VARSITY STYLE NO3 FALL 2014

style Varsity

FALL 2014 #3

UCT’S GREATEST GRAD

LINDIWE

MAZIBUKO THE EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

UT

ABO IT’S ALL

E P CA OWN T TARS

RTS S O P S D TY AN U A E B , FOOD , S PITAL R A E C N G N I S G DESI S, DE D D L N E R R O T L W E FAL FROM TH

style

FEATURES

Varsity

This Could Be Your Oven

Style Ambassadors

Refresh Your Look

Fur Politics

Res Dressing

FALL2014

Rainproof Your Bag

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Local Talent Bagged

Cape Town on a Plate

Editor’s Letter

Meet the Mentors

style

COVER

Varsity

Lindiwe’s Full Story

Mapping Local Design

ON THE COVER Lindiwe Mazibuko wears a check coat, R2 200, Kat van Duinen; neckscarf, made by stylist; dress, Lindiwe’s own.

Photographed by Paris Brummer. Fashion Editor: Daniël Geldenhuys. Beauty Director: Barbara Fourie.

FASHION

FALL2014

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Elegance Goes Raw

Sketchy Trends

Coats for All

Shop it Now

Stand-Out Accessories

style Varsity

DANIËL GELDENHUYS Editor in Chief, VARSITY STYLE

LAURIE SCARBOROUGH Editor in Chief, VARSITY

BARBARA FOURIE Deputy Editor and Beauty Director JENA ASCOUGH Copy Editor CONTRIBUTING EDITORS ASSISTANT EDITOR

Immaculate Lwanga WRITERS

Rob Byrne, Lynne Marie Fraser PHOTOGRAPHERS

Paris Brummer, Chandre Busschau, Riaan Giani, Kyusang Lee and Michael Love ILLUSTRATOR

Simphiwe Ndzube FOOD EDITOR

Cassidy Nydahl MARKETING AND WEBSITE MARKETING DIRECTOR

Vikash Gajjar

WEBSITE TECHNICAL DIRECTOR

Stephen Hulme

EDITORIAL MENTORS – BOSS MODELS BOSS MODELS DIRECTOR

Linda Bruchhausen MENTORS

Kelly Paitaki (beauty), Tiffany Freeman, Courtney Kayser, Luke van der Spuy and Reyn du Preez (model) MODEL BOOKERS

Hannelie Bezuidenhout and Jason Smith VARSITY STYLE is the digital style supplement of VARSITY, the official student newspaper of the University of Cape Town since 1942.

Contact our editorial team at style@varsitynewspaper.co.za. Office: Level 5, Steve Biko Students’ Union, Upper Campus, UCT, Cape Town, South Africa. +27 21 650 3543. varsitynewspaper.co.za tweet @varsitynews like VARSITY on Facebook

M O FR OR R IT E T ED T LETHE

FIG 1. VARSITY STYLE EDITORS DANIËL GELDENHUYS AND BARBARA FOURIE.

Photographed by Simon Deiner/SDR Photo.

FIG 2 & 3. (inset) FIXING HAIR AND MAKING NEW FRIENDS BEHIND THE SCENES OF APRES GELATO.

HOME W

is where the style is.

ho better to dress Lindiwe Mazibuko than local designer Kat van Duinen?

Both are local stars in their own right, each with a distinct international air about them. Kat and Lindiwe strike a balance between the aesthetics of South Africa and the global village, always resulting in work that feels modern and relevant.

They may at times be criticised for it, but that’s why I admire them.

Our mission to celebrate Cape Town fashion talent with this issue grew into a celebration of all things local. Our local collections shoot maps out Cape Town hotspots where you’ll find the best South African labels, while Bag’s Anatomy explains more about the value of such a purchase.

Cassidy Nydahl has rendered the Mother City landmarks edible in a stand-out food feature, and Immaculate Lwanga sourced four stylish res

students who welcomed the STYLE editors into their wardrobes to workshop a fresh new look.

Once again, everyone from Deputy Editor and Beauty Director Barbara Fourie to new contributing photographer Michael Love have proven the exceptional contribution that Cape Town students can make to the publishing industry.

This issue, more than any before it, celebrates style for students, created by students. Whether it’s an unbelievably affordable coat, a local design treasure, a stand-out accessory, a new attitude on your wardrobe, or a Greenpoint Stadium-shaped sausage, you’ll find something amusing in these pages. That said, we’d love to hear what you’d like to see in our next issue. Email the editors at style@varsitynewspaper.co.za and make your voice heard. But please, don’t request any fashion advice. The two most important rules are 1) black is chic and 2) wear pink on Wednesdays.

Daniël Geldenhuys.

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BOSS MODELS HEART CAPE TOWN Meet the mentors from Boss Models.

CLICK PICTURE TO JUMP TO STORY

LUKE VAN DER SPUY Favourite place to relax in Cape Town

A good bar or bistro, like The Power and the Glory or Yours Truly.

Most exciting place you’ve modelled in CT

A beautiful farm past Somerset in Cape Town. I don’t remember the name of the farm but it had mountains, lakes, forests.. it was amazing.

Top tip for people looking to break into the industry

Rejection is a huge part of this industry. Everyone in the modelling world will tell you this and that’s because it really is true. You have to develop “crocodile skin” and learn to take criticisms constructively rather than personally.

Photographed by Chandre Busschau.

CLICK TO EXPLORE THE WORLD OF BOSS MODELS

Photographed by Paris Brummer.

TIFFANY FREEMAN Favourite place to relax in Cape Town

Llandudno beach, there is a sneaky little cave overlooking the ocean where I love to take a moment to myself.

Most exciting place you’ve modelled in CT

Cape Town, isn’t that exciting in itself ?

Top tip for people looking to break into the industry

Believe in yourself and to acknowledge what you are blessed with as an individual, rather than focusing on others. Comparing yourself to others will only belittle your self-esteem. Be confident but be humble. Be you – own it!

COURTNEY KAYSER

REYN DU PREEZ

KELLY PAITAKI From left: Kyusang Lee, Paris Brummer, Provided.

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FIG 1. WORK WITH WHAT YOU ALREADY HAVE IN YOUR CLOSET. DECONSTRUCT EVENINGWEAR WITH CASUAL SEPERATES. Fashion Editor: Daniël Geldenhuys. Beauty Director: Barbara Fourie. Fashion Assistant: Vikash Gajjar.

Models: Luke van der Spuy and Bianca Gunner

A

FRESH

NEW LOOK

is closer than you think. Shopping helps, but as Daniël Geldenhuys suggests, you might just need to shuffle your closet.

Photographed by Chandre Busschau.

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’ve made a pact this year: no new clothes.

(Except maybe shoes if terribly desperate, and TopMan socks are essentials but let’s not dwell.) There are many reasons for my selfinduced shopping drought. One: if I do it now I’ll never have to do it again. Two: I need to rediscover old stuff I never wear. Three: I want to challenge myself to create 365 fresh looks from my wardrobe without the help of my beloved stores.

The styling aesthetic of the fall collections are a great help. Sweatshirt over evening dress? Thanks Givenchy! Cozy coat over nightgown? Bless you, Louis Vuitton! Silk robe over last night’s leather pants? I dig it, Dries van Noten! The whole high/ low style thing of pairing something cheap with something expensive, or something designer with something chain store is no new concept, but it hit the fall runways by storm this season.

So I, a man human, cannot wear an open grey sweater under my gold-metallic Prada evening dress. But I can apply the aesthetic to my boring old suit: who needs a shirt with a tie under a jacket?

That’s so 1920s (and 30s, and 40s, and 50s, and 60s… oh the joys of the ever-changing menswear collections). I will enter the theatre in my penguin pants, jacket, shoes, and a vest. Why the hell not?

The Louis Vuitton womenswear runway was a hotel hallway, punctuated by a series of doors through which the women moved in their oldHollywood-glamour eveningwear. The question the audience would have found themselves asking is whether these women were going out or coming back to bed.

“A pyjama suit is a super-chic way to do ‘dressy’ without looking like you have tried too hard,” says Robyn Cooke, owner of the Style Guide Group and one of UCT’s most fashionable graduates. The irony of summoning a sleepwear element to enhance your formal look is practically hipster. In order to keep people from thinking that you actually did roll out of bed, be sure to keep things simple: “classic black and whites” are what Rusty Beukes, Associate Editor at MrDoveton. com, recommends for guys to keep the formality alive. The same goes for girls, says Robyn, recommending minimal accessories and heels.

Heels are very important here.

It’s not just about eveningwear. The real magic happens when you take the Raw Elegance movement (as Miucca Prada would call it) to the streets. The idea of mixing something luxury with “oh, this old thing?” first became a big deal when fashion editor Carlyne Cerf de Dudzeele (YouTube her, she’s a treat) paired a Christian Lacroix couture shirt with Guess jeans for the November 1988 cover of Vogue. And so the high/low style thing took off. What makes this season special, then? It’ll work for day and for night, just the same way a girl in a Givenchy-style sweater-over-sheer-

evening-gown can breeze from a 5pm lecture to a cocktail party on a roof of her choosing.

“Dressed down is the new dressing up,” says Robyn. “The mood in fashion right now is split between flashy and deliberately and selfconsciously unflashy. The holy grail of fashion now is ‘undone doneness’, and is the hardest to achieve.” And even when achieved, these types of looks can be quite bold – perfect for some, but overkill for others.

Is it possible for a more conservative dresser to jump on this bandwagon? “There’s no need to overdo it with too many colours and wearing more than one item at a time,” says Rusty. Robyn advises dipping your toes into the Raw Elegance pool by using a small accessory that emulates the

fashion isn’t telling you what to wear, it’s you deciding where you feel most comfortable on the scale of hobo to Beyoncé at the Grammy’s trend. The look could be casual with a dash of formal, or the other way round depending on your personality. This isn’t fashion telling you what to wear; it’s you deciding where you feel most comfortable on the scale of hobo to Beyoncé at the Grammy’s.

I’m not saying you need to stop shopping – I’ll be doing enough of that for the both of us this year.

But do attempt to look at your closet differently. “It comes quite naturally,” says Rusty, “like adding a luxury sport-inspired sweatshirt to a suit or pairing ripped jeans with an elegant jacket.” Robyn will be remixing her closet this season as well: “`Baggy silk trousers, embellishments and soft cashmere will be paired with denim and flats to tone down the formality.”

Put things together that you never thought would fit. Experiment with what’s already in your closet. Take a risk. You’d be right to say that risks, especially in fashion, can bomb out terribly, but I find that as long as you stay true to your personality, the more faux pas-proof you’ll be. “Spangle in the day and pyjamas for events – it’s fashion rebellion gone mainstream,” says Robyn. “You should try it too.” 

the

REAL OUTFITS of UCT

Sometimes all you need is a fresh eye to reinterpret your wardrobe for a new season. The Varsity STYLE editors visit four res students and style up one on-campus and one off-campus look from their closets.

Photographed by Michael Love.

Kuhle Sibuta Faculty: Commerce. Residence: Baxter Residence. Define your style: That’s hard to say because I don’t take myself seriously, but I would say my style is subtle but cute and glam when I have to. Style Icon: Kyle Jenner. Best Fashion Buy: A baby-pink shirt with a white embodied collar. Definition of Style: Making people’s stares worthwhile. Trend follower or trendsetter and why: I’m definitely not a trendsetter, but a couple of months after the trend has died down then I can be able to do something with it. I’m not a trendsetter because someone needs to follow the trends. Which look have you always wanted to try, but you’ve too scared to try it out? The bad bitch look.

ON CAMPUS Fashion eds say: piling on chainstyle necklaces gives the minimal look a contemporary edge without compromising comfort. The J.W. Anderson-inspired back-to-front mullet skirt is a clever statement that is sure to turn heads.

OFF CAMPUS Fashion eds say Kuhle’s Chanel-green sweater renders her crisp white party dress appropriate for any occasion.

Add pop-of-colour earrings and a biker jacket over the shoulders, and you have what Rihanna would call a bad bitch.

FIG 1-8. ALL LOOKS ARE STYLED UP FROM THE RESPECTIVE STUDENTS’ CLOSETS. Production: Immaculate Lwanga. Fashion Editors: Daniël Geldenhuys, Barbara Fourie and Immaculate Lwanga. Beauty Director: Barbara Fourie.

Minenhle Mbhele Faculty: Humanities. Residence: Clarinus Residence. Define your style: My style is enigma. Style Icon: Victoria Beckham and Rihanna. Best Fashion Buy: Black heels with spikes. Definition of Style: The ability to look good in anything without following trends and being able to avoid looking like a store mannequin. Trend follower or trend-setter and why: Trendsetter. I can’t follow trends – I ball on a budget. Which look have you always wanted to try, but you’ve too scared to try it out? Form fitting dress, I don’t think I have the shape for them.

ON CAMPUS Fashion eds say: Minie isn’t afraid of bold print. Her floral shirt paired with a zebra skirt has a natural whimsy, though her ribbed stockings and biker boots tell a different story.

OFF CAMPUS Fashion eds say: we wanted to create a look as unexpected as the piles of mattresses in the Clarinus lecture theatre: enter a gold sequin bra top and circle skirt, toughened up by a denim shirt and rope belt. Powder pink, the colour of the season, makes a feminine statement with her accessories.

Tazme Pillay Faculty: Humanities. Residence: Clarinus Residence.

Define your style: My style is an outward expression of my personality…style is whatever makes me feel beautiful or handsome or just happy. Style Icon: Jared Leto and Gaga, but I’m more attuned to designers like McQueen, Mugler and Von Herpen. Best Fashion Buy: My leather jacket, it’s beautiful and it’s been through so much with me. Someone tried to mug me for it, but I handed over my phone instead. At least the knife didn’t tarnish the fabric. Definition of Style: Style is you translated into cashmere and cotton. Trend follower or trend-setter and why: Trend-setter. I like to think I reference what appeals to me and that’s not what appeals to everyone, but by doing that maybe someone will have the courage to do the same and just be themselves through fashion.

Which look have you always wanted to try, but you’ve too scared to try it out? I’ve never been afraid to try any look; I’ve just been institutionalised for years. Now that I have some freedom I think you’ll be seeing more interesting stuff around campus. No flash photography please, thank you.

OFF CAMPUS Fashion eds say: a studded jacket (and boots) contrast nicely with a tye-dye shirt and soft cardigan. It’s a perfect sartorial balance.

ON CAMPUS Fashion eds say: for a Theatre and Performance student like Tazme, versatility and comfort are essential for campus outfits. Old sneakers are made for walking, and the cardigan around his waist is a practical way of carrying a wardrobe change – no backpack required.

Simphiwe Skhosana Faculty: Engineering. Residence: Clarinus Residence. Define your style: Vintage meets modern contemporary.

Style Icon: Sam Lambert and Shaka Maidoh. Best Fashion Buy: Aztec printed leather jacket. Definition of Style: Style is wearing an item of clothing or an outfit that makes you feel like it was specifically made for you and only you.

Trend follower or trend-setter and why: Trend-setter. I’m a trend-setter because you should be unique when it comes to fashion. No space for copies. Which look have you always wanted to try, but you’ve too scared to try it out? The wifebeater and short shorts. I’m too skinny.

ON CAMPUS Fashion eds say: statement dungarees like these make a playful individualist statement. The denim shirt can be substituted with a sweater, depending on how cold it gets. Add to that a bold backpack, high-tops and tortoiseshell glasses, and you have proof that sometimes more really is more.

OFF CAMPUS Fashion eds say: the traditional suit is deconstructed with a tribal-print shirt and modernised with block colours and sneakers – ready for a day and night on the town.

N O NI

I P O E L

what does the

FOX SAY?

A fur influx in the international fall collections prompts Lynne Marie Fraser to assess the ethical issues of wearing an animal in South Africa and beyond.

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f fashion is a lifestyle, let it not be one that condones cruelty, but one that demands the very highest standards in both humanitarianism and quality. This year the fashion industry has milked this material desire for all its worth, with 70% of designers showing furs in their collections.

The 2013/2014 Fall/Winter fashion weeks in Europe have spurred the arguments about looking dressed to kill and killing to dress.

Internationally many millions of mink, chinchilla, fox and rabbit species are killed for their fur coats to meet the demands for highsociety status. It takes an average of 100 animals to produce one genuine fur coat – a figure that leaves no doubt about why the debate is rife.

Some groups (PeTA, for one) have protested against the production of fur for decades. Others believe successful fur farming crosses no ethical boundaries and can provide numerous sustainable services as well as meet the demands for animal materials. The rest believe something in between.

What intensifies the need to address the controversy is the fact that the past 20 years have

born witness to record-high fur sales across the globe. The radical new technologies that allow designers to work with fur in innovative and modern ways could be the fuel behind the movement. What seems to fan the flames of this market most often though, is a lack of awareness. And worse still, a sense of complacency. If a garment is to be bought for its high-status, should it not be a guarantee that its production process be ethically transparent and equally as impressive as the end product?

Cape Town Fedisa graduate and winner of the 2013 Foschini Fashion Awards, Sabrina Linder, has a deep interst in animal rights. She also appreicates the array of textures animal materials allow in the creative process of a garment. “I don’t expect fur or animal hides will ever be totally eradicated from the fashion industry,” she says, “because it’s one of the oldest methods to create material and garments.” Justified or not, these materials are likely to stay. Their continued circulation makes our actions all the more crucial. Sabrina admits she supports campaigns against mega monopolies in the fur and hide industries because, like any mass

Flickr.com/Frank Kovalchek

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production, methods cannot ensure the humane treatment of every animal bred and slaughtered.

“If you do decide to buy fur or hide,” Sabrina says, “Try to support your local industries. Products from China often use cat and dog skins.”

Most countries have laws in place to prevent the movement of products made from dog or cat fur.

However, mislabelled products make it difficult to establish with any certainty the ethical standards of animal products. When in doubt – ask! There is no harm or shame in investigating the origin of a

good quality faux fur is often assumed to be synthetic when it is actually real, which increases the demand for real fur product, nor in seeking information. It is precisely right that we should knit-pick in a complex ethical debate about animal rights and animal products. It is as easy to be distanced from the origin of these animal materials as it is to be disconnected from the source of neatly cling-wrapped supermarket meat once presented on the shelves.

Closer to home there are controversies that receive little or no publicity. For centuries seal pups have been killed for their beautiful olivegrey pelts, transformed into the lucrative fur coats, gloves, slippers or handbags stocked on shelves today. Numerous environmental groups are fighting to reduce the negative bearing of this market on seal populations – that is, over 80 000 seal pups in an annual mass killing, on our continent alone. Namibia is the second largest annual seal cull in the world after Canada. Notorious for its lack of regulation and violent killing methods, the Namibian seal cull remains under much contention.

This soft luxury comes at a cost far higher than most realise, under circumstances that are in many ways intolerable. It is not necessarily unacceptable to take advantage of the warmth and durability of the precious seal fur, but it is certainly essential to improve on the acquisition of these kinds of material resources.

South Africa is under current reform regarding our legislation on farmed animals. This means that on all levels change is of utmost importance, especially change of mindset. Linder insists that leather, crocodile skin and fur will continue to play

a huge role in fashion. To redirect the industry toward more sustainable practices, she advises, “Purchase leather products made from recycled leather or explore second-hand shops. Also, good quality faux fur is often assumed to be synthetic when it is actually real fur, which increases the demand for real fur.” Many leading international and local designers and labels have declared themselves fur-free. While this is good news for people and animals alike, according to Sabrina there is still much room for improvement. With the right information and standards, the decision ultimately lies in our hands, not their paws.

Dr Birgitta Wahlberg is a Finnish lawyer dedicated to improving the legal status of animals and spent six months in South Africa as part of her contribution to the Global Journal of Animal Law, dedicated specifically to discussions about human obligation towards non-humans and generations to come. At one of her conference presentations Dr Wahlberg admitted she might seem hypocritical to speak about the protection of animal rights by wearing a leather belt and leather shoes. She went on to say, “I wear these items to prove that change is always possible. They are a reminder to me of the time before I realised the appalling conditions of their production industry. I will wear them until they fall apart to make sure the animal’s death serves its purpose to the fullest.”

Dr Wahlberg’s goal for a future of non-violence towards animals is surely one everyone can share, no matter the items already in our cupboards.

We all have opportunities each day to make better choices.

South Africa has established itself as the dominant producer of quality Nile crocodile skins.

Riverbend Crocodile Farm on Natal’s South Coast is one refreshing success story. The farm has effectively acted as insurance for wild crocodile populations by breeding those species under good conditions. This regulates the legal trade of wild crocodile products as well as results in positive ripple effects on surrounding eco-systems, especially for wild birds.

To choose which industries to support, consumers need to be well-informed. Animal materials have their part in the past and arguably in the future too, but alternatives are essential, not only in the transition away from cruel and unsustainable practices, but in the success of an industry that relies on innovation. Methods of production that veer toward transparency and environmental harmony are, fortunately, taking the lead. Local and international support from the fashion industry will power the movement to leave cruel practices behind as obsolete things of the past. If you’re trying to make a statement by what you wear, think beyond the material and be sure of what exactly that statement is. 

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BEYOND AESTHETICS Barbara Fourie explores the 2014 Design Indaba and discovers exciting creations that delight creatively, and more importantly, practically.

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hen Cape Town accepted the bid to be the 2014 Design Capital it did so on the basis of its commitment to designs that would contribute to social, cultural and economic development. Standing in line in front of the CTICC with a hoard of other anxious students and foreigners, I was curious to see if the Design Indaba would live up to this ideal.

Having never attended the Indaba before, I was expecting nothing short of excellence, considering our title as World Design Capital this year. As soon as the ecstasy of being let into the doors and seeing such a vast space dedicated to design died down, I started feeling like a was walking through a mall.

There were so many beautifully designed pieces to purchase that would embellish your home’s interior or jewellery drawer, but very little that would make the world we live in more pleasant for people in need.

But just as I got tired of browsing, I arrived at the middle of the Indaba floor where a few stalls were hosting designs that made me forget about what felt like an endless food, jewellery and fashion shopping spree.

What caught my eye first was a beautifully designed fabric bag that couldn’t be further

removed from the purpose bags had ever been intended for. It wasn’t a hand bag or a shopping bag; it isn’t even a travel bag. It works like this: you boil it, bag it, slow cook and serve it. The Wonderbag was designed and founded by Sarah Collins to reduce CO2 emissions, alleviate poverty and create employment.

The Wonderbag works like a slow-cooker that keeps food boiling even after it has been taken off the stove. After food reaches its boiling point, the pot is placed and sealed in the Wonderbag, thereby slow cooking any dish without electricity.

In 2008, Collins got tired of all the power cuts that ended up in half cooked dinners. She remembered her grandmother covering up pots and pans with cushions to keep them cooking without power – this sparked an idea that would help millions of poverty-stricken areas in developing countries where families use wood and paraffin to cook their dinners. Not only would the Wonderbag help families function without power, it would decrease pollution, house fires, deforestation and help save food that is burned daily in pots that are placed on open fires. The Wonderbag has taken five years to get where it is today. It shares success stories across Africa, Ireland and France and sells for prices ranging from R200 to R380.

While the Wonderbag saves power, the sOccket design makes power. Although this design is still

FIG 1. THE WONDERBAG IS AVAILABLE IN A LIVELY VARIETY OF AFRICAN PRINT. Images provided.

in its prototype phase, the concept designed by Cape Town based design company Dot Dot Dot XYZ can definitely change lives.

The sOccket 2.0 is a soccer ball that generates and stores enough energy during a soccer game to provide light to homes that do not have access to

a soccer ball that generates and stores enough energy to provide light to homes that do not have access to electricity electricity. Every 15 minutes of play can power an LED lamp for three hours, and it weighs just a little bit more than a normal soccer ball.

The invention is based on soccer’s immense popularity in rural areas. The sOccket uses inductive-coil technology to generate and store energy in the ball while a game of soccer is being

played. As the ball moves, it pushes a magnet through a coil to create voltage that works as a mini generator. The idea is that the child will return home with a charged ball that connects to an LED lamp and illuminates the home when it gets dark.

What these companies have done should inspire up-and-coming designers to develop new ways of thinking about their careers and roles in society. The Better Living Challenge is exactly what would encourage new and existing designers to dedicate themselves to social improvement. It is a competition open to professionals, students, designers and engineers to design and submit their own innovative, affordable and green home improvement solutions for low income living.

The Better living Challenge is supported by the Western Cape, 110% Green, Cape Craft and Design Institute and World Design Capital. Entries are open until May 31st, 2014. General entries stand a chance to win R 500 000 towards commercialising their home solution and students compete for one of three R40 000 cash prizes.

I walked out of the Design Indaba with more inspiration and hope than I bargained for. It reminded me that design has the potential not only to change elite living spaces, but to transform the societies in our country that need design for more than purely aesthetic purposes. 

DIY

Make your own backpack rain cover. By Barbara Fourie.

STEP 1

You will find all you need at Studio 47 House of Fashion Fabrics in Woodstock. I worked with see-through plastic and found that it is a very difficult and stiff material to work with, so I would recommend that you use a more “flowy” fabric like what thin material tents are made of. It is waterproof and will dry quickly.

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STEP 2

You will accustom your backpack cover to you own backpack’s size. Measure the widths all around your back-pack separately excluding the panel that rests on your back. I.e. measure the left side-panel, front and right side-panel.

Then measure the height as one length using the front panel, bottom panel and top panel. Write down your width and height lengths and add 3cm to each one.

STEP 3

Using your width and height measurements you will now cut the fabric. The back-pack cover will also consist of different panels: one long mid panel and two side panels.

When all three panels are put together, it will form a rectangle with very rounded corners as shown in the illustration. See illustration for cutting instructions.

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STEP 4

With your side panels overlapping your middle panel by 1.5cm, glue them carefully with the fabric glue and let them dry over-night if needed. If you will be sewing them also allow for a 1.5cm overlap.

STEP 5

For the next step you will have to go to a tailoring business like Tailor Cape Town – all you have to do is find your nearest branch. All along the sides of your cover they will fold it over and stitch it like a hem while leaving an opening in between layers so that you can feed in the cord all around. They will also have to leave a hole open at the bottom through which you can feed the cord and pull tight with the cord lock.

Done! And now you’re ready for a winter without a wet backpack or soggy books. 

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FIG 1. A CLEAR COVER KEEPS OUT WATER WITHOUT COMPROMISING YOUR BACKPACK’S VISUAL IMPACT. Photographed by Daniël Geldenhuys.

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FIG 1. (clockwise from top left) LUCAS RADEBE, BENNI MCCARTHY, CHAD LE CLOS,ERNIE ELS, STEVEN PIENAAR. Digital artwork by Barbara Fourie.

SPORTS STARS SA’s style ambassadors? Rob Byrne judges the green carpet. ho represents South Africa best overseas? Certainly not politicians, our celebrities are few and far between in the global gaze, and so the reality is that many of the nation’s most wellknown sons and daughters are those that compete on the sports field.

South African sports stars are the most respected and scrutinised by the global media. Since the Oscar Pistorius palaver we don’t want the world thinking South Africa is a nation of paranoid, guntoting maniacs (however close to the truth that might be).

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At least Oscar is doing one thing right. He dresses well. Like it or not, the world is judging the nation’s character not only through our elite sportspeople, but also through our sense of style.

A new wave of young sports personalities (more on them later) are showing a strong sense of style, which could do wonders for SA’s post-Oscar image rehab.

South Africa’s contemporary style ambassadors are building on a rather shaky legacy that started at the brink of democracy. The pioneers, if you’d like to call them that, stand out for the same reason those OTT street style stars do – their uniqueness.

Early days South Africa may have re-established itself as a sporting nation at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992, but the paltry return of two silver medals meant that the earliest and most significant memory the world has of South African sport came in 1995 with our World Cup victory in Johannesburg.

Not only was the moment significant from the standpoint of national reconciliation, but it announced a new force in rugby – one with above-average bone structure. The Springboks have always been the epitome of masculinity, and the side – featuring the likes of Joost van der Westhuizen, Francois Pienaar and Joel Stransky – had a rugged, brave and bold look that the world recognised as South African. Unfortunately, the green-and-gold blazers, which remain to this day, won’t end up on any best-dressed list any time soon.

Football exports Football is the biggest sport in the world and in South Africa. Yet not too many people watch the football that’s played in this country, so as soon as some of the nation’s best make it overseas, they become de facto ambassadors for all things South African.

A number have graced Europe’s best leagues in the nineties and noughties, including Benni McCarthy (a Champions League winner with Porto), Lucas Radebe, Quinton Fortune and, more recently, Steven Pienaar. McCarthy stands out as undoubtedly the most well known and successful of these exports. The man from the Cape Flats has a penchant not only for silverware, but also for bling, sporting a healthy chain and earring along with a cheeky smile and healthy waistline, suggesting he’s enjoyed the trappings of his success.

Not only have these stars brought flair onto the pitch, but some notable hairstyles as well.

Most have gone for a minimalist look on their heads – McCarthy and Radebe opted for a thick patch perching on the top of the head. Pienaar has undoubtedly the most unique look in the league, with shaved sides and corn rows on top. You can take the guy out of Joburg…

Golfing greats Despite the prominence of SA’s athletics, rugby and cricket players on the world stage, middleaged and often oddly dressed golfers are amongst the most well-known (and wealthy) South Africans around the world.

The “Big Easy”, Ernie Els, may have scooped both the US Open and the Open twice, and

produced some excellent wines, but the big man has let himself down by sporting horizontal stripes and some unflattering caps throughout his career.

Granted, golfers have to balance fashion with practicality, but that is no excuse for Gary Player walking the greens sporting all-black gear. Chic as

like it or not, the world is judging the nation’s character not only through our elite sportspeople, but also our sense of style black may be, how can that be practical, given the hot conditions that the majority of tournaments are played in? The “Black Knight” has gained some recognition from ESPN magazine – which featured him naked in its body issue in 2013 – owing to his remarkable fitness regime that has kept the pro playing well into his seventies. Nothing quite says “style start-over” like the emperor’s clothes.

The Olympic generation London 2012 was a proud moment for South Africans. “Beautiful Boy” Chad Le Clos and his pal Cameron van der Burgh reigned in the pool, and Oscar Pistorius made history competing in an able-bodied event. This generation was not only talented, but young, good looking and at the centre of a media frenzy.

The swimmers may look their best with a minimalist look, but both have since gone on to be the face of many brands, including Omega watches, and have frequently looked the part out of the pool too. Oscar, a Nike endorsed athlete at the time, was the height of style and sophistication before his downfall – frequently snapped in dapper skinny suits and considered quite the young manabout-town in London (and let’s not forget that South African GQ Style cover).

The question remains: is South Africa’s sporting fraternity doing the country a disservice when it comes to fashion stakes? The country is certainly going from strength to strength in a number of sports – rugby and cricket especially.

Those representing the country are as diverse in their backgrounds and styles as the country they represent – some good, some great, and some just need to train a little harder.☐

D O

O F LE

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FIG1-8. Photographer: Justin Thomson. Food Stylist: Cassidy Nydahl.

Sketches: Barbara Fourie.

BUILT TO

EAT

Inspired by Cape Town’s most iconic buildings, Cassidy Nydahl creates four mouth-watering dishes that look just as good as their concrete counterparts.

The Bo-Kaap inspires a Cape Malay Curry with Sambals.

Once a home to craftsmen and freed slaves, the Bo-Kaap now houses the larger Muslim community, as well as an array of foreign visitors, students and interns. The diversity of colour that dominates these row houses reflects the inclusiveness of its neighbourhood; day and night, people congregate outside the richly hued walls of their houses in the spirit of community. A Cape Malay curry, which is made to be shared and enjoyed by all, reflects this friendly quality of the Bo-Kaap, as well as the culture of its people.

INGREDIENTS • 500g chicken fillets • 1 onion, chopped • 1 chunk fresh ginger, peeled and grated • 2 cloves garlic, crushed • 1 stick cinnamon • 6 cardamon pods, cracked • A few curry leaves • 1 tsp turmeric • 1 Tbsp Cape Malay curry powder • 3 ripe red tomatoes, roughly chopped • 1 cup coconut milk • Naan bread, to serve

2 In the meantime, heat some oil in a medium saucepan and cook onion until soft and golden, then add spices and continue cooking until fragrant.

3 Add tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, and allow to simmer until tomatoes have broken down and have made a sauce (about 30 minutes).

4 Stir in the coconut milk, bring to the boil and add the chicken, then turn off the heat.

5 Allow to stand and infuse for a minimum of 2 hours before reheating and immediately serving with the sambals and naan bread.

METHOD 1 Cut chicken into chunks, and fry quickly on high heat until golden on outside but not cooked through.

SAMBALS Cashew, coriander and flaked coconut sambals • 1/3 cup cashews, toasted

• Bunch of coriander, roughly chopped • 1/3 cup flaked coconut, toasted Pineapple salsa • 2 cups diced pineapple • 1 red chilli, finely sliced • Zest of 1 lime • 1 red onion, finely chopped • 1 Tbsp sugar • 2 Tbsp white wine vinegar • Bunch of coriander, roughly chopped Tomato and onion sambal • 1 onion, finely chopped • 1 tomato, finely chopped • 50ml white wine vinegar • 1 green chilli, finely sliced • 1 tsp sugar • 1 Tbsp apricot jam • 2 Tbsp water

The Mutual Heights Building inspires Apple, Watercress and Bacon Salad with a Dijon Dressing.

Recognised as the embodiment of the Art Deco movement in South Africa, and one of the best Art Deco buildings in the world, this former headquarters of the Old Mutual is known for its bold lines and decorative friezes, frescoes and murals. This building was built in 1939, during an era of both recession and excessive luxury, therefore a dish that combines simple sumptuousness, with economical ingredients, is most fitting.

INGREDIENTS • 200g streaky bacon • 2 crisp pink apples • Bunch of Watercress • Shards of parmesan cheese, for garnish • 1 lemon, juiced For the dressing • 1 tsp Dijon mustard • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar • ¼ cup olive oil

METHOD 1 Place the bacon under the grill on a trivet and cook until crisp and golden.

2 In the meantime, thinly slice the apples and dip each slice in lemon juice to prevent discolouring.

3 Whisk the dressing ingredients until well-combined.

4 To serve, stack the slices of apple with watercress and bacon and pour over the dressing, garnishing with shards of parmesan cheese.

The Cape Town Stadium inspires Boerewors with a Mango and Cucumber Salad.

A relatively new feature on the Cape Town skyline, this iconic structure is not only a feat of architecture, but also a symbol of South African culture and pride. Having already hosted a multitude of rugby and soccer matches, some of our favourite forms of entertainment in South Africa, it is only appropriate that the dish representing it should include boerewors, which is crucial to a South African supporting their team.

Groot Constantia Manor inspires Bruschetta with Goat’s Cheese and Roasted Grapes.

The Groot Constantia Mansion is a shining example of the Cape Dutch architecture that so defines Cape Town aesthetics. The Cape Dutch style was introduced during Dutch settlement and is the earliest style of architecture to be introduced to the Cape. This particular mansion lies within the popular wine farm of the same name, and thus the shining ingredient in the recipe chosen to reflect the mansion is, of course, grapes.

INGREDIENTS • ½ punnet grapes, removed from stalks • 2 sprigs thyme, leaves removed from stalks • ½ loaf ciabatta, sliced at an angle • 1 log chevin goat’s cheese, thinly sliced • Olive oil

INGREDIENTS • 500g boerewors (lamb works well with this salad) • ¼ cucumber, thinly shaved • ¼ mango, cut into long matchsticks • 1 red chilli, finely sliced • 2 spring onions, thinly sliced • Bunch of coriander, roughly chopped • 1 Tbsp rice vinegar METHOD 1 Braai or grill the boerewors, as per pack instructions.

2 In the meantime, combine the salad ingredients and dress with the rice vinegar, and serve with the boerewors.

METHOD 1 Preheat oven to 200ᵒC. 2 Toss the grapes in olive oil, salt and thyme leaves and spread on a baking sheet. Roast in oven for 7-9 minutes until grapes have burst and softened slightly.

3 Brush ciabatta bread with olive oil and grill until toasted, then spread with the goat’s cheese, top with roasted grapes and season with salt and pepper.

FIG 1. THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT, AND COLD. THE HOTTEST NEW IDEAS IN FASHION – STARTING WITH THE DECONSTRUCTED EVENINGWEAR PICTURED HERE – WILL SATISFY MORE THAN ANY BOILING BEVERAGE. Bianca wears: Printed dress, R750, X&O at YDE; leather jacket, R1 550, Supremebeing; printed jacket, R550, X&O at YDE. Luke wears: shirt, R499, Country Road; velvet jacket, R749, Cotton On; jeans, R575, LTD Truworths Man; bowtie, R99.95, Woolworths; beanie, R99, Cotton On. Photographer: Chandre Busschau.

Fashion Editor: Daniël Geldenhuys.

Beauty Director: Barbara Fourie.

Fashion Assistant: Vikash Gajjar.

Model: Bianca Gunner.

Model Mentor: Luke van der Spuy.

style Varsity

FALL 2014

STARTS HERE

the

BIG

5

runway trends of the season translate into both womenswear and menswear. Start here, at the drawing board of international runway inspiration, then go out and make the trend your own. Illustrations by Simphiwe Ndzube.

FIG 1. WHEN CREATIVE DIRECTOR HEDI SLIMANE CHOPPED THE ‘YVES’ OFF YSL, HE SHOCKED SOME AND DELIGHTED OTHERS. NOW, HIS UNIQUE MIX OF GLAM, HIPSTER AND GRUNGE IS THE ULTIMATE ANTIDOTE TO THE STREAMLINE MINIMALISM OF CONTEMPORARY FASHION. SAINT LAURENT NOW STANDS FOR COOL. Fashion Editor: Daniël Geldenhuys.

FIG 2&3: A STATEMENT COAT WILL MAKE YOU STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD. BURBERRY PRORSUM AND CHRISTOPHER KANE (opposite) HAVE PROVEN THAT.

FIG 4&5. THE BEST PRINTS OF THE SEASON SPIRAL INTO SOMETHING DARK AT DRIES VAN NOTEN (opposite) AND SUBVERSIVE AT GIVENCHY. A TOUCH OF ROMANCE IS WHAT THEY HAVE IN COMMON.

FIG 6. THE TOPS AT PRADA FELL EVER-SOCASUALLY OFF THE SHOULDER WHILE THE LEATHER AT VERSACE WAS TOUGH ENOUGH FOR A BIKER BOY. GENDER AFFIRMATION IS NO DOUBT THE WAY TO STYLE A NEWSEASON LOOK.

FIG 7. THE EASIEST WAY TO UPDATE YOUR WARDROBE THIS SEASON? THE MOST POPULAR RUNWAY LOOK OF THE SEASON: CHECKS. SEE THE CÉLINE WOMAN AND THE MONCLER GAMME BLEU MAN FOR INSPIRATION.

FIG 1. WHETHER YOU’RE IN A NON-EUROPEAN MODERN SAFARI LOOK, OR SOMETHING MORE LAID BACK FROM HOLMES BROS, MAKE AN INDIVIDUALIST STATEMENT WITH EXCEPTIONAL ACCESSORIES. Kyusang wears: printed jacket, R1 360, and trousers, R800, NonEuropean at The Bromwell; metal necklace, R950, Samuel Semat for Missibaba; leather armband, R320, Raw Joy at The Bromwell; shoes, model’s own.

Elisa wears: printed hoodie, R350, and trackpants, R390, Holmes Bros; circle jacket, R1 200, Kat van Duinen; leather banana bag, R2 500, Missibaba; leather and stone multi-strand bracelet, R460, Raw Joy at The Bromwell; strap flats, R299, Zoom.

YOU ARE HERE

South African designers create modern eclectic looks to dress you up or down – all avaliable in the Mother City.

Photographed by Paris Brummer.

Fashion Editor: DaniĂŤl Geldenhuys. Beauty Director: Barbara Fourie.

Fashion Assistant: Immaculate Lwanga.

Models: Kyusang Lee and Elisa Moyane. Special thanks to Camera Stuff.

Model Mentors: Tiffany Freeman and Reyn du Preez.

FIG 2. THE SUBTLE VINTAGE FEEL OF ROWDY‘S TWEED BACKPACK AND BLUECOLLARWHITECOLLAR’S MASCULINE FLORALS BLEND INTO THE 1910 MAP OF CAPE TOWN (PROJECTED THROUGHOUT) WITH A GENTLEMANLY EASE. Printed shirt, R680, BlueCollarWhiteCollar; tweed backpack, R1 600, Rowdy; trousers, R850, Unknown Union; leather armband, R320, Raw Joy at The Bromwell; sneakers, model’s own.

FIG 3. (opposite) A PAIR OF HANDMADE LEATHER EARRINGS FROM MISSIBABA FRAME YOUR FACE TO GEOMETRIC PERFECTION. Leather earrings, R400, Missibaba; faux-fur bolero, R399, Blackeyed Susan at The Bromwell; top, R350, Kat van Duinen.

FIG 4. KAT VAN DUINEN MASTERS THE HUE OF THE SEASON WITH HER HOT PINK SKIRT, BLUSH TROUSERS, AND EVEN LIGHTER CIRCLE-NECK TOP. Top, R350, raw silk skirt, R1 500, silk trousers, R1 200, all Kat van Duinen; multistrand bracelet, R460, Raw Joy at The Bromwell; elastic-strap heels, R499, Zoom.

FIG 5. IF FASHION IS A GAME, THE WINNER WOULD BE CROWNED A 2BOP CAP. Cap, R350, and sweater, R450, 2Bop.

FIG 6. INJECT LIFE INTO WINTER GREYS WITH I LOVE LEROY’S ALMOST MONOCHROME FLORALS. Printed dress, R640, I Love Leroy, and cape, R585, both at Mungo & Jemima; leather clutch, R2 100, Kat van Duinen; knee-high boots, R1 699, Zoom.

FIG 7. HOLMES BROS IS ON A MISSION TO CREATE UNEXPECTED PROUDLY SOUTH AFRICAN LOOKS. HERE ARE TRACKPANTS WITH AN ANIMAL HIDE BELT. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED. Sweater, R390, trackpants, R450, belt, R165, all Holmes Bros; leather armband, R320, Raw Joy at The Bromwell; sneakers and socks, model’s own.

FIG 8. BASEBALL MEETS BIKER WITH UNKNOWN UNION’S ELEMENTDEFYING WINTER JACKET. Jacket, R1 850, sweater, R850, trousers, R850, all Unknown Union; armband, R320, Raw Joy at The Bromwell; sneakers, model’s own.

FIG 9. DAVID TLALE MASTERFULLY REINTERPRETS THE CONSERVATIVE JACKET-AND-TROUSER DUO INTO AN ENSAMBLE READY FOR THE DANCE FLOOR. Crop top (just seen), model’s own; printed jacket, R4 200, and sidebutton trousers, R1 600, David Tlale; multi-strand bracelet, R460, Raw Joy, all at The Bromwell heels, R499, Zoom .

Click to shop this story.

THE

TRUTH LINDIWE MAZIBUKO ABOUT

In less than ten years since graduating UCT, she’s become parliamentary leader of the DA, been splashed across the media for reasons ranging from political to sartorial, and had a book written about her life. Still, there are many misconceptions about Lindiwe Mazibuko. Daniël Geldenhuys gets the full story from the source herself.

Photographed by Paris Brummer.

FIG 1. “IT’S DIFFICULT FOR ME. I’M NOT A VERY EXTROVERTED PERSON,” SAYS LINDIWE OF LIFE IN THE SPOTLIGHT. Dress, worn throughout, Lindiwe’s own.

Polka-dot neckscarves, worn throughout, made by stylist.

Fashion Editor: Daniël Geldenhuys.

Beauty Director: Barbara Fourie. Fashion Assistant: Immaculate Lwanga. Special thanks to Camera Stuff

W

e’re only four minutes into our interview when Lindiwe Mazibuko reveals to me her biggest fear: being misunderstood. “Saying something and then having someone misinterpret it or think it’s something else. It fills me with anxiety,” she says, sipping coffee in her spacious parliament office. If you aren’t familiar with the reports, this is the woman who’s not black enough, not old enough, not modest enough (that short skirt in Parliament!), and didn’t work hard enough to go from student to parliamentary leader of the DA in seven years. With all these (and more) misconceptions floating around, you’d think Lindiwe would be in a constant state of panic. No. Panic seems to be a foreign concept to her. She’d be ready to counteract all the misunderstandings by telling her own story, but “the time is not right” for that. Time must be allotted for a career of election campaigns followed perhaps by starting a family, and maybe even a presidential campaign after that.

Hers is not the celebrity-style life in the spotlight where she is allowed to complain about being splashed across the media. Being an important figure in politics is perhaps the only career that invites the camera and all the judgement that comes with it.

“It’s very difficult for me. I’m not a very extroverted person, which sounds like bullshit, but it’s not.”

In January, Donwald Pressley published his unauthorised biography, Owning the Future: Lindiwe Mazibuko and the changing face of the DA.

“It’s important not to think you’re special because you’re constantly being reported about. Not to believe your own PR, because it’s just PR.” “It was totally bizarre,” she says of being 33 years old and reading a book about herself. “It was really exciting to look back on my career, but there were some things I disagreed with, some things I thought weren’t an accurate reflection of who I am or what I’ve done.”

With great status comes great tests of character, it seems. It couldn’t have been easy for Lindiwe not to worry as her colleagues and family were interviewed for the book. She makes a point of separating her private and public lives: we know she is very close to

her family and has a tight circle of friends, but that’s just about as much as the public needs to know.

While it’s her full right to separate her home and state, there are as always a number of blurred lines.

The Mazibuko family tragedy, the murder of Lindiwe’s father in 1992, is public knowledge.

Sketchy as Pressley reports the details are, the family chooses not to comment. The snippets of family life Lindiwe does broadcast are regular pictures of her active toddler nephew on Instagram, as well as travel pictures from her trip to New York City, where her brother wed Jewish-American Jaclyn (now) Mazibuko. The latter is a year-long Zulu/Jewish traditional wedding consisting of four events ending in July.

Lindiwe lights up when talking about her family.

She’s close with all four siblings, and especially her mother. She says this, pauses, and rethinks: “No, my mom, my sister, my brothers. We’re all very close.”

Though other members of the Mazibuko clan aren’t public figures, their support is a welcome help in guiding Lindiwe through the everyday challenges of being one of the most recognisable faces in the country.

Lindiwe was in Durban’s Pavilion shopping centre with her mother when a particularly strong wave of supporters stopped them for cell phone pictures (“the new autograph,” as she calls them). In a hurry, and not in the mood for the constant attention, Lindiwe was just starting to get annoyed when her mother stopped her and said something that has become her new motto for dealing with fans: “You’re not allowed to get irritated. This might be the twelfth person who’s stopping you in the last half hour, but they are having their first and only interaction with you. So you don’t get to be like ‘this has already happened to me.’ That’s not their problem. You’ll be nice to the first and the last person you meet in the shopping centre. Or we’ll go home, but that’s your job now.”

Lindiwe’s relative anonymity is disappearing quickly. Walking to the studio for her Varsity STYLE cover shoot, she says a group of construction workers (“they must have been a 100 meters away”) called her name. Then there’s the poultry incident where, in the throes of cooking for a large group of friends, Lindiwe realised she was a chicken short and ran out to Woolworths to get one. “I was standing in the queue holding this chicken in my hand, and a woman came up to me and said, ‘I need to talk to you about the DA’s policy on animal rights.’ I couldn’t hear what she was saying, ‘cause all I was thinking was is this chicken free range and would it be okay for me to check?” She laughs exuberantly at the ridiculousness of the situation.

Lindiwe is calm, collected and logical for the most part, except when she laughs. Lindiwe never chuckles; she lets loose with a bubbly high-pitched laughter that sounds like chiming church bells. That innocent sound seems to be a way in which she punctuates the unnecessarily serious or ridiculous,

FIG 2. BEING PART OF A PARTY AND PARLIAMENT WITH NO DRESS CODE WORKS WELL FOR LINDIWE. YOU WON’T CATCH HER DEAD IN A GREY TROUSER SUIT. Sequin top, made to order, Kat van Duinen.

FIG 3. LINDIWE LIKES TO PLAY WITH COLOUR AND PRINT: “I TEND NOT TO BE VERY CONVENTIONAL ABOUT IT,” SHE SAYS. HERE, SHE WEARS THE GOWN SHE WORE TO THE STATE OF THE NATION ADDRESS IN FEBRUARY. Metalllic gown, made to order, Kat van Duinen.

reminding everyone who hears her not to take things too seriously.

“It’s important not to think you’re special because you’re constantly being reported about.

Not to believe your own PR, because it’s just PR – it’s not an expression of who you are as a human being, which is very hard when your job is also your life.” She admits that dating is difficult when you’re constantly in the public eye and don’t have many opportunities to meet new people. Starting a family is something that’s constantly playing on Lindiwe’s mind. It’s definitely something she wants, and certainly not something that’s incompatible with her job and career goals: “There’s a balance to be struck and that’s sometimes very hard in this job.”

I

t’s a typical Cape Town should-be-hot-butweather-app-says-rain November day. The sun bakes me as I enter the Marks building at Parliament, go through security, up the stairs, past the life-size Helen Suzman painting and into Ms Mazibuko’s (as her staff like to call her in emails) office. Lindiwe greets me with a bright smile – it’s been a calm morning, perhaps one of the last she’ll have before the 2014 elections. We sit on soft enveloping couches and begin chatting about life as a politician in a modern South Africa.

“We are growing into our ownership of the future,” Lindiwe explains when I ask her about the DA’s strategy for coming elections. When the ANC came into power, they were required to manage (arguably) the most powerful country on the continent with very little preparation. “We are very lucky in the sense that we get to grow into that role. We get to acquire municipalities one by one, we govern provinces one by one, we learn from our mistakes. That’s going to make us more stable, better, alternative, when the time comes.”

It all makes so much sense. Perhaps that is Lindiwe’s greatest strength as a politician: accessibility. In many of her television appearances over the past year, it seems she’s always explaining some misrepresentation of herself or the DA. She never replies with rhetoric. There is always a logical explanation that viewers can understand, so much so that the interviewer often comes off as silly for asking the question in the first place. Lindiwe’s spokesperson, Siviwe Gwarube agrees, describing her as “a very rational and easy-to-work-with leader.”

Contemporary political South Africa fosters an ideal environment for Lindiwe and other talent of her age to rise to the top of a modern party like the DA. Other spring (and hopefully free-range) chickens in the party include the DA’s CEO Jonathan Moakes and the national spokesperson Mmusi Maimane, both Lindiwe’s age. Still, she says, “If you had asked me when I was at UCT in 2004 if I thought I’d be the leader of the opposition in Parliament less than ten years later, I would have said no.” She laughs.

The DA is using their aforementioned step-by-step

growth to reach the goal that is national government in 2024. The plan is to acquire more cities and towns in the local government election of 2016, working towards entering national government in 2019 (at the earliest) or 2024 (at the latest). This would be achieved by pulling together a strong coalition government that would not necessarily give the DA 50% majority, but push the ANC below the 50% majority mark.

For the time being, Lindiwe needs to keep going through the motions of everyday parliamentary life, which isn’t always the easiest thing to do. Last year at the presidency budget vote, the ANC’s Buti Manamela suggested that the honourable Lindiwe Mazibuko has “bad fashion taste” and should be arrested by the fashion police. It’s hard to understand how Lindiwe’s long-sleeved jacket paired with a monochrome dress (ending just above the knee) and black stockings, an ensemble of schoolgirl-level modesty, could cause such a stir in Parliament.

Lindiwe says it’s not what she was wearing, it’s what she was saying when she wore it. “There’s no dress code in Parliament. The issue was that I was giving a speech that was pissing off the ANC and they needed to take me down a few pegs to make me stumble.” Talking about the issue makes her in no way agitated or angry. This is just another moment that got blown out of proportion in the media that Lindiwe is happy to explain. “I never mistake those things for genuine commentary.” The number of times the ANC defaults to ageism and sexism shows how difficult it is for them to engage with and respect a young female leader. “None of it has got to do with facts – it’s all about attempting to belittle me. It’s always about my appearance; never about the substance of what I have to say.”

Being part of a party and Parliament with no dress code works well for Lindiwe. You won’t catch her dead in a grey trouser suit. On the day of our interview she wore monochrome-print dress with an orange trench, metallic sandals and a blue precious-stone necklace. “I like bold colours. I like experimenting.

I like mixing and matching, and I tend not to be very conventional about it. I love fashion.”

It’s clear that Lindiwe’s style is all about playful sophistication. Robyn Cooke, owner of the Style Guide Group, describes it as “very feminine, with a penchant for all things girly. Lindiwe is a passionate supporter of local fashion,” she adds. The ladies met when Robyn was the fashion editor at O Magazine and styled Lindiwe for the 2011 O Power List.

They’ve struck a strong friendship since, shopping for local treasures and even working together when Lindiwe asks Robyn to help point hesitant stylists in the right direction on shoots. That direction would be away from anything dull and serious, “There is nothing she dislikes more than being made to look older and fusty and all grown up,” says Robyn.

Lindiwe’s all-time favourite local designer is Stefania Morland, and Klûk CGDT because of the ways in which they interpret tulle (the fabric usually

reserved for a lady’s most special day) into daytime ready-to-wear. Her accessories go-to is local leather and suede brand Missibaba – a single item by designer Chloe Townsend will transform a regular ensemble into one that will turn heads. Lindiwe’s latest discovery is Anisa Mpungwe’s Loin Cloth and Ashes store in Johannesburg’s Maboneng district, a must-visit for anyone looking for a modern take on African print. Her elegantly eclectic sense of style is echoed in her personality when among friends: “Whatever we are doing always turns into a fabulous time,” says Robyn, “her stories are hilarious and her sense of human frailty astutely observed.”

Can you tell things about a person’s political orientation by the way they dress? Lindiwe doesn’t think so. “One of the most interesting things you should try to do is compare the political garb of different parties,” she says, telling me about the DA’s branded Converse sneakers. And the ANC? They have genuine leather jackets.

M

any Ms Mazibuko misconceptions may be because of people only looking at a certain section of her history and leaving out the rest. Yes, she had a privileged high-school education as a boarder at St. Mary’s Diocesan, but that was after she and her family moved from Swaziland into a Durban township when she was six. Living in a township at the height of the pre-democracy violence in South Africa was not for the faint of heart. Neither was living in London for three years as a waitress while trying to get funding for an education at a world-class music college.

Returning to South Africa after having lost the battle for her life-long dream of being in music, Lindiwe enrolled at UCT at the age of 24. She was in the market for a new dream, and her B.A. in French, Media and Politics fostered her interest in the political world which she said she always had, but never focused on.

By the time she started her degree, Lindiwe’s mother was no longer prepared to support her financially. A student loan and two jobs were just enough to make ends meet, and more than enough excuse for her not to get involved in extra murals.

She tells me about how time-poor she was at UCT, but lets slip that she actually did write a few articles for VARSITY, joined Rainbow (for her politics, not sexual orientation), read news at UCT Radio, and had a brief interaction with the squash team. Naturally, she couldn’t get too deeply involved in extra murals because of her two jobs and three majors.

I ask her about social relations between students during her Jammie years. There was definitely a division between the different study routes: “There were the engineering kids, the hippy arty kids who had lunch outside Arts Block, there were all these

trendy kids in Smuts and Fuller who sat on the Jammie Steps at lunchtime…” At this point I can’t help but laugh. Lindiwe continues, “But all of my relationships crossed those boundaries. I don’t remember feeling those divisions because I was able to cross those boundaries at work.” She worked with people from just about every department on campus, and fostered meaningful friendships she still has today. “Some of my closest friendships are with people I met on campus.”

By the end of third year, she’d found the new direction she was looking for, and did honours in Political Communication. Misconception alert: Lindiwe did not write her honours dissertation on Helen Zille who thought she was oh-so-adorable for doing so and hired her on the spot. Wrong. The paper was about the DA’s internal election, the only reason the focus was on Zille was because she had won it.

“Some of my closest friendships are with people I met on campus.”

Lindiwe never had anything to do with Zille’s office when she started at the DA. Only later when she became an MP did they begin to work together.

There is one rumour in the press that Lindiwe confirms is not a misconception: the one about her wanting to be the future president of South Africa.

When I remind her that she told ELLE (March 2012) that her interns suggested she could be the first pregnant female president, her church bells chime louder than ever. On a more sober note, it’s not about if, but rather when. “It’s not something I’m gonna do next year. It’s gonna be another ten years before the DA’s in national government. Actually, probably another seven years. That’s what we’re preparing for. So I take it very seriously, this idea of being in government one day. It’s not just a pipe dream, it’s actually a reality. I hope that the time will come when I’ll have an opportunity to throw my hat in the ring for president. ” The honourable (and I’ll add to that stylish, wellspoken, and unpretentious) Lindiwe Mazibuko has gone from chasing a dream in music to becoming one of the most important figures in the modern political history of South Africa. We wouldn’t be calling her our potential first female president if she’d made it in London. Was it meant to be, then? “I don’t know. I think a door closed and I opened another one instead.

I’m not sure about destiny and all that stuff. I just think that it’s a combination of luck in the sense that I am the age I am, in the period I’m in, in the country I’m in. Uhm, maybe.”

Lindiwe laughs. 

FIG 4. “SHE TAKES THE SLINGS AND ARROWS OF POLITICS IN HER STRIDE AND SOLDIERS ON BECAUSE SHE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE, EVEN WHEN IT IS AT HUGE PERSONAL COST,” SAYS ROBYN COOKE. Check coat, R2 200, Kat van Duinen.

FIG 1. WHETHER ITS REAL OR FAUX, A FUR COLLAR RENDERS A SCARF UNNESESSARY. Fur-collar coat, R220, Coats for Africa; shirt worn throughout, model’s own.

FIG 2. (opposite) A BLACK COAT WILL TRANSCEND TRENDS. WHEN SHOPPING FOR BARGAINS AT COATS FOR AFRICA, PRIORITISE FINDING THE RIGHT FIT. Coat, R150, Coats for Africa.

Fashion Editor: Daniël Geldenhuys. Beauty Director: Barbara Fourie.

Model: Mwinji Siame.

Model Mentor: Brad Pepler

Regardless of where you’re from or where you’re going, a

COAT

is the must-have item when breezing through the Mother City on a stormy day. Photographed

by Riaan Giani.

FIG 3. YOUR COAT IS THE BARE ESSENTIAL – ACCESSORISE IT HOWEVER YOU WISH. From left: Zip-up coat, R100, and button-up coat, R220, Coats for Africa; traditional Japanese sandals worns throughout, made by stylist.

FIG 4. CHECK INTO SOUTH AFRICA WITH THE INTERNATIONAL PRINT TREND OF THE SEASON: THE GRID. Coat, R150, Coats for Africa.

FIG 5. (opposite) TRADITIONAL JAPANESE FOOTWEAR GIVES YOU THOSE EXTRA CENTIMETERS NEEDED TO REACH THE TOP SHELF AT CHINA TOWN. Coat, R220, Coats for Africa.

FIG 6. SPECIAL TEXTURES AND DETAILS TAKE ORDINARY GARMENTS OUT OF THIS WORLD. TRY A STATEMENT COLLAR OR SHERLOCK-STYLE BACK ON FOR SIZE. From left: Fur collar coat, R150, and belted coat, R150, Coats for Africa.

FIG 7. A SLIGHTLY OFFCENTRE COLLAR LINE TURNS A TRADITIONALLY CUT COAT INTO SOMETHING SUBTELY SUBVERSIVE Coat, R100, Coats for Africa.

FIG 8. (opposite) AN OVERSIZED COAT, WITH HOOD, IS WEATHER-PROOF ANYWHERE ON EARTH. Coat, R220, Coats for Africa.

Click to shop this story.

FIG 1. LEATHER AND DENIM TOUGHEN UP AN ELEGANT EVENING DRESS AND A CLASSIC SUIT. Bianca wears: printed dress, R750, X&O at YDE; leather jacket, R1 550, Supremebeing; printed jacket, R550, X&O at YDE; metal necklace, R299, Accessorize; large chain necklace, R119, Cotton On; love necklace, R299, Tessa at YDE; boots, R849, Zoom.

Luke wears: shirt, R499, Country Road; velvet jacket, R749, Cotton On; jeans, R575, LTD Truworths Man; bowtie, R99.95, Woolworths; beanie, R99, Cotton On; boots, model’s own.

Fashion Editor: Daniël Geldenhuys.

Beauty Director: Barbara Fourie.

Fashion Assistant: Vikash Gajjar.

Model: Bianca Gunner.

Model Mentor: Luke van der Spuy.

APRES GELATO From Prada to Givenchy and Saint Laurent, the European collections inspire a rebellious eveningwear look that’s just as rebellious as ice-cream in winter.

Photographed by Chandre Busschau.

FIG 2. CAPE TOWN WEATHER CAN TURN FROM SUNNY TO RAINY IN A MOTHER CITY SECOND. KEEP A RAIN JACKET HANDY AND TIE IT AROUND YOUR WAIST. Galaxy-print sweater, R360, Truworths MAN; suit jacket, R1 550, and matching trousers, R599, puffer jacket, R599. all Woolworths; tie, R399, Country Road; beanie R99, Cotton On.

FIG 3. TAP INTO SAINT LAURENT’S GRUNGY GLAMOUR BY TOUGHENING UP YOUR BLING WITH A CHECK SHIRT AND UTILITY BOOTS. Sequin dress, R999, Phenomena at YDE; menswear check shirt, R299, Woolworths; metal necklace, R299, Accessorize; love necklace, R199, cool necklace, R180, OMG necklace, R199, all Tessa at YDE; multi-strand charm bracelet, R250, Lulu Belle, boots, R849, Zoom.

FIG 4. WHETHER OVER A SUIT OR NOT, UNKNOWN UNION’S PRINTED WOOL JACKET IS SURE TO KEEP OUT THE FROSTY BREEZE. Jacket, R2 250, Unknown Union; beanie, R99, Cotton On.

FIG 5. (clothing opposite) SUITS AND EVENING DRESSES GET ACTIVE (AND A LITTLE MISCHIEVOUS) WHEN COMBINED WITH SPORTY SEPERATES. Luke wears: shirt, R299, Cotton On; suit jacket, R2 599, and matching trousers, R1 199, TopMan; metal necklace, R129.95, The Lot; beanie, R99, Cotton On. Bianca wears: sheer dress, R2 000, Kat van Duinen; sweater, R399, and belt, R199, Cotton On; metal necklace, R299, Accessorize; large chain necklace, R119, Cotton On; love necklace, R299, Tessa at YDE; metal and diamante necklace (hanging from love necklace), R239, TopShop; sling bag, R599, Accessorize; boots, R849, Zoom.

FIG6. SUGAR CONES ARE A PERFECT WINTER SUBSTITUTE FOR THEIR USUAL SUMMER CONTENTS. Shirt, R950, Supremebeing; blazer, R749, Cotton On; jacket, R2 250, Unknown Union, beanie, R99, Cotton On. FIG 7. SAY IT WITH A NECKLACE. Sequin dress, R999, Phenomena at YDE; menswear check shirt, R299, Woolworths; metal necklace, R299, Accessorize; love necklace, R199, cool necklace, R180, OMG necklace, R199, all Tessa at YDE.

FIG 8. MUCCIA PRADA MADE US, FALL IN LOVE WITH THE UNEXPECTED CARDIGAN-UNDER-LUXEDRESS LOOK. MAKE SURE ONE OR THE OTHER IS OFF THE SHOULDER TO ADD FEMININE ALLURE. Cardigan, R275, Woolworths; dress, R849, TopShop; metal necklace, R299, Accessorize; love necklace, R199, cool necklace, R180, OMG necklace, R199, all Tessa at YDE.

FIG 9. A SOFTENED FORMALITY (ACHEIVED WITH TIE DYE OR LACE) IS ALWAYS APPROACHABLE. HERE, OUR MODELS GIVE DIRECTIONS GEOGRAPHICALLY AND SARTORIALLY. Luke wears: sweater, R299, and cardigan, R399, Cotton On; suit jacket, R2 799, Trenery; trousers, R899, Country Road; metal necklace, R139.95, The Lot; boots, model’s own.

Bianca wears: shirt, R550, Woolworths; sheer nude dress, R1 599, Mari and Me; skirt, R980, Kat van Duinen; faux fur gilet.

R1 199, Trenery; cool ring, R180, Tessa at YDE; stockings, model’s own; boots, R849, Zoom.

Click to shop this story.

BAG’S ANATOMY Why is it really so important to support local fashion brands? Daniël Geldenhuys joins the women of accessories label Missibaba in their Woodstock studio to discover how much work goes into “handmade”, the challenges of sustaining a local fashion business, and why these ladies’ work is far better than anything from China.

FIG 1. MEET THE MISSIBABAS. FROM LEFT: MARIAM, TESSA, DES, GLYNIS, CHLOE, LIZEL, BEAUTY, ROBYN, NAOMI. Photographs by Daniël Geldenhuys.

T

here’s a different type of silence to be experienced at the Missibaba studio.

It’s not silence in the traditional sense: the room is filled with the sounds of Heart FM, something Studio Assistant Robyn Silverbauer found very challenging in her first year working there. Don’t bother trying to change the channel, it will be changed back. Beyond the sounds of vintage Rihanna and Destiny’s Child, only the essential is being said.

Everyone sits at their work stations, engaged in a collective wave of productivity that crashes through the room at all times, except for tea and lunch break.

Not that there’s time for lounging around. Ever since designer Chloe Townsend started her leather and suede accessories label in 2005, shoppers have fallen in love with her colourful, one-of-a-kind, outfit-transforming creations. Two years ago the first Missibaba store opened in Cape Town’s Bree Street, and a Joburg store followed earlier this year.

Before the stores, Cape Town shoppers would visit the studio and buy straight from there. This is still possible today (by appointment), and I’d highly recommend it. Nothing adds to a shopping experience quite like meeting not only the designer, but the people who make your purchase from scratch.

“The most challenging thing, and also the most rewarding, has been building up my team,” says Chloe. Challenging in that you can’t just hire anyone when working with expensive material such as leather. Case in point: when Tessa and Des are sewing a bag, it looks like a delicate dance

FIG 2. (above opposite) ROLLS OF LEATHER READY TO BE TRANSFORMED INTO PRODUCT. FIG 3. A PANORAMA OF THE STUDIO.

with a sewing machine; every angle and curve must be hit just right in order to create the final product. One wrong turn of the machine or slip of the hand, and the work will be ruined. Not that that’s something they worry about. They never get it wrong.

Walking into the Missibaba studio is like walking into a scene from The Women. There are nine of them and one of me – and the fact that it took me almost a full day to notice this is testament to how welcoming they all are. The studio produces

“The local consumer needs educating in the value of the handmade, the limited edition and supporting local talent,” says Chloe bags, belts, earrings, necklaces, key rings and the occasional footwear. All of it is hand cut, pasted, stitched, painted, sprayed and packed to unique perfection.

I visit in January, and the ladies are chattering excitedly about Chloe’s April wedding. Des, who’s been with Chloe from the very beginning, tells me she’s been waiting for this day all along. All the Missibabas have selected fabric for their dresses, because naturally they’ll all be attending. So, not your average work-place colleague relations then.

“Learning from each other, each other’s cultures, and just sharing as women has been really cool,” says the bride of her employees/guests/friends.

Quizzing Chloe about the ethics of working with leather turns into a conversation about the challenges of being a designer in South Africa.

Of course she’d love to be able to buy leather that comes from animals that have been treated well, but “unfortunately we have such limited supply that I can’t really be too picky,” she says. Buying the most ethical leather on the market becomes even more expensive, something customers might not understand. Buying a leather bag is a far more sustainable purchase than purchasing a polyester number that was manufactured in the east and will last you maybe six months.

The basic leathers are from South Africa and Brazil, but “the jewels”, as Chloe refers to the bold colours and metallic, are sourced in Argentina. The latter country’s culture of high meat consumption makes leather a by-product, which is good to know when you’re carrying your statement bag.

Short on resources as Cape Town might be, it serves as a constant source of inspiration for Chloe.

“Pretty much everything” about the local landscape fuels her creativity. “Everywhere you go, if you open your eyes, there are colour combinations that are in such beautiful balance next to each other.

We really do live in the most incredible place.”

If this Cape Town inspiration were a pill, the side effect would be the difficulty of execution.

A recent trip to a fabric store, which shall remain unnamed, left Chloe feeling distinctly uninspired (boring stock, high prices, poor service). Printing your own fabric is extremely expensive, and there

You are creating something that will be treasured. You are working with precious materials. You are putting every ounce of concentration into making it just right. aren’t many places that can do it. This lack of resources makes it very difficult for local designers to compete on a global level. “The local consumer definitely needs educating in the value of the handmade, the limited edition and supporting local talent,” says Chloe.

In my two days at the Missibaba studio, I split my time between stamping geometric shapes

out of sheets of leather and sticking these onto other sheets of leather to be sewn into what will eventually become a bag, satchel, or iPad case.

Punching and pasting – it may sound basic, and the punching is, but the pasting is decidedly not. Some pieces of leather have colour only on the top and not the sides, so the sides need to be stained with a special dye. Other pieces have frayed edges which need to either be cut off or stuck down with glue.

Once the leather pieces are ready, they need to be stuck down in patterns as indicated in a catalogue of designs compiled by Robyn. This is fine work: every piece needs to line up perfectly, so I place them in order of colours first, get approval from Robyn, stick them down lightly, get approval from Robyn again, and then stick them down firmly.

W

hen you’re putting this much focus into creating a bag, you can’t help but think of the person who will receive it: this person is probably going to see this bag as an investment piece, using it for years to come and maybe even passing it down to a loved one. You’re creating something that will be treasured. You’re working with precious materials. You’re putting every ounce of concentration into making it just right. Des’s happy dance on the completion of a bag that was created with a new colour combination, a type of one-woman Mexican wave, sums up the love and care put into a Missibaba product. “Chinese production of tons and tons of soulless unnecessary products definitely creates a need for its opposite,” says Chloe, “Unique, individual pieces that carry the love and energy of those that design and make them.”

One of the great advantages of working as a young designer in Cape Town is that it’s quite possible to find your niche and capitalise on it.

“Follow your heart,” Chloe advises, “It sounds so cheesy, but trust your gut. Tap into that intuitive side to steer you through things.” Her key to surviving the fast world of fashion, it seems, has been to take things slow and never to overpromise and under-deliver. “Move at a pace that is comfortable for you,” she says. To succeed, you have to have passion: “It’s not a path where you can really make a lot of cash. I’ve invested quite a lot of money into starting this up, and it’s hugely satisfying, but I don’t earn a lot of money. It’s a passion job, rather than a money-making thing.”

It’s the end of the day and most of the ladies are up and out the door. As I’m packing my things, Robyn reaches for the radio remote and turns the stereo off. A real silence replaces the noisy one, and Robyn exhales happily. “Best part of the day,” she smiles humorously. 

FIG 4-9. (clockwise from top left) SWATCHES IN THE DESIGN CATILOGUE; THE CUT-AND-PASTE WORKSPACE; FINISHED PRODUCTS HANG FROM THIS DISPLAY TREE; THE VIEW FROM THE STUDIO; A METALLIC CLUTCH HANGS IN THE DISPLAY TREE; ROBYN SHOOTING PRODUCT STILLS FOR THE WEBSITE.

WRITE ON Masculine minimalism is the perfect canvas for characterdefining accessories that will stick in the subconscious far longer than the right answer will.

Photographed by Kyusang Lee.

FIG 1. EXAM RULES: 1. MALE CANDIDATES MUST CONTRAST LUXURY TRACKPANTS WITH A FORMAL COAT AND THE SEASON’S MUST-HAVE HIKER BOOT. 2. FEMALE CANDIDATES SHOULD ORGANISE THEIR STUDY NOTES IN SHOPPERS THAT CONNOTE THEIR LOVE OF CHECKS, BUNNIES OR NYC. Fanelo wears: shirt, R349, and coat, R1 699, Woolworths; trackpants, R1 350, Supremebeing; metal necklace, R139, The Lot; metal ring, R150, Stay True; earstuds (throughout), model’s own; hiker boots, R1 399, Supermebeing.

Jena wears: hooded coat, R699, Cotton On; trousers, R499, TopShop; star earrings, R59, Chameleon at YDE; check leather shooper, R649, Country Road; clear-flap bag, R425, Taken By Storm at YDE; ankle boots, R469, Call it Spring.

Courtney wears: polo neck sweater, R225, Woolworths; skirt, R499, and zipup jacket, R1 199, Trenery; necklace, R229, and metal cuff, R199, TopShop; iPad cover, R349, Forever New; bags, R18 each, Cotton On; boots, R759, Zoom.

Fashion Editor: Daniël Geldenhuys. Beauty Director: Barbara Fourie. Fashion Assistant: Vikash Gajjar. Models: Jena Ascough and Fanelo Arens.

Beauty Mentor: Kelly Paitaki. Model Mentor: Courtney Kayser.

FIG 2. WEAR YOUR MUSTACHE ON YOUR WRIST. Sweater, R299, Cotton On; blazer, R1 299, mustache bangle, R79, eagle ring, R129, all TopMan. FIG 3. (opposite) CALL IT SPRING’S FALL WEDGE GIVES HIP HOP STYLE A UTILITY EDGE WITH BROWN LEATHER BUCKLES. Jersey, R849, Country Road; zip dress, R999, Trenery; metal ring, R130, Lulu Belle; necklace (just seen), R149, Accessorize; wedges. R549, Call It Spring.

FIG 4. HIGH-FLYING SCARVES ARE KNITTED OR PRINTED. TUCK THEM IN, THROW THEM OVER YOUR SHOULDER, OR UNDER YOUR COLLAR. WHATEVER KEEPS THE COLD OUT. Fanelo wears: sweater, R350, Woolworths; trousers, R599, Country Road; woven armband, R129, TopMan; printed scarf, R120, Woolworths; shoes, R599, Call It Spring.

Jena wears: Top, R299, Cotton On; double-breasted coat, R2 000, Mari and Me; metal snake bracelet, R160, Stay True; butterfly-print scarf, R399, Accessorize; boots, R759, Zoom.

Courtney wears: polo neck jersey, R225, Woolworths; trousers, R699, Forever New; coat, R1 699, TopShop, metal earrings, R199, Accessorize; knit scarf, R449, Country Road; metallic flats, R299, Zoom.

FIG 4. (opposite) A PRINTED WATCH FACE MAKES THE LAST FIVE MINUTES A LOT MORE INTERESTING, UNLESS YOU’VE ALREADY DOZED OFF. Check shirt, R499, TopMan; whale sweater, R599, The Lot; trousers, model’s own; watch, Avanglion at YDE; metal ring, R150, Stay True.

FIG 5. ANYTHING BUT GREY GOES FOR A WINTER BACKPACK. HEARTS AND CAMO ARE SURE TO RECEIVE A FIRST. From left: Printed backpack, R499, The Lot; russian doll sling, R499, Accessorize; camo-print backpack, R179, Cotton On; heart-print backpack with iPad sleeve, R899, Accessorize.

Click to shop this story.

Y R O

Like what you see?

Find it here.

T C E

R I D E L

Y T S

CLICK STORE TO SHOP 2BOP

ACCESSORIZE

BLUECOLLARWHITECOLLAR

CALL IT SPRING

COATS FOR AFRICA

COTTON ON

COUNTRY ROAD

FOREVER NEW

HOLMES BROS

KAT VAN DUINEN

LULU BELLE

MARI AND ME

MISSIBABA

MUNGO & JEMIMA

ROWDY

STAY TRUE

SUPREMEBEING

THE BROMWELL

THE LOT

TOPSHOP TOPMAN

TRENERY

TRUWORTHS MAN

UNKNOWN UNION

WOOLWORTHS

YDE

ZOOM

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Photographed by Vikash Gajjar.

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