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Zee Fashionista: June 2013

6.25.2013

Join the Cult


CULT COLLECTIVE. Remember that name.

This Johannesburg based t-shirt brand and its energy has been etched my mind ever since I attended their launch event last month. Formed in 2011 by Miroslav Bijelich and William Ndatila, CULT COLLECTIVE is not your average t-shirt brand that sticks to trends, panders to the masses, and in general, sticks with the normal fashion script. No. CULT COLLECTIVE is about experimenting with fashion as an art form. It is about taking decades of iconography, and freely spunking and funkying it up in whatever way they please. What CULT COLLECTIVE treads is a thin line between sacrilege and homage.

And why just the humble t-shirt to tap into the conversations we the #Hashtag generation are having, to express the zeitgeist? "We felt that t-shirts were a simple but appropriate canvas to make a statement," the designer pair say. "T-shirts are everyday items that can sum up your whole look. They provide a simple platform to create a statement with a lasting impression as one braves the day."

If you too are a lover of psychedelic clothing like am, for general inquiries, contact the brand at info@cultcollectiveapparel.com. I'm definitely joining the cult.

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posted by Zinhle Zee Mncube @ 2:39 PM 0 Comments

6.23.2013

The Kings & Queens of Instagram #3



'The Unbothered Bitch In Red' - so Teyana Taylor describes her all-red ensemble on Instagram. And would you be bothered in ACNE studios, Versace, and PYREX Vision? I didn't think so...

Yip, if you don't know who Teyana Taylor is, then you best do what she tells you in probably her most popular track, 'Google Me Baby'. She is the first lady of G.O.O.D Music, the force behind those beautiful Adidas Harlem GLC sneakers and the Harlem Night blue lip stick, the gal who Pharrell signed to Star Trak by age 16, and the chick whose Super Sweet 16 had us asking the big B, why can't I have a party like that?

What I love Teyana for isher  insane style, and boy does she document that style on Instagram. She will Nike Air Jordan, PYREX, and Hood by Air yo' behind from Joburg to Harlem man. Mixing killer street style, with sexy edge, she always, always looks incredible. And her body, her abs - no lie man, girls wanna be her, boys wanna be with her!

Teyana, the Princess of Harlem, and one of my Queens of Instagram.

Follow her on Instagrameezy here.


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posted by Zinhle Zee Mncube @ 8:52 PM 0 Comments

6.21.2013

Whatchu finna cop?

I'm really loving what South African brands are bringing out of late. Now you know next week is pay day, so here's 4 local goodies I'm finna cop fast fast.

 2 Bop


Wat Kyk Jy!? beanie



Start Screen sweater

The Lot

To Dye For Denim Jacket



Ah, everything from this look.


Visit the 2 Bop and The Lot online  stores yourself!

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posted by Zinhle Zee Mncube @ 3:42 PM 0 Comments

6.04.2013

The Philosophy of Photography #1





Thato Koketso Mohuba, 22, describes himself as an experienced photographer, an aspiring director, and an AFDA student studying a Bachelor of Motion Picture. He photographs art, he photographs fashion, he photographs food, he photographs Galxboy and and and - all with his own unique artistic, and personal touch. His work will be showcased at what promises to be an incredible exhibiton on the 17th of June in Newtown, Johannesburg.

This is the philosophy behind his photography:



Zee Fashionista: How would you describe yourself in a paragraph?

Thato Mohuba: An oxymoron of some kind. My ex is probably the only person who could ever say they got to know me proper - I'm only Giving credit where it's due. I just think I'm crazy but I'm going to bring down my guard and tryand answer the question. I'd say I'm rather sentimental and I find philosophical justification for even the smallest things. I take pride in understanding things the average human can't quite comprehend because to an extent or another, I'm quite smart. However not many will experience my intellect because I talk far less than in my earlier years.


ZF: Where did you grow up and how would describe how you were as a youth?

TM: I was born in the East Rand, Ekhuruleni, and I grew up in Pretoria. I lived the maturing stages of my life in Potchefstroom. I truly prefer saying - "Brewed in Ekhuruleni, Matured in Pretoria, Bottled in Potchefstroom" - it sounds a whole lot cooler and organised. Overall, my family and I have been through 13 houses, and 4 cities since I was born. By that I mean, I alone attended 3 pre-schools, 4 primaries and 1 high school. That, along with my gift of being a chatterbox with an awesome memory, means I've collected and kept a large number of friends to the present day. I don't believe that moving means disconnection because anything genuine and real last forever.


ZF: Is there something about yourself that people might not readily know?
TM: I'm shy.



ZF: Where did your journey into photography start?

TM: My journey started from the years 2006/7 when I was introduced to the amazing world of photoshop. It wasn't the idea of taking photos that fascinated me at the time, it was more about touch-ups and manipulation - creating and adding things that didn't exist in the originals. After reaching a staggering 200 Facebook profile picture edits in the year 2010 alone, I felt I had done enough editing and people needed to take responsibility over capturing good photos or at least have me take them. Then I bought my camera, a Christmas present unto self, December 24th, 2011.


ZF: Do you think you have a specific style of photography? If so, how would you describe
it?

TM: I like believing it's fashion/portrait photography but the more I shoot and get into it, it seems far more abstract and unconventional. I shoot for one photo more than I do for a full photo set. Quality vs Quantity. I get rather irritated when I start shooting more than I want to after I've shot my desired frame. At one of my exhibition shoots, which I believe you'll see soon, I did a 300 picture set; I found my masterpiece and deleted the remaining 299. That's what I mean. Lol.


ZF: I know you lived in Spain for a while. Has that influenced your photography?

TM: Funny you ask because we wouldn't be having this conversation had I not gone there. It's [Spain] probably the biggest contributor to how I see things in the world and where I want to be. By biggest contributor I mean, it's what brought me back to South Africa. An important man told me, whilst in Spain, that it's always easier to see inside the box when you are out the box. That was the most poetic revelation of our country and where I had to be - here to be a part of the rising art industry. Europe is beautiful. But if Africa rises above the bar, then why shoot Europe?


ZF: What is it exactly that you like to shoot? Is there any particular reason for this?

TM: People, yeah. People have character and so many stories to tell. It's said that everyone is normal until you get to know them - a photo does that. It's far more profound because apart from stories, it is the last proof of your existence.


ZF: Perhaps I'm pre-empting your answer to the previous question, but I see that women
figure prominently in your work. What is it about them? Is there a specific type of woman
that you like to photograph?

TM: Six days before my return from Spain, we shot a French girl, Emiline. We dressed her in African couture, a beautiful Xhosa hat - is'qholo - and all the jewellery. She was styled by a friend of mine from Nigeria - I felt complete. My first tattoo was of the African continent, however irrelevant it may seem to the question, these things remind me of how much of an Africanist I am. I take so much pride in this continent, it's beauty, art and culture. The women of this continent , more especially the modernised African woman of South Africa, has become rather too western-cultured and conservative about their beauty as Africans. Everytime I dream of my next shoot, I imagine Swati/Venda/Sotho/Xhosa fashion mixed with whatever to create the perfect portrait of Africanism. No lies, shooting nudes is a current favorite - because you can't judge a nude, you can't put character to it, you can only try create a story. I love women and Africa.







































ZF: Do you have any interesting stories with what took place between you and a model/subject?

TM: *laughs* I'm not sure what you mean by that but for one, weeks after I met my good friend and model Shaida, we ventured out to Pretoria (PTA) North with my lights, generator, and impala horns (my composition prop for that shoot) and took on what seemed like someone's farm. Bearing in mind that PTA Borth still has old fashioned boers living in the area, we shot for 45 minutes or so under the impression that at any moment, in her nudity, we could have had to ditch flying bullets for trespassing. Lol.


ZF: You have quite a presence, or let me say, you frequently use Instagram? Are you using it to get your work out there, or is it more about you, the person and your interests etc?

TM: I do? When I first heard of the app, I didn't quite get the real story behind the phenomena. I grew so much resentment for it, like hardcore hate. For the first time, WE "real photoshop" artists were being given a run for our money by amateurs whose lives were made easy by a number of filters that made things far cooler in a few seconds and I hated how 'Igers' then called themselves Photographers. After two years of me having signed up, I then became an active user. Its photoshop on the move. Well, what I'm doing on it? I'm khothing.


Thato Mohuba's first photo exhibition, with 6 other photographers, will take place in Newtown, Johannesburg, on the 17th of June 2013. The day will consist of short film screenings, band music, street skating, live graffiti Tagging and a braai & drinks session.  R30 will gets you in and drinks will be sold, whilst complimentary ones will be served on entry.
Follow Thato on Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr and Facebook. 


(Photo credit: Thato Mohuba, photos 1 and 2 screen grabs from Thato Mohuba's Flikr) 

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posted by Zinhle Zee Mncube @ 10:46 AM 0 Comments