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Fashion innovation tailored to perfection. October 2013

FASHION’SNEWFACES:

Designers &Photographers

Models.

BESPOKE

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editor’sEL TTERthe

The new season is upon us. This means change. The way men dress themselves is about to change and hopefully it will be for the better.Bespoke means custom

made or tailored according to an individual’s style. This magazine is created for the stylish gentleman who wants to stay informed by the latest trends, ideas and news in men’s fashion.This month’s issue brings

you the the young voices of the industry which need to be listened to more closely for the benefit of style development.South Africa has a wealth of

talent in the fashion industry which seeks to reinvigorate investing in a good quality suit and its accessories.Menswear designer Maps

Maponyane (pg 09) tells us about his journey in launching his debut collection OCD for Augustine. Our fresh faced beauty Kenny Morifi-Winslow

(pg16) tells us her idea of sexy is and changes the general perception on models as being superficial and ditzy.Photographer Ed Suter (pg

23) gives us an idea of fashion witnessed on the streets away from the controlled and glossy inside of photoshoot studios.The man of Bespoke magazine

is introduced to these new faces making an impact in the fashion industry because they are innovative and have the power to change the industry towards an exciting future.

Sakhisizwe Gcina

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Contents_Designer Maps Maponyane

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30_The streets of Cape Town & Johannesburg

_Model Kenny Morifi-Winslow_Photographer Ed Suter

_Skincare made for black men

_The Top 3 classic items redesigned

_Bespoke attitude

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Being GQ’s Best Dressed Man runner-up, Cosmopolitan’s Sexiest Man and with a collection of impeccable suits, the model turned menswear designer Maps Maponyane is at the forefront of the fashion industry.

Fashion’s

madnessText: Sakhisizwe Gcina| Images: Tim Hulme

Maps

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W hen Maps enters the quaint Wolves café he is dressed appropriately for a Johannesburg spring day, which is typically warm, but with a slight icy breeze in a grey sweater, a

pair of smart blue jeans, a polished pair of maroon loafers accessorised with a black Casio watch.

Wolves café is a place of vintage pastiche that resonates with trendy popular culture. There is a gumball machine at the entrance and a shelf adjacent to it stocked with oddball trinkets, eccentric t-shirts, pictures, board games, books and miniature, wooden sculptures of howling wolves.

While putting down his backpack, he smiles at the staff. They immediately recognise him. “I like how relaxed this space is. I think it is a really cool place,” he says, before ordering a pot of green tea and a plate of scrambled eggs with a croissant.

Throughout the interview there are constant interruptions from various patrons of the place who greet and engage in chitchat before they resume their day. Some ask for his opinion on their style; a friend asks if she is dressed appropriately for a job interview.

Maps is aware of his public image. He has over 8 000

followers on Twitter and over 2 000 friends on Facebook where girls flood his inbox with provocative messages.

Girls have requested to kiss him; one girl has cried tears upon meeting him and men have attempted to give him handshakes, while using the urinal in a public bathroom.

His response to these fanatic reactions is always calm, “I definitely know how to turn on the charm when I have to,” he says confidently.

When I ask him about his perception on his burgeoning fame, he is reluctant to identify himself as a celebrity, “I think people respond to me positively because I have the boy-next-door look which makes me relatable. I still wear my glasses even though they make me look nerdy,” he says, while re-adjusting the spectacles on his brow.

But his fashion brand OCD doesn’t exactly convey a casual attitude. It’s mostly formal wear and it’s doing well for a neophyte in the industry. His style icons, which are closer to an elegant, classic look, are Tom Ford, David Beckham and Jimi Hendrix.

The title of his menswear range is an abbreviation for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. He likes his personal space and can be fiercely private sometimes.

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During the interview he returns his food because the croissant is too dry and he incessantly neatens his possessions on the table. There’s a copy of the bestselling book Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell underneath a smaller book of oxymoronic aphorisms. His tablet is enclosed in a tribal print Babatunde cover, a fashion brand made famous by musician Solange Knowles.

His love for fashion was nurtured through shopping trips with his mother Meisie Maponyane. They helped him develop a good eye for sophisticated style.

By the age of 18 he had sharpened this skill through being mentored by Lucilla Booysen, the director of South African Fashion Week. She taught him fashion is a business and should be treated with corporate sensibility as much as creative exploration.

Maps thinks the South African fashion industry needs to be more ambitious in its efforts to be competitive in an international market, “I think we don’t dream big enough. South Africa likes to praise mediocrity,” he says.

Unlike most designers, he doesn’t have a mood board where he projects his ideas, but he keeps a journal where he writes personal experiences, “I like to write in it when I’m sad. There are moments when I don’t write anything. Then when I read it later I find all these sad moments.” He suggests we play a game of scrabble.

The setting is perfect for a creative board game with a stream of multi-coloured, triangle banners leading your eye over the tables and chairs to a corner with a deep, leather couch and a bicycle on the wall next to framed artefacts. Finally in the far corner there is a sunflower-yellow fridge complete with colourful, magnetic letters of the alphabet like a relic from 1950s suburbia.

Having studied at Wits University, where he obtained a BA degree in English, French, Media Studies and International Human Rights, he can speak five languages, including Serbian and Turkish which means he’s good with words.

He sits motionless like in a daze or transfixed on a thought as we play. His bespectacled, square face begins to frown. He puts down the letters on the board. They spell the word “cube”. “I like to think outside the box,” he says ambiguously.

When Maps launched his debut menswear range in collaboration with the Johannesburg-based bespoke fashion house Augustine, a boutique known for tailored quality suits and its accessory garments, it attracted considerable media attention, “The difficulty was converting all the attention into actual sales. There’s definitely more traffic at Augustine, since the launch.”

In a GQ magazine review it was called, “...something really special. Throwing his personal touch towards classic tailoring, the aptly named collection pays great attention to detail with unique touches that any man would appreciate. It’s a collection that’ll certainly hold its own in South Africa’s suiting game.”

It’s quickly gaining popularity with consumers, proven by the several requests for stockitsts outside Johannesburg.The lavish event, held at the intimate Augustine atelier, featured a small crowd of influential guests such as trend analyst Dion Chang who gave their support and approval.

Since then he has travelled to a luxurious beach resort in Pangkor Laut, an island off the coast of Malaysia for a swimwear photo shoot. Then he travelled to Istanbul, Turkey, where he

bought his pair of maroon loafers. It was a holiday, which turned out to be a feast of creative stimulation.

He was particularly captivated by the architecture, “I really liked the intricate architecture of the mosques. They’re so grand and majestic.”

Perhaps his next clothing range will show evidence of this inspiration. His suits from the OCD range already display a floral tapestry on the inner lining of the suit jackets and blazers.

His guilty pleasure is shopping, “Whenever I move apartments, I think I have more boxes of clothing than any other stuff,” he says with a chuckle.

He also has a predilection for literature. He prefers reading the classics. One of his favourite novels is The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. The disturbing, gothic novel is a sinister critique of hedonism, vanity, and the obsession with preserving youthful beauty.

This is ironic considering Maps is the model for OCD. His youthful, yet classic handsomeness has been preserved through photography, yet his grounded nature does not give the impression he might suffer from the self-indulgent Dorian Gray Syndrome, where one fears aging.

He believes this unpretentious trait is appealing to consumers, “I think great fashion brands go beyond the product and sell an idea that connects with people.”

Although he is serious about his career, his life has comic moments too. When he was younger he embarrassingly walked twice into a pole resulting in him being teased for having a big head, which he now finds amusing.

His fun loving side includes exploring what he calls the “forbidden and forgotten spaces of Joburg” on a night out. He prefers hipster central hangout spots like Great Dane, Kitchener’s and the Neighbourgoods Market.

When he I ask him about his greatest fear he is silent, it is a question he struggles with in every interview, he tells me. Eventually, he says it would be the death of his loved family members.

For all his eccentricities, he can be conventional in his outlook on life. He does not smoke or get drunk, although he generously served champagne to friends during his birthday celebrations.

He thinks his greatest achievement, separated from career aspirations, will be fatherhood and a good marriage.

His father Marks Maponyane, the legendary soccer player and analyst on Supersport, recently appeared with his son in a Drum magazine feature.

“Respect is very important to me and I taught my children to always show respect towards everyone, and most importantly to never forget where they come from and who they are,” Marks says.

His most cherished possession is a necklace with a sword and a skull hanging at its end, which he always wears around his neck. The sword comes from his fascination with Japanese culture. It represents honour and virtue like a dignified Samurai. The skull could mean the eternity of life after death. Perhaps, the legacy he hopes to leave behind.

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THE DETAIL

COLLAR

IT’S ALL IN

TAPESTRY

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THE DETAIL

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Keepingup withkennyKenny Morifi-Winslow was born in Johannesburg, spent her a childhood in Singapore, jolted through her teenage years in London, then returned to study at the University of Cape Town. Now, the 21-year-old model and stylist, for the local Giorgo Armani and Burberry branches at the V&A Waterfront, will be graduating soon. This fresh-faced beauty of the fashion industry is ready to take on the rest of the world and she’s going to do it without wearing any makeup.

Images and text by: Sakhisizwe Gcina

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Models are otherworldly creatures. Tall, thin, fair. I guess how modelling started was really more for art. I did a lot of artistic shoots with friends and that developed into fashion photography.

To call me a model would be an exaggeration. People take pictures of me more for the clothes I’m wearing than for any physical merit. My complexion and hair are major draw factors for people looking to break out of the norm of contemporary visual art or media, so I fall into those kinds of categories.

Fashion is my passion, so any excuse to play with clothes is good to me, but the kinds of people you meet doing work like this is probably one of the highlights.

Chanel Iman is my favourite current model. She is super cute and lives a very interesting life outside of her modelling career. She is big into music and I love a well rounded artist.

I’d love to be Kate Moss. She is the ultimate rock princess! I love her edgy look and her not bothered attitude. She lives a rock ’n roll life married to a rock star and having a long line of ex-rocker boyfriends behind her. I’m envious of her intimate relationships with some of the biggest names in fashion. She has been the muse for icons like Karl Lagerfeld, Mathew Williamson and Alexander McQueen. No one can compete with that kind of legacy.

Yves Saint Laurent is a fashion brand that fully embodies the kind of woman I try to be. The label makes clothing for the modern, independent woman. The look is always bold, striking and with beautiful tailoring. If confidence and power were tangible things, they would probably be an architectural tuxedo blazer and an intricately detailed, tailored trouser.

My most treasured possession would probably be my dad’s Harvard crew neck sweater that he gave me on my eighteenth birthday. It’s tattered and torn at the arms and neck.The jersey fabric has worn down to an almost silky soft, thin piece of material, but I love it to bits. He got it 30 years ago on his first day at Harvard where my parents met. For me, it represents the potential for greatness and capacity for epic love.

I hate wearing makeup during the day. I’m very comfortable with the way I look naturally and I think that is where real beauty is, so I tend not to wear makeup. If it’s a vital situation, then I always go for mascara and lipstick. My favourite is a matte red by MAC called Ruby Woo.

In terms of a casting look, most times they will send you a brief of what they require. It’s usually a black or white vest and leggings or jeans. Very clean simple, and young. They want to see the blank canvas. But if it’s for more creative work, like styling jobs, I usually like to dress in a way that communicates what I do, so it changes all the time. I love to play with shapes and prints, but my tastes are like my moods – volatile.

I have these black Jenni Button drop crotch tuxedo trousers. Those paired with either my stripy black and white Zara blazer or my Black Michael Kors tux jacket with a sky high pair of heels, is a recipe for invincibility.

My idea of sexy is very different from a lot of people. When most people think sexy, they think, short, tight, lacy and curvy. I think people who think that way are blinded by superficial parts of you, for me it’s overtly sexual.

My first love is definitely my most treasured memory. I learnt so much about myself and my capacity for love and creativity. It was definitely one of the biggest contributing factors to the person I am today. He was deep and creative, expressive and made me feel like it was okay for me to be different and odd.

I love art. I’m a thoroughbred creative and art is my rhyme and reason. I love to create beautiful things. Being a stylist allows me to help people find a way to express themselves as an individual, express the art inside them without having to draw, sing or paint. Styling is a way to give people beauty.

The highlight of my career was definitely my first Elle shoot. I was there as a stylist for a shoot of an industry creative representing Africa for Elle International. Asanda Sizani, the fashion editor of the magazine, loved my look and the clothes I was wearing. She rearranged the shoot in order to include me in the spread. It was the best feeling being recognized for not only my talent but for my own personal creativity and self expression.

My greatest fear is being inadequate. I would hate to live the rest of my life on the brink of realizing my potential, but never actually fulfilling it. The romantic in me is afraid of loving in half measures. I would sooner never marry, than settle for a mediocre love story.

My guilty pleasure is country music.I don’t know my most embarrassing moment because my brain probably shut it out of my memory. I’m definitely sure there is one trapped somewhere in my sub conscious.

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I love my capacity for understanding. Having such a worldly background living in so many different cities, and having mixed parents has taught me to embrace difference instead of fear it. It allows me to relate to many different kinds of people.

I’d love to live in New York City. The pavement is alive with creativity and energy. It’s the cosmopolitan hub of so many industries; I would love to be in the middle of that. But the romantic writer in me says differently. There is nothing like Paris in the rain, so, at some stage, I’ll have to live there too.

I would love to see more local models compete internationally. We have such striking women, especially our models. We bring a flavour to the runway that most countries can’t. We need to represent our diversity in magazines and on runways.

I love to feel powerful and confident while remaining fully clothed. I’m smart. I’m funny and mysterious, and that’s sexier than any cleavage could be.

“ I’m smart. I’m funny and mysterious, and that’s sexier than any

cleavage could be.

”

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MoreThanMeetsEyeTheProfessional street style photographer Ed Suter likes to get coffee at Bean There on Wale Street, a drink at Tjing Tjing on Longmarket Street; burgers at The Dogs Bollocks on Roodehek Street and see films at The Labia theatre, but there’s more to him than walking these streets.

Images and text: Sakhisizwe Gcina

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There is a yellow house that looks like it was painted with pastel chalk ground up into powder and then thrown all over. Ed Suter, South Africa’s street style photography pioneer, emerges from it and opens a

white gate that has a rubber toy horn with a squeaky shriek as its door bell.

He is casually dressed in faded grey jeans and a striped black-and-white long-sleeved t-shirt. His home is a reflection of a photographic artist with a family. There’s a hodgepodge of artwork created by his children, including cardboard models of Big Ben and the Sydney Opera House, and serious photo images he has collected over the years.

When I arrive for our interview boxes of wooden placemats, that he creates and are sold at many stores, have just been delivered. This stock of placemats has photos of the various dry, small town landscapes, like Paternoster, situated around Cape Town.

“The world of photography and publication has changed radically and I feel very lucky that I had this idea to make products with my images five or six years ago. Now it’s more established and it’s another income stream. It’s also a way for me to stay interested in photography. I don’t want to get to the stage where I find the whole business frustrating,” he says, while making tea.

He also has cushions with his prints and sketches that were comissioned for Mr Price.

Although he treats photography as a professional business, he doesn’t consider himself a corporate photographer. He does not shoot commercial advertising campaigns for companies.

He describes the photography industry like a huge tent where there is room for everybody who has different views, but he believes you should have something unique to your photography, “I now have found a niche for myself which is quite energetic, on the streets, colourful, contemporary and generally is made for everybody,” he says.

Ed’s relationship with photography started at a very young age. When he was eight or nine years old he owned a little film camera, “I’ve never stopped taking photos ever since and I’ve shot everywhere I’ve lived.”

When he went to New York where he lived for five years, he trained and worked as a stage actor touring America playing the archetypal role of Romeo. He gets excited talking about it, “I loved it. I was completely inspired!”

He was trained by the revered actress and drama teacher Uta Hagen, who was visited by the likes of the famous, award-winning actor Dustin Hoffman for acting advice. “I was surrounded by Al Pacino. These amazing people would be coming and working with us and I was totally inspired to make it,” he says.

He continued to capture his surroundings, “It was mostly people on the street and architecture. Quirky little things always catch my eyes, so it was funny little details. But often it was street photography in the old sense, which was noticing strange interactions between people or noticing a strange scene on the street.”

This meant allowing it to be natural and the subjects being less self-conscious. His style of photography is different compared to the current highly posed street style photography.

After a brief return to South Africa he moved to London where his family was situated, but his acting career wouldn’t be the

same. The casting directors struggled to identify with him and couldn’t find roles that suited his style.

The kind of work available to him wasn’t appealing. It was the heydays of television soaps and he knew he’d “never be on East Enders or something like that.” He was nearing the age of thirty and if he didn’t achieve a breakthrough soon, he would be one of those actors who make a career out of waiting tables hoping for a big break. The thought of this was too depressing.

He decided to conflate the world of film and photography by finding work as a film location scout. With only a bicycle as his means of transportation, he cycled through the streets of London before it became a hipster trend.

The only problem was that he had no experience. His creativity and determination led him to create a fictional CV to get work. He also decided to put his fervent interest through the rigours of academia by studying photography at the London School of Printing, which is now known as London School of Communication, using photos of the actors on the film sets he worked on.

“I wasn’t pretending to be a brain surgeon, I was pretending to be someone who could find a location and I thought I probably can. I felt very confident,” he says with a smile.

He proved to be a natural at the job and he produced good work. “I don’t think location scouts are naturally great photographers, they don’t have to be, but it certainly helps if you are.”

But the more successful he was the less creative work he had to do. The logistical side of filming, such as how to fit twenty film trucks in the middle of London, he didn’t like.

He came back to South Africa to live in Johannesburg equipped with an idea which flourished into his design business, “You

could go to a photography studio in High Street and they could make you a set of placemats, you just had to give them a set of six pictures,” he says of the inspiration.

He started his business in 2007 and had his own stall at the annual Design Indaba by the following year. His placemats are now outsourced by several department stores.

His career as a street style photographer began when he saw Scott Shuman’s notorious street style fashion blog The Sartorialist and he thought, “It was amazing how he combined street photography that I love and fashion photography and made it into a genre I wasn’t familiar with.” The only person he knew who had done something similar was the famous street style photographer Bill Cunningham of the New York Times.

Ed went to the streets of the industrial area Epping in Cape Town where there are colourful graphics of menus painted on the walls, “I get bored walking down Long Street, I need more grit,” he says.

It was through these trips, including the streets of downtown Johannesburg and an urge to amalgamate all his interests that his immensely popular street style book Sharp Sharp was born.

The title stems from a term in South Africa’s lingo which means an affirmation of anything that’s positive. It made good business sense for him to choose Quivertree as the publishing company because they had published Shack Chic and Mud Chic, books which depicted the exuberant style of South Africa’s informal settlements and rural villages respectively, places that are normally marginalised or looked at with pity.

With the charm of Romeo, Ed connected with the people bustling on the streets of South Africa exposing them to the book The Satorialist so they understood what his aim was.

“I’ve never stopped taking photos ever since and I’ve shot everywhere

I’ve lived.”

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The people responded warmly, “But you’ve got to be quick, otherwise people get restless and bored,” he warns.

Architecture plays a big role in a street style image. Ed’s images always have a striking background proving that and that there might be a strategic awareness when he took the vibrant photos, “A lot of it is instinctive, but a lot of it has also been pre-planned in my mind.

So if I’m walking down the street and I can see someone approaching me who I think looks good, I immediately start looking around me what makes a good background, because to me the background is just as important,” he says.

Sharp Sharp is almost sold out suggesting there is a gap in the market. The Sunday Times newspaper said in its review of the book, “A 288 page extravaganza of such colour that it should come with an epilepsy warning,” and the Cape Times said its, “a homage to a gritty, happy, anti-twee South Africaness.”

While O, The Oprah magazine said, “Suter’s fine eye for detail elevates ordinary scenes to unforgettable pictures,” and Elle magazine called it, “the very essence of South African street style.”

Ed’s work has been commissioned to be exhibited in Paris this month. He’s also received an order for the book in Rwanda, showing the scope of its impact. It might be due to the success of Daniele Tamagni’s book The Gentlemen of Bacongo, another African street style tome. Ed will also explore the streets of Accra, the capital city of Ghana.

When I ask him what he likes about photography, he refers to another renowned street photographer Garry Winogrand who famously said: “I photograph the things I love, to see what they would look like as photographs.”

Ed’s perception resonates deeply with that sentiment. “What I like about photography I suppose is what most photographer’s like about it which is creating a beautiful image. I tend to see the world as a series of photographs. I can record the way I see the world,” he says.

The street photographer is like an urban explorer taking in the cultural experience of the city,

Ed’s favourite image in Sharp Sharp is of a young black man from, the streets of Joburg, dressed in traditional Zulu garb symbolising a trainee sangoma in a red skirt and dreadlocks, wearing gold sneakers against a blood red concrete background.

“What I like about the book is when you get that mixture of a traditional cultural way of dressing combined with a very strong 21st century South African or African aesthetic.” It;s something you won’t see on the streets of London, Paris, New York or Milan.

The trainee had come from rural Kwa-Zulu Natal to the city, but he kept his cultural heritage. Those were the people he wanted to photograph.

Ed grew up on a farm, but he loves the city. “I love what cities can be. I’m just as happy going away on a weekend to a small village, but I don’t think I would find the same energy that I wanted to capture for Sharp Sharp. If I would go to a small village in the Eastern Cape I would find a different beauty.”

He worries that street style photography will become generic. He would like young photographers to bring their individualism to street style photography.

The photographers he admires the most are W Eugene Smith, Richard Avedon, David LaChapelle and Ben Watts who, he says, are people “who bring life, energy and colour into their photographs.” Perhaps in future he can add himself on to the list of inspiring photographers.

There is a captivating and profound image hanging on his wall which he photographed at the communal Sea Point swimming pool. Cape Town is the World Design Capital for next year and this image will be on the brochures to portray a coming together of different people.

It was taken when the Sea Point promenade was under threat from the construction of a giant hotel and shopping mall.

The image is of an old, white woman in a bathing suit hugging a black man in a speedo. It’s message is clear.

“Sometimes a photograph can be universal,” Ed says with a philosophical tone.

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Scrubs, lotions, cleansers and moisturisers are no longer foreign products to men who care about their personal hygiene. According to the medical website www.webmd.com , Dr Andrew F. Alexis, assistant clinical

professor of dermatology at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City, discussed the leading medical and cosmetic dermatologic concerns in darker-skinned populations and how to treat those conditions at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology in Miami Beach.

“Although people of colour have more natural protection from ultraviolet radiation, because of the increased amount of melanin, the pigment that gives skin its colour, the cells that make melanin pigment tend to be more reactive to inflammation and injury. So pigmentation problems are more common in skin of colour,” says Dr. Alexis.

Michael Mikiala Men skincare products claim to be specifically formulated for black men’s skin. When I used the products, which were packaged in a chic black leather bag, they exceeded my expectations for a short testing period of three weeks and there was a significant improvement in my overall skin quality.

The face scrub didn’t feel abrasive against my skin and the exfoliating micro beads, which can do damage, were not rough and painful, but smooth, making my skin look new and refreshed. The ingredients used in this product are apricot kernel oil and African shea butter, which are good for sensitive skin and they have vitalising properties.

The face wash didn’t leave my skin with that tight, dry feeling instead it felt soft and supple.

This is because of the rose flower oil, vitamin E and lactic acid, a natural chemical found in milk, which work as a softener, while the moisturiser with African shea butter, aloe and cucumber gave me an even complexion and diminished any

discolouration and dark spots.But the most impressive was the bump lotion.

Razor bumps and ingrown hairs are the most irritating things men have to deal with. They’re continuously itchy and embarrassing if they’re very bad looking. What are razor bumps? It’s a common follicular problem that affects a disproportionately large number of dark-skinned patients.

Studies show that the condition, scientifically called pseudofolliculitis barbae, affects 45% to 83% of black men.

“Hair wise, the most striking difference between fair-skinned and dark-skinned people is that the hair shaft is curved in people of African descent. After shaving, especially close shaving, the sharp tip of shaved hair grows back into the skin, causing inflammation and bumps,” says Dr. Alexis.

He recommends shaving only in the direction of your hair growth after applying shaving cream. Laser treatment can also help, but because it targets melanin, lasers carry a higher risk of discoloration, blistering, burning, and other side effects in darker-skinned people.

Creams and gels, including topical retinoids, topical antibiotics, topical steroids, and the topical prescription medication eflornithine may also help, but the alcohol in several aftershaves is not recommended by many dermatologists as a good solution and gives your skin that unsightly rough texture.

The non alcoholic Michael Mikiala Men bump lotion is the miracle men have been waiting for to solve this persistent issue.

A combination of jojoba oil, white willow bark and shea butter softens hair follicles, releases trapped hair allowing ingrown hair to break free and stimulates new cell formation.

These therapeutic essential oils are also anti-inflammatory agents which reduce bumps.

It’s no wonder that it is their most popular product.

Today’s men care about the way they look just as much as women do. Commonly referred to as metrosexuals, their grooming habits have changed from just using soap in the shower to having an array of specialised products for their skin. This has opened up a gap in the skincare industry. Now there’s a skincare range to address the needs of the toughest group in that market – black men.

Text: Sakhisizwe Gcina

BLACKBEAUTY

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Top 3 items...Image: Morne Van Zyl

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1. The Cardigan

The cardigan has been given a new edge by designer Laduma Ngxokolo. Wanting to show his pride for the Xhosa culture, he used some of its prints to reinterprete the clothing item. Using textiles bought from farmers in the Eastern Cape, he successfully created cardigans that have a distinctly African feel, but still have international appeal. They are now sold at various boutiques like Merchants on Long Street. The designer told GQ magazine he wanted to express the good side of the Xhosa intitiation ritual, “I concentrate on the celebration side of the ritual. After a man is initiated, he gets a whole new wardrobe. I created my range with them in mind.” The cardigan is best worn with a pair of chinos and a collared shirt.

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2. The Coat

Twins Innocent and Justice Mukheli and their close friend Vuyo Mpantsha are the blogging sensation I See A Different You who’ve put South African street style in the world’s fashion industry eyeview. The stylish trio’s photographs are typically shot in the non-glamourous locations of Pimville township in Soweto, among other aesthetically marginalised areas across the southern part of Africa. Wearing formal outfits like Italian style suits with chic leather coats, these award winning art directors are adding sophistication to their childood places of upbringing. They told the Mail and Guardian, “When we started we were inspired by the idea of changing the general perception of these places, which we know is not a true reflection. We are able to see them differently. And when we look at two sides of the story we choose to look at the positive and try to find beauty in that place.”

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3. The Hat

Floyd Avenue, member of the trendy Smarteez group, has ventured into the hat making business by redesigning the colonial outdoor helmet, the bowler hat famously worn by Charlie Chaplin, the Italian fedora hat and the Jewish rabbi hat. His hats are worn by individuals who like to think of themselves as urban explorers. On his popular street style blog Follow The Rabbi Hat, the milliner describes himself as, “The guy fashionably walking past illusions, adorned with the heart of Jozi street culture. A fashion designer by profession and creative of epic talent by birth.”

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Cape Town visit...The Old Biscuit Mill with its red brick industrial architecture is an iconic feature of Cape Town. In the heart of Woodstock it’s a vibrant little urban village. It’s home to dynamic office space, a range of workshops and designer stores, delicious farm stalls and decadent restaurants. According to the lettering found down the side of its chimney, it seems the mill started out as a factory for ‘Pioneer’, then ‘Standard Mills’ and was most recently, before its conversion, a mill for ‘Pyotts’. A mill-like structure built in the late 19th century also inhabited this space. The base of the windmill exists somewhere on the grounds, but it hasn’t been found yet. The Mill’s history mysterious and elusive clues from its rich past surface every now and again. This is where you meet some of South Africa’s most talented and innovative designers, artists, photographers, and connoisseurs of fine taste and décor. The Saturday market is a delight for any food lover and it offers a feast of culinary treats. From craft beer, good wine and cocktails, to pastries, exotic dishes and wholesome, organic meals, it’s the city’s most charming spot and is loved by all of its patrons and visitors.

For more info visit: http://www.theoldbiscuitmill.co.za/

Text and Image by: Sakhisizwe Gcina

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Joburg visit...Maboneng, meaning ‘Place of Light’, is an urban neighbourhood on the east side of Johannesburg CBD. Maboneng is home to several independent retail stores, restaurants and entertainment venues as well as loft apartments, offices, hotel, a museum and creative factory spaces in an urban landscape. Some of the buildings are refurbished industrial warehouses and factories. Propertuity is the development company behind the Maboneng Precinct. There are 33 buildings in the property portfolio, 7 of which are developed. We look forward to watching the neighbourhood grow.

For more info visit: http://www.mabonengprecinct.com/ Image: Sakhisizwe Gcina

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A man wearing a suit perfectly tailored for his body makes the right kind of impression. It says he is confident in his abilities, cares about his presentation during work meetings and is a stylish individual who takes his career seriously.The history of the suit goes back to the Britain of

the late 17th century in the court of King Charles II, but since then it has undergone an evolution to become, in its new form,what is still considered the ultimate trademark of sophistication for any man with a stylish wardrobe.Depending on the occasion and personal signiture

style, any man can wear a suit if it is tailored the right way for you, from the double-breasted military cut, the conventional single-button blazer, the three-piece complete with a waistcoat, or the classic tuxedo. But the suit alone does not make the man

wearing it. The garment comes with a certain attitude or behaviour which is more befitting of a gentleman who appreciates good manners.You don’t have to get your suit from the finest

tailors of Savile Row to understand the importance of displaying good etiquette in public and during social interactions.This includes keeping your beard neatly trimmed

or shaven. This also prevents any food from getting caught on it. It’s fair to say that a well trimmed beard adds a certain charm to one’s face without looking like a primitive ape. The same applies for haircuits. An unruly hairstyle, without too much fuss, is the best option.Never sit with your legs wide open and ensure

your bottom blazer button is undone to ensure comfortability. If your fist can fit between your blazer and shirt, then you should be waering the correct size. You don’t want it to be too tight.Even though suits come with inside pockets made

to hold an iPhone, it’s rude to take phone calls during any conversation, especially in the middle of an important business deal.

The right length for trousers should be slighlty over the top edge of the shoe so that you don’t step on the hem. This also allows you to show off any socks you think is worthy of a compliment when sitting down. Your shoes should always be clean and polished.Do not place your hands and any other items,

susch as a bulky wallet inside your trouser pockets. This makes the trousers look lumpy and stuffed which is untidy.Your watch should peak put from your cuff,

instead of being in full display and the right amount of cuff ends just after your wrist. Cufflinks are an accessory and should not detract from the entire look.Although the 21st century man works in a more

relaxed environment with less strict rules about dress, whenever you wear a suit, be sure to embody the behaviour and attitude that comes with it.

Bespoke advice suited for any gentleman...Written by: Sakhisizwe Gcina

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