themselves. The trend is only a trend now because pioneers like James Jebbia (Supreme), Bobby Hundreds (The Hundreds) and Julian Kubel (Butan Wear) were able to turn graphic tees and box logos (yes, think back to the cringeworthy SWAG era on Tumblr) into respectable businesses. From them, the baton was passed onto the tech-savvy Instagram era of Virgil Abloh who was able to communicate the intricacies and maturity of this subculture to a much wider audience. Streetwear’s influence on mainstream culture has been slowly growing thanks to the growing strength of Hip-Hop culture, OFF-WHITE c/o Virgil Abloh™ and the internet (Hypebeast and Instagram). To be completely fair, there are a few other socioeconomic factors that are contributing to the insurgence. First, is the voice of the oppressed finally coming through various channels.
Individuals from any subgroup is able to speak up and take what’s rightfully theirs. The industry has finally been called to atone for their repeated appropriation of culture whenever it needed to “shake things up” without actually inviting the originators to the table. Social media is what made this revolution possible by exposing large houses for where some of that influence comes from. The industry got called out as anyone on the street would for wearing fakes. Secondly, the modern auteur of fashion isn’t just someone that’s in the fashion industry but rather anyone. The modern customer needs to be able to helm a boardroom presentation to clients, run errands and the DJ at a local spot all in the same clothes without ever looking out of place. The new luxury is being able to “fit in” anywhere without ever changing clothes. Fashion labels of all sizes are copping to this by adopting more and more streetwear silhouettes into their ranges, restructuring their marketing and communications to actually engage with the consumer - which is as likely to be a 14-year-old as it is to be a 40-year-old. The cycle of tradition is being broken across the board and fashion has been forced to represent that change by adopting streetwear as its language/image.
"STREETWEAR IS GIVING LIFE TO FASHION - RULES ARE BEING BROKEN AND NEW PATHS ARE BEING FORGED."
Some of the biggest names in fashion have long carried the streetwear aesthetic and their value has come to the fore with the major houses scrambling for their names. Streetwear is giving life to fashion - rules are being broken and new paths are being forged. The two biggest names right now (Raf Simons and Virgil Abloh) didn’t even attend fashion school - an unspeakable crime but their paths truly exemplify what streetwear and how it has truly ingrained itself in the fabric of the industry. They’ve made it to the top on their own terms and are the better for it. The shift is further highlighted by a few critical events in recent history. Supreme and Doublet, a Japanese street label, won a CFDA Menswear Designer of the Year award and the LVMH Prize (an honour by the luxury goods conglomerate) respectively. Each of these are holy grails in fashion and to see them awarded to “nontraditional” brands proves streetwear’s newfound legitimacy. LVMH, the home of Louis Vuitton, Hennessy and about the majority of the fashion brands you know, has also taken out its checkbook for sneaker retailer Stadium Goods a far cry from its standard European luxury investments. The lines that once separated these two worlds are fast disappearing and it could only be a good thing for both sides. Lastly, and the most significant, is the appointment of Virgil Abloh as Artistic Director of Louis Vuitton men’s wear as of March 2018. The story of Virgil is of one that was not meant to be significant, much less the success and influence that it is today. Virgil’s first public fashion endeavors, PYREX 23 and Been Trill, were ridiculed for not being real fashion because of overly graphic pieces and simply printing on blanks - both have become landmarks in the history of culture by influencing the style we see today.
"THE SHIFT IN FASHION WEAR IS AS VISIBLE AS THE SHIFT IN CONSCIOUSNESS ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND BOTH PRESENT THEMSELVES AS A BAROMETER FOR THE CURRENT CLIMATE." The appointment to Louis Vuitton came after the luxury house’s left-field collaboration with streetwear juggernaut, Supreme. The result of the litmus test came back red hot and that opened the doors for a more formal marriage between the two worlds. The significance of this marriage shone when, after his debut show, he met his long-term collaborator and friend, Kanye West on the runway and the two shared an emotional hug. Kanye and Virgil’s hug was symbolic of finally breaking through the glass ceiling Kanye fervently spoke about in 2013. That was the black kid’s voice being listened to right before it went hoarse. That hug was the warrior’s celebration after destroying an army that outnumbered him. That hug was everything streetwear is: raw and familial. It is no secret that, in recent decades, streetwear has made a valid case for itself in the fashion world. It’s crass attitude and personality was repeatedly appropriated but never fully welcomed at the table, always viewed as the unwanted cousin or a degradation of the fashion (despite its influence). It is only in the past few years that the dirty word of “streetwear” has become an acceptable sect within fashion circles. Its influence has finally granted it the rightful respect, dignity and legitimisation.
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aily Paper’s work is an ode to the young black riders of the Namaqua, to the ever curious borderless spirit of a true pioneer,
their work celebrates those who are not and who were never celebrated in media and beyond - the black cowboys that never graced our screens as heroic figures. In the vastness of the red, rolling hills, for Daily Paper’s Fall/Winter 2018 campaign visuals the lifestyle & streetwear label wanted to capture the spirit of a modern day explorer, a true pioneer. The essence of what it is to inhabit a new landscape, a space devoid of obstacles, context and the complexities of society - a new world with infinite possibilities. An alien land where the sense of freedom and hope is almost tangible. A place that promises to be home. Daily Paper see the importance of giving a platform to the voices of this new generation, of connecting the people so that we may all contribute to creating the ultimate collective.
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ape Town based photographer, Gabrielle Kannemeyer, took the team on a journey into the meandering vastness of the South
African landscape to explore one of the many South African landscapes she loves so dearly. The cast was an integral part of realising the vision Daily Paper’s commitment to artistic collaboration continues this season as the brand joined forces with a group of powerful pioneers to stand heroically as the faces who represent this spirit. Carla Fonseca - a Mozambican-South African who is a musician and performance artist/theater performer, is the very epitome of what it is to be a pioneer. For Daily Paper’s seasonal concept they want to tell their community to stand up and to stand out, depicted by the red rolling hills that ignite awe within us, they can create the promised land. A social and political landscape is being created one revolution at a time.
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Art Direction, Casting and Styling: Berivan Cemal Dalgali Photography, direction and casting: Gabrielle Kannemeyer Hair, make up & grooming: Neveen Scello Wardrobe assistant: Yonela Makoba Talent: Calis Nyarko Carla Fonseca Siya Andi Biyela Toyin Azah Mhlana Anyon Asola Tatenda Wekwatenzi Kimberleigh Venty Litha Magawu Nangamso Fonk
INFLUENCER OF THE MONTH | SIYANDA BANI
BLOGGER ONLINE CONTENT PRODUCER FASHION & LIFESTYLE INFLUENCER
"Glow Up’s Founding Editor, Siyanda Bani has captured the modern audience with her flair for fashion and her innate devotion to all things beauty. A little spunk with a lot of elegance nestled in a wholesome smile is what you will see manifest on her social media platforms.Her aim is to take the intimidation out of fashion and beauty and to hand women the power back in confidence."
INFLUENCER OF THE MONTH | SIYANDA BANI
www.glowup.co.za Twitter: @SiyaBunny Instagram: @siyabunny
PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE MONTH |
NIQUITA BENTO
www.instagram.com/xx_niquita_xx
Niquita Bento "Niquita Bento is a fashion photographer based in Cape Town. She first stepped onto the scene as a reputable street style photographer and years down the line has proved that the fashion industry can take you as far as you want to go. Her images consistently reflect considered composition and relatable emotion. Niquita's work has taken her from the streets of New York to the coasts of Mozambique where she adapted her modern aesthetic seamlessly. Her distinctly light-hearted yet sophisticated images have appeared on magazine covers, in editorial spreads and in campaigns for national fashion and beauty clients."
PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE MONTH |
NIQUITA BENTO
Niquita Bento for Poetry
PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE MONTH |
Photographer: Niquita Bento Hair and makeup: Mary Gouveia & Kelly Paitaki Stylist: Tarryn Opel Models: Emma Elkonin Brenda Queiroz De Souza Zoe Macfarlane
NIQUITA BENTO
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Niquita Bento for Poetry
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