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Zee Fashionista

12.14.2011

The Philosophy of Style #6


 Style is one of those things in life that cannot be bought. It cannot be forced. It is one of those things that simply shows itself.

Yves Saint Laurent famously said that, "Fashion fades, style is eternal." Style is not about following fleeting fads and trends, and possessing all the latest designer clothes. Style is timeless. It is unique to the individual. It is about self-expression, history, culture, innovation, self-esteem...

Fashionistas will not bend to fashion rules set out by fashion editors tucked away in their ivory towers.

They know what they want.

They are no longer buying into the "emperors' new clothes" doctrine; "just trust the experts and wear it whether you like it or not" philosophy. They want real clothes, and they want their attire to reflect their beliefs without having to utter a word. They want their garments to live in synchronicity with their core values.

I bring you the Philosophy of Style series of posts, detailing selected fashionistas' ideas on style.

Introducing...



Multi-talented. That is the first word that has to come to mind when one thinks about Itumeleng Direro. At just 24-years-old, Itumeleng is a creative producer at Clive Morris Production; a graphics designer; an artist; a model at South African model, TV presenter and actress, Shashi Naidoo's model and talent agency, Alushi Management; a photographer; a writer; and a researcher. 

Itumeleng's recent work involves, amongst others, working in the production of SABC 2's 6-part engineering and architecture documentary Man Made Marvels, and shooting a reality show that stars some American women left to their own devices in Cape Town (exciting, right?) - oh, and he also happens to be stylish, as attested to by his runner-up finish in GQ's Best Dressed Reader 2011 competition. Here's the philosophy behind his dapper style:



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


Itumeleng Direro: I am fortunate enough to be blessed with an array of talents and personal attributes. I am a humble, driven, fun loving and hardworking young man.  Amongst other things, I enjoy engaging with people from all walks of life- I love learning new and interesting things from others. I make every moment count in my life and take advantage of every given opportunity. My motto in life is- “Greatness is all around us”. I draw inspiration from my environment and in turn, share it with the rest of the world through my work.


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


ID: I spent my childhood in the Vaal – Sharpeville before moving to Johannesburg. I grew up in a big family of loving aunts, uncles and grandparents. Being an only child, I was doted upon a lot. I was also a very mischievous child just like all the kids in the neighbourhood, yet in front of other people I was very shy. I later developed a great passion for art and athletics when I started school and those God given talents become part of my DNA.


ZF: Is there something about yourself that people might not readily know?


ID: A lot of people don’t know that I am left handed… and obsessed with horror films.






ZF: What do you think style is?


ID: Style is part identity, part sense of expression; essentially, it cannot be bought or sold. It is part of one’s individuality, we can all share the same ideas but no one canshare the same style.


ZF: Who/What influences your style?


ID: My grandfather, who was a tailor, had to be the main iconic person who influenced my style before his passing. He was an influential trend setter back in his day in Sharpeville; a lot of young guys admired his sense of trendiness. He did not wait until Sunday to put on his best look - every day was a Sunday for him. Much like my grandfather, I don’t compromise on personal style, I believe that one has to look their utmost best every day, no matter what you wear; it has to bring out the best in you. I am a huge admirer of contemporary vintage style which forms a significant part of my look.


ZF: How does your style reflect your dreams/Goals/Lifestyle?


ID: I live a very dynamic and demanding lifestyle; my sense of style has to accommodate each avenue of my daily life activities. I like keeping things simple yet unique, I try to stay away from your “papa G” type dress, as different as it may be, some things are just not meant to be worn by others- lol.








ZF: What do you think is the importance of prevailing style vs. just following trends?


Creating an individual style sets you apart from the rest; there is nothing more uninspiring than seeing people buying into the conventional ways of dressing. I believe that it is always a wise idea that your sense of style makes an impactful influence on others. A trend can be something that is popular for now, but a style has the potential to be timeless.











ZF: What are the top 5 items in your wardrobe?


A 3 piece Christian Dior suit that was handed down to me by my grandfather; a black vintage leather jacket; All Stars; Ray-Ban’s; and my vintage NIXON watch.

.
ZF: What is your winter style advice for men and women alike?

ID: Always keep a good quality scarf and coat in your wardrobe; you can never go wrong with those two items. Colour blocking is great for summer but not in winter, it only leads to a disaster. Oh, and a nice beanie always looks stylish with whatever you wear.









These are some examples of Itumeleng's photographic work. He also recently created a piece that was exhibited at the Afrikarize World AIDS Day Convention in Johannesburg on the 30th of November. The Convention which is an initiative by Afrikarize, a non-profit organization, sought to raise awareness about social challenges like HIV/AIDS, domestic violence, and substance abuse.


(All images are the property of Itumeleng Direro)

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posted by Zinhle Zee Mncube @ 2:40 PM 0 Comments

10.28.2011

The Philosophy of Style #4


Style is one of those things in life that cannot be bought. It cannot be forced. It is one of those things that simply shows itself.

Yves Saint Laurent famously said that, "Fashion fades, style is eternal." Style is not about following fleeting fads and trends, and possessing all the latest designer clothes. Style is timeless. It is unique to the individual. It is about self-expression, history, culture, innovation, self-esteem...

Fashionistas will not bend to fashion rules set out by fashion editors tucked away in their ivory towers.

They know what they want.

They are no longer buying into the "emperors' new clothes" doctrine; "just trust the experts and wear it whether you like it or not" philosophy. They want real clothes, and they want their attire to reflect their beliefs without having to utter a word. They want their garments to live in synchronicity with their core values.

I bring you the Philosophy of Style series of posts, detailing selected fashionistas' ideas on style.

Introducing...



25-year-old Rhulani Anthony Bila's blog's payoff line and Twitter bio read, "Simply put, I'm complicated."  That alone is intriguing enough. But not only is Anthony an extremely stylish ideator and project manager at the specialist media company, OneonOne, he also paints commissioned pieces, writes and makes music, blogs, and he just happens to be GQ Best Dressed Reader for 2011. Here's the philosophy behind Anthony's style:


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


Anthony Bila: I would describe myself as a curious creator who's passionate about life, love and everything else in between. I love my family and my friends. I can be stubborn at times, but I love collaborating and working with driven people. I'd like to think I have a sense of humour too. I'm quite like a chameleon in that I adapt to situations quickly - ironically, though, I'm colour blind. Didn't see that one coming, did you?


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


AB: I grew up in a township in South Africa called Tembisa on the East Rand of  Johannesburg. I have fond memories of that place, but I spent the other half of my childhood in another neighbourhood called Bonaero Park, where we moved to.

I'd like to think I haven't changed much since my days of reckless abandon - I was a curious child who loved to read, loved to learn, and loved to create. These are qualities that have formed a big part of who I am. Ursula K. LeGuin once said, "The creative adult is the child that survived", and that is how I think we should all pursue life.

ZF: Is there something about you that people might not readily know?


AB: Well, besides blogging fashion, photography, art and architecture, I actually draw, paint, write music and poetry, sing, and play the guitar. The biggest "known unknown", though, is that I am rather shy and not a great people's person, in the truest sense of the word. In essence, I'm a socially awkward nerd.




ZF: What do you think style is?


AB: Style for me is an understanding of oneself - it's being cognisant of who you are, what you like, and what works well with that. I refer to more than just clothes, of course, but to how you carry yourself and how you treat others. To paraphrase Kanye West, "the prettiest people sometimes do the ugliest things", and that to me that negates any visual aesthetic.

ZF: Who or what influences your style?


AB: I don't have any particular person that I esteem to emulate in terms of style, but there are some inspiring individuals, the likes of Nickelson Wooster and Esther Querk, to name a few. Being a blogger though, there's always interesting posts and people you come across that inspire, rather than influence. Be yourself because everyone else is taken.

ZF: How does your style reflect your goals/dreams/ambitions?


AB: I straddle between the corporate world and the creative world with my work and I've come realise that they can exist in parallel - they are not mutually exclusive. So my style reflects both of these worlds depending on the occasion. My style, I believe, reflects that I want to be independent, pursue my own path (the road less travelled, if you will), and have a lifestyle that has a balance between work and family. A balance I believe most of us are failing to achieve.


ZF: What do you think is the importance of prevailing style vs. just following trends?


AB: Yves Saint Laurent once said, "Fashions fade; style is eternal", so if you think about it, trends come and go. In fact, some trends in fashion have been downright ridiculous ergo if you are constantly trying to keep up with trends, you will lose yourself in it. It's important to find your own style and do that by finding yourself and certain nuances that can be trendy, but they should always adapt to your own individual sense of style, and not vice versa.

ZF: What are the top 5 items in your wardrobe?


AB: My Pierre Cardin suit; Lee Selvedge jeans; Levi's lumber jack scotch shirt; Armani Chronograph watch; and Ben Sherman chinos.

ZF: What is your winter (general) style advice for men and women alike?


Well, hopefully, first off to visit my blog http://www.anthonybila.tumblr.com/, where I'll be covering all the winter style trends. Other items I foresee are coats, trench coats, desert boots, and leather boots too. For men and women, layers will be important. In terms of colours, browns, blacks, greys, and warm colours like red, orange and yellow. Above all else, apply trends to your own individual style. Always.




(All photographs by: Anthony Bila)

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posted by Zinhle Zee Mncube @ 11:16 AM 3 Comments

10.19.2011

The GQ Best-Dressed Men Awards 2011

DAPPER: The GQ best dressed men of 2011 receive their awards (Photo: Elza Smit)

Simply put, award shows are contentious.

Very rarely will you find an award show where every single person agrees on who should have gotten an award, who should have been nominated, who should have been invited to the event etc etc etc.

After browsing through a number of websites and hearing the opinions of a number of different people on the GQ Best-Dressed Men Awards that took place on Monday night at the Westcliff Hotel, it's safe to say that not everyone is happy with the Top 10 list.

But here's the thing - not everyone needs to be happy. Sure, I wasn't 100% certain about everyone who made the list, and this is probably because I'm not familiar with those men, or I haven't seen them out often enough to judge whether they do have the necessary style to be list. Or maybe it's just my own, personal bias - I mean, we all have different ideas on style.

My problem is that too many times, people have hasty opinions about people (good or bad) without the sufficient information. In this case, people just do not know who some of these guys are. They have not seen these guys in person. More importantly, they just do not know what the judging criteria was.

What I'm proposing is context. This isn't the best dressed 'celebrity' awards or the 'most popular celeb who we see on a gossip show and who we now think is stylish' awards. I applaud GQ for even having a platform that celebrates men who 'make an outfit their own' in a climate when men's fashion is grossly underrepresented in South Africa.

So yes, let's argue about who made it the list, or who we think should have been there instead. But let's also keep in mind that the men who are nominated are leaders in the variety of fields they are from. The judges this year were GQ, advised by Thulane Hadebe, Malikah Hajee, Hlelo Masina and Ntando Masina, YFM DJs, Melissa Maxted-Henderson, Style Editor of Heat Magazine, Liezl van der Westhuizen, TV Presenter and Seth Rotherham, winner of GQ Best-Dressed 2010. Moreover, a new crop of men are chosen each year which opens up the opportunity for a lot men more to get recognition for their style.

I'm also really happy that GQ included the Best Dressed Reader award this year, and the winner, Anthony Bila, certainly deserved the award. Also, there was the Best Dressed Woman on the night award, which went to Juanita Boschoff who did look beautiful in a bright pants suit. Yes, let's critique the awards, but we should at least have some knowledge behind this.

With all that said, here are the


 1. Oscar Pistorius, athlete
2. Masego 'Maps' Maponyane, model and TV presenter
3. Ziyon, music producer and vocalist for Liquideep

4. AKA, rapper and music producer
5. Jamey Lipschitz, regional manager at Sanlam
6. Yaaseen Cader, model and leather goods artisan

7. Loyiso Gola, comedian and TV presenter
8. Mncedisi Mayekiso, businessman
9. Jamal Nxedlana, multidisciplinery artist
10. Trevor Madondo, radio producer and entrepreneur

Oscar Pistorius took the top honour and he does deserve the award as  a genuinely stylish man and icon. I'm super happy for Maps because I think that he is one man who an inherent sense of style (I loved those bright socks!). And Aka, the only rapper on the list. It's awesome to see a South African rapper who is sartorially polished get the necessary recognition. And Jamal - I love Jamal - his outrageous style is captivating.

I'm making it my mission not only to find out more about the rest of the men on this list but also to actively seek to find South Africa's most stylish men in my series of posts, The Philosophy of Style.
Where can GQ improve? I think next year the nominations should be made open to the public, and the judges should be left to decide the top 10. Also, if the judging criteria was explained to the public, maybe then can people can understand the logic behind the final Top 10.

Monday night was incredible. Plain and simply - I had an amazing time. I'll take any opportunity to see the growth of South African fashion and style, and I think these awards are one step in a whole more we need to see in South African men's fashion.

My buddy Nthabi and I at the event. (Picture credit: GQ.co.za)
(Picture credit for Top 10 images: Kris Moolman for GQ)

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posted by Zinhle Zee Mncube @ 5:21 PM 49 Comments

2.23.2011

GQ street style


Check me out in GQ's Street Style section here.

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posted by Zinhle Zee Mncube @ 2:00 PM 0 Comments