renascence magazine | issue no.1
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RENASCENCEmagazine
Issue No.1 / African Rise / Autumn Winter 2015Lunga Chris / Jimi Ogunlaja / Eugon McNeil
Adebayo Okelawal / Mzukisi Mbane / Coréon Dú
contents
masthead\\contributors
Editor’s NoteOpinion by Monde Mtsi
Opinion by Mikel MonroeProfile... Lunga Chris
Profile... Jimi OgunajaProfile... Eugon McNeil
Grooming... 11 Skincare EssentialsOpinion... Editor’s Choice
Interview... Adebayo OkelawalInterview... Mzukisi Mbane
Interview... Coréon DúFabrics of Africa
Ground ZeroLuxe War
PortLast Word / #Throwback
...five
...six
...eight
...ten
...twelve
...fourteen
...sixteen
...twenty-two
...twenty-four
...thirty-four
...forty-six
...sixty
...seventy-two
...eighty-four
...ninety-eight
...one hundred and ten
LINDILE NDWAYANA - managing editor
MIKEL MONROE - copy editor
SONGZ NKOMO - layout designer
contributor - LARRY ENGLISH - photography
contributor - LUXOLO POYO - photography
contributor - LYNN LE ROUX - make up artist
Questions, comments, and contribution enquiries can be forwarded to [email protected]
MONDE MTSI editor
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On The CoverPhotographer - Ogoh ClemModel - Damien Eze (Beth Models)Image Copyright Ogoh Clem/Damien Eze
editor’s notePutting together a magazine is no joke. From getting the idea, researching the op-tions, developing the concept, putting the content together to laying out the maga-zine and rallying a team of freelance contributors - it’s quite hefty work. But, we’re here.
It’s the second release from RENASCENCE, yet in actual fact, it’s the first official instalment of many to come. Issue No.1 is simply titled, ‘African Rise’. A theme or summary of what is currently happening in the world with regards to Africa. The world has once again turned its eye on Africa and seemingly ‘rejoicing’ as if we are a new discovery.
In this issue we celebrate men(swear) with the profiling three African models who are making waves in their own right; whether it’s Jimi and his business achieve-ments, Lunga with his international magazine cover scoops or Eugon with his Euro-pean catwalk trails - these are African faces that are making an impact and we salute them.
We also highlight three African creatives who are stamping their designs into the minds of the world and leaving a mark. From South Africa’s Mzukisi Mbane, who is trailblazing locally, Coréon Dú whose multi-disciplinary skills are awarding him international recognition or Adebayo Okelawal whose Nigerian clothing label is dressing the men of the world - these are the hands that stitch together a new tap-estry of what Africa has to offer.
Celebrate with us, celebrate with them. In the end, you are African first. We hope you enjoy this read. Till we meet again...
monde mtsi
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Whether you’re the white tee and jeans kind of dude or the tailored suit and brogues guy, fash-ion affects you and your sense of belonging and community. Monde Mtsi voices his opinion on
whether normcore is anything different to neo-normcore. Is there anything different about the art of dressing down when compared to the new trend of dressing up.
Normcore vs. Normcore
My opinion is that none of us can escape fashion. We may revolt against or accept it consciously, the fact will remain, it is all around us and we partake in it everyday when we wear any form of garment. So when ‘Normcore’ kicked into full blast around early 2014, I was amused; perhaps I should say, I was be-mused amusedly. Here was a trend all about being anti-fashion. All about being normal in a hardcore way.
The term popped up on the international circuit in a trend report titled, ‘Youth Mode: A Report On Free-dom’, by forecast agency, K-Hole. In their report, the term normcore was more about behaving in a certain way: doing what the majority wants, liking the same sports as the community you live in. Soon, this behaviour was extended to dressing the same as everyone else. So was normcore from a fashion point-of-view born? Yes. The second the globe start-ed dressing like Steve Jobs and Jerry Seinfeld, norm-core materialized itself in one of the world’s more prominent consumer formats.
Plain white t-shirts, standard leg jeans in a normal wash, mock turtlenecks, hoodies, short-sleeved shirts and chino pants all of a sudden were the ‘it’ items. The world started filling up with what looked like discount store mall rats. Everyone dressed in a particular way in order not to stand out of from the crowd, to blend in, yet collectively, they all stood out because they were dressed differently to the rest.
So just how anti-fashion are you when you’re follow-ing a fashion trend – looking like everyone else?
I get it. In the chaos of fast-track fashion, where things change almost every two weeks, one needs
to calm down and slow the pace down before they find themselves consumed by it all. Individualism never hurt anyone. People hurt other people. In our craze to be different we sometimes forget that it’s okay to be the same. Being mundane because that is who you are is cool. Mundane because you’re acting like it is just a farce.
A year later and we now find an interesting type of Neo-Normcore emergence rising. Much like norm-core where it’s all about going against the grain in a bid to be the same differently, here we see the same methodology but in a flamboyant manner. This rise of dapperly dressed guys, standing up for their right to fashion and their right to be masculine within fashion.
Out and about they are in their two- or three-piece suits, with shirts collared with either ties or bowties. Shoes polished for punishment with a lapel-pin and pocket square to boot. Neo-normcorism (if that’s even a word), even includes accessories such as man-bags, gloves and scarves. So what is this all about now again? Are we fighting against norm-core with this new move towards dressing up to the nines on a 9-5 basis? Are we absolving ourselves from the lack of fashion that normcore had intro-duced?
We all look the same and rely on genuine great per-sonalities to stand out and be different. In the end, you are not alone with your style and will find your-self with a few others who look the same, making you unwittingly, part of something more than just you.
So whether normcore or neo-normcore, chill, just get your fashion on point and your style across. MM
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#voxPOPULI
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We all love a good week of full-on fashion; it’s what we fashion folk partly live for. Yet in an ocean of fashion weeks in a tiny pond, do we really need one more? Our staff writer, Mikel Monroe pon-ders whether there is enough time in a year, venues in the country, designers in this nation, finan-
cial resources at hand to host yet another independent fashion week.
One More Fashion Week
There are four seasons in a year, whether you’re in the Northern Hemisphere or Southern. These four seasons are then grouped into two seasonal fashion cycles: Spring Summer and Autumn (Fall) Winter. So why so many fashion weeks, by so many organizers, for the same community of fashion media, critics, buyers, distributers and consumers?
As it stands, South Africa experiences eight official fashion weeks. Amongst these eight, as the year progresses, one hears of a small fashion week or day or fair popping up in a location unexpected. You ask yourself if ‘there’s really a need for that platform and those designers to showcase there instead of the already established platforms’.
You start to think if it’s because some fashion weeks are an expensive exercise to showcase in: wheth-er it’s the cost of putting on an extravagant show or creating the actual collection, maybe even the participation fee some platforms charge is the hur-dle. But, do we really need to be segregated and classist? Is the point of fashion weeks not to show-case the established and to uplift the emerging?
We only need four fashion weeks a year and pos-sibly two industry platforms to launch emerging tal-ent and secure their industry development. If that’s the case, we need two menswear weeks a year and two women’s wear weeks a year. So now that we have established this, who will take the jump, drop their pretence and give up their platform to collaborate with another in order to restore sanity to our local fashion week industry?
The fact of the matter is that it because a circus at times, having to plan your life, work schedule and wardrobe around eight fashion weeks. In all the
chaos, one sometimes discovers two fashion weeks have been scheduled for the same month – even the same week. Then you watch the social media timelines dissect the animosity and bet who will cave and change their fashion week dates. It’s not healthy.
There is seemingly an illustration by fashion week organisers that the designers are being forgotten and the profits of ticket sales are being worshipped. Grant, all businesses strive to make a profit so they are able to sustain themselves, but at what cost? At whose cost? We are years into experiencing fashion weeks in South Africa yet one continues to see the same designers showcasing at the same platforms with very little design, inspiration and creativity de-velopment visible.
The young designers who are hungry and provid-ing fresh contexts for the clothes we were are not getting enough exposure and propelling because the fashion circles are so small, certain platforms for opportunity are closed to those who don’t know the inner circle. Thank goodness for platforms such as Rising Star Design Award and Fasttrack and New Talent Search for being available to allow the young ones an opportunity to shine and to show their tal-ent.
With all of that said, a better system for scouting, curating and developing young talent needs to be conceptualized. The number of fashion weeks we are exposed to needs to be decreased to two menswear weeks and two women’s wear weeks. If big labels in SA want to showcase ranges outside the seasonal cycle, like Resort for instance, they should do that at their own expense using their own resources. Just saying. MM
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lungaYour full name is…
Lunga Chris.
But you prefer being called…
Lunga (by people who don’t know
me).
You are represented by…
BOSS Model Management, Cape
Town.
How long have you been a profes-
sional model?
Six years.
Did you walk into an agency or
were you discovered?
Discovered and called in.
What do you love about modeling?
The level of respect I have earned
from my colleagues.
What do you enjoy doing outside
modelling and with whom?
Taking things easy with the people I
love. I love street soccer, as well.
What’s the last song you listened
to?
All Day by Kanye West.
What do you always carry with
you?
Lip balm.
What was the last country (or city)
you visited and what did you do
there?
Knysna / Plettenberg Bay / Worces-
ter - Family time out, bungee jump-
ing and some sight-seeing.
What do you aspire to have or
achieve in 5 years?
Working or having worked in Par-
is, London and New York. Studying
something else also would be great.
Who is your favourite designer to
model runway for?
Adriaan Kuiters, Craig Native and
Non European.
Your top 3 South African mens-
wear designers/brands?
Adriaan Kuiters, Skorzch and Craig
Native.
You model. Your face is your com-
modity. What’s your industry-in-
sider to grooming perfection?
I use a few products from Lush.
Otherwise water and gym.
What do you do outside model-
ling?
Shooting videos (as in everything
behind the camera), play table ten-
nis, gym and watch The Godfather
for the umpteenth time.
Any advice for guys looking to get
into modelling?
Greet. Don’t take things personal.
Respect everyone. Be cool and fin-
ish the job.
Any shout outs?
To everyone, look after yourself.
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#thePROFILE
jimiYour full name is…
Jimi Owobo Ogunlaja.
But you prefer being called…
Jimi or Jimee. (Laughs)
You are represented by…
BASE Models, Cape Town.
How long have you been a profes-
sional model?
10 great years.
Did you walk into an agency or
were you discovered?
I was discovered in Nigeria.
What do you love about modeling?
I love how it empowers self redef-
inition and transformation. I love
the money and glamour too..
What do you enjoy doing outside
modelling and with whom?
Promoting events and hosting VIP
parties in reputable clubs like Coco.
What’s the last song you listened
to?
Wine Slow by Gyptian.
What do you always carry with
you?
Money and positive energy.
What was the last country (or city)
you visited and what did you do
there?
Dubai. For a secret holiday. Lol.
What do you aspire to have or
achieve in 5 years?
I would have established Jimisterio
Productions and a programme on
DSTV Africa.
Who is your favourite designer to
model runway for?
I must confess, I love every designer
I’ve walked for, but, Fabiani shows
always pull the magic out of me.
Your top 3 South African mens-
wear designers/brands?
Fabiani, Carducci and Stiaan Louw.
Your top 3 African Menswear de-
signers?
Laurenceairline, MaXhosa and
Stiaan Louw.
You model. Your face is your com-
modity. What’s your industry-in-
sider to grooming perfection?
Healthy living, exercise and medita-
tion (Prayer).
Any advice for guys looking to get
into modelling?
Models must solidify their educa-
tional background. However, re-
main loyal to the modeling game
too.
Any shout outs?
To my mother, siblings & entire fam-
ily. My loyal friends & well wishers.
All great minds & positive thinkers,
good hearts & happy people. Love.
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#thePROFILE
eugonYour full name is…Eugon Mc Neil Zequal Ontong.
But you prefer being called…Eugon.
You are represented by…BASE Models, Cape Town.
How long have you been a pro-fessional model?1year and 8months.
Did you walk into an agency or were you discovered?i walked into the agency but before that i was discovered at a wedding by Shane Bezuiden-houdt.
What do you love about mod-eling?Travelling and having the op-portunity to meet so many in-spirational people.
What do you enjoy doing
outside modelling and with whom?Hanging out with my mom and on the track working out.
What’s the last song you lis-tened to?Ja Rule feat Ashante - Mesmer-ize.
What do you always carry with you?My ipod .
What was the last country (or city) you visited and what did you do there?Paris for a show and to shoot for Vogue Italia.
What do you aspire to have or achieve in 5 years?I want to become a well-known model across the world of fash-ion and be an inspiration to upcoming models.
Your top 3 South African menswear designers/brands?David Tlale, Fabiani & Craig Port.
You model. Your face is your commodity. What’s your in-dustry-insider to grooming perfection?My grooming consist of wash-ing my face twice a day with cetaphil, drinking water and keeping out of the sun as much as possible so I always wear a hat when its sunny outside.
Any advice for guys looking to get into modelling?Always be confident and dont let negativity get you down.
Any shout outs?Shout out to everyone who knows me, those who helped me become who i am, includ-ing the people who write about me and agency, BASE Models.
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#thePROFILE
words by Monde Mtsi | images Supplied
11homme grooming products to
make sure you’re on point- every time
clean upday & night
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#groomSKINCARE
1. DAILY activation: Oil of Morocco Argan Oil Body Butter, R144.95 | 2. DAY activation: Philips Shaver Series 9000, R3999 | 3. NIGHT activation: Raulph Lauren POLO Red Intense, R1245 | 4. DAY/NIGHT activation: Redken for Men Clean Brew Shampoo, R286 | 5. DAY activation: Vichy Homme Hydra Mag C+ Anti-Fa-
tigue Hydrating Care Face & Eyes, R369
2. DAY activation
1.DAILY
activation
3. NIG
HT activation4. D
AY/N
IGH
T ac
tivat
ion
5. D
AY a
ctivatio
n
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#groomSKINCARE
6 NIGHT activation
8DAY activation
7NIGHT
activation
9 DAY/NIGHT activation
6. NIGHT activation: Baxter of California Night Cream AHA, R350 | 7. NIGHT activation: Clarins MEN Line-Control Eye Balm, R345 | 8. DAY activation: Dr. GOBAC Facial Sunscreen SPF25, R340 | 9. DAY/NIGHT activation: Lancôme MEN Hydrix Micro-Nutrient Moisturizing Balm, R380 | 10. DAY/NIGHT activation: Lipidol Cleansing Body Oil, R79.95 | 11. DAY activation: YvesSaintLaurent Kouros Silver Eau De Toilette, R1’089
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#groomSKINCARE
11DAY activation
10DAY/NIGHT activation
9 DAY/NIGHT activation
6. NIGHT activation: Baxter of California Night Cream AHA, R350 | 7. NIGHT activation: Clarins MEN Line-Control Eye Balm, R345 | 8. DAY activation: Dr. GOBAC Facial Sunscreen SPF25, R340 | 9. DAY/NIGHT activation: Lancôme MEN Hydrix Micro-Nutrient Moisturizing Balm, R380 | 10. DAY/NIGHT activation: Lipidol Cleansing Body Oil, R79.95 | 11. DAY activation: YvesSaintLaurent Kouros Silver Eau De Toilette, R1’089
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#groomSKINCARE
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From top left to bottom right: 1. MIMCO x FRENDS Headphones in Monogramania Gold | 2. Huawei P8 in Luxury Gold | 3. Converse Chuck Taylor All Star Rubber Sneakers in Red | 4. Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gio Perfum | 5. Persol Typewriter Edition Sunglasses | 6. Patek Philippe Men’s Watch in Calatrava | 7. River Island Satchel in Navy with Tan Trim | 8. Kiehl’s Rare Earth Pore Minimizing Lotion | 9. Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate
| 10. Lipidol After Shower Oil | 11. TUMI 1975 International Anniversary Carry-On in Tan
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
The life of a jet-setter should soar - all the time. Our Editor, Monde Mtsi, selects his ideal jet-set items for every guy on the road to keep them on trend, on point and check-in ready.
Editor’s Choice
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#voxPOPULI
From top left to bottom right: 1. MIMCO x FRENDS Headphones in Monogramania Gold | 2. Huawei P8 in Luxury Gold | 3. Converse Chuck Taylor All Star Rubber Sneakers in Red | 4. Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gio Perfum | 5. Persol Typewriter Edition Sunglasses | 6. Patek Philippe Men’s Watch in Calatrava | 7. River Island Satchel in Navy with Tan Trim | 8. Kiehl’s Rare Earth Pore Minimizing Lotion | 9. Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate
| 10. Lipidol After Shower Oil | 11. TUMI 1975 International Anniversary Carry-On in Tan
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
The life of a jet-setter should soar - all the time. Our Editor, Monde Mtsi, selects his ideal jet-set items for every guy on the road to keep them on trend, on point and check-in ready.
Editor’s Choice
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#voxPOPULI
Interview by Monde Mtsi | Photographs Copyright Orange Culture
is for... debayo Okelawal...
A designer, passionate entrepreneur, shortlist finalist of the Louis Vuitton Moët Hennesey Prize, a quarter of the African
Design Showcase at Pitti Uomo 88. RENASCENCE Magazine sits briefly with the Creative Director of Orange Culture to talk
passion, tributes and fashion.
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debayo Okelawal...
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RM: Please introduce yourself, the way you would love to be introduced to others?Adebayo Okelawal: My name is Adebayo Okelawal. I’m a guy privileged enough to do what he loves!
RM: We have a huge amount of admiration for you and your work it appears it’s been a long journey. Can you tell us, when you look back to yourself when you were 10 years old and started designing, did you ever think you’d be where you are now?AO: Thank you so much! Well thank God! Lol, tbh, I had no idea. My mum always said I’d be here and beyond, but I only imagined an actual fraction of this. I am thankful to God for every aspect of it!
RM: Have you ever at one point imagined the brand would receive such a phenomenal re-sponse from the world?AO: TBH, especially considering how tough the start was with a lot of rejection for the brand, I never thought people would get to this point where they change their minds positively!
RM: You once produced womenswear. What was up with that? #JustCuriousAO: I like to try things so I tried it out and who knows I might do it again!
RM: At that time, what lead to your light bulb
moment when you realised menswear was the way forward for you?AO: I guess I just felt more excitement when I designed menswear I felt certain exhilaration so I stuck to it.
RM: How has the menswear landscape devel-oped since you officially launched in 2011?AO: It’s developed a lot. Years before the idea of my brand was almost blasphemy, people could not grasp why I would create clothing for men, that was almost controver-sial and made people think - the idea tor-mented them; they just wanted to stick to men in suits! Fast forward to now and see what brands are doing, everyone is trying to gravitate towards creating clothes for the more adventurous man; men are beginning to search for clothes that make them ques-tion the past basis of masculinity - it’s an ex-citing time, knowing that menswear has de-veloped so much that people are beginning to think about it!
RM: There’s a lot of work being put into mak-ing menswear worth everyone’s time. From designers pushing boundaries, media peo-ple reporting on developments and even governments funding projects or organisa-tions proactively nurturing the industry. What do you feel can be added to the work or ex-tended on to ensure continued growth of the industry and market?
...everyone is trying to gravitatetowards creating clothes for the
adventurous man...
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AO: I do feel the menswear industry still needs a fair amount of support to be honest and a lot more retail opportunities, there might be buzz at the moment but the industry needs avenues for sustainability which requires funds and a lot more platforms channeled to developing menswear!
RM: Let’s talk production. How much devel-opment goes into producing fabrics specifi-cally for Orange Culture collections?AO: Goodness me! A whole lot of time; sometimes even longer than producing the collection afterwards, I didn’t go to fashion school, so I’ve had to learn a lot about fab-rics from touching and bad experiences lol – so it takes a lot of time to decide on – plus with menswear you almost have to be able to find the right balance for retail, men are definitely not as quick to explore with fabrics as much as women are!
RM: We’ve picked up there has been a few collaborations with recent major collections. What influences, maybe even inspires, these collaborations?AO: I like to collaborate with brands that I feel are doing things in a very unique way, brands with a strong story and brands that understand my brand - that’s why I’ve col-laborated with Shem Paronelli, Alessandra Tempesti, Kene Rapu and Ch.s.e works - they are definitely brands that exude that!
RM: Is the general Orange Culture process to develop fabrics and then create collections from that or does it work the other way?AO: It works the other way to be honest; the collection is designed in connection with de-signing the fabrics - it’s all done at the same time!
RM: You’re 7 collections into your career (correct me if I’m wrong). H.E.R., inspired by your Mother is the latest. Talk us through this timeline of collections and the development of H.E.R?AO: Timeline is very tricky especially with Ni-geria and international fashion weeks. It is so close that it’s almost scary for menswear brands when producing but it adds to the ex-citement of it all! H.E.R. was one of those col-lections that was created with a lot of love. My mum has been a huge part of my career so she definitely made it easy for me to cre-ate something beautiful cause, well; she has been such a beautiful piece of the orange culture puzzle.
RM: Do you have a favourite collection thus far?AO: I do not! Love them all for different rea-sons!
RM: What are the interesting aspects of mens-wear for you at the moment?
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AO: The idea that there is a place for the type of man that I am which is definitely not your everyday man!
RM: You’ve appeared in a lot of international media, how has this affected both your per-sonal and professional relationships?AO: (LOL) It’s weird I guess, I’m just focusing on ensuring I’m still me. Don’t want to lose myself in any of the paraphernalia. I can’t say it hasn’t but what I would say is I am in a good place - balance has been discovered thanks to amazing support.
RM: We recently witnessed your shortlisting as a finalist for the Louis Vuitton Moët Hennesey Prize. It’s quite a prestigious platform which opens up incredible opportunities. What was that experience like for you as a person and for the Orange Culture brand?AO: It was amazing. I’m thankful for every moment of it ! It has pushed me to push my-self everyday to believe in a better Orange culture.
RM: Did you get any free Louis Vuitton?AO: Lmao! What I got was worth a lot more.
RM: Which African menswear designers/brands are you currently eyeing out and buying?AO: Except from Orange culture lol! Kenneth Ize and Tzar.
RM: What for you puts them on your map that you’re taking note of what they’re doing?AO: They are doing something different. They
are making clothes that make you think! I love it.
RM: Are there any upcoming fashion weeks we can expect Orange Culture to grace the catwalks of?AO: *lipssealed*
RM: List: Your top 3 menswear designers from Africa (apart from yourself):AO: Kenneth Ize, Laurence Airline and Mai (because he has created a brand that de-serves that honour).
RM: List: Your top 3 African photographers:AO: Lakin Ogunbanwo + Kelechi amadi Obi + Toyosi Kekere Ekun.
RM: List: Your top 3 African stylists:AO: Crystal Deroche + Bubu Ogisi + Terence Sambo.
RM: List: Your top 3 African male models:AO: Wale Bello + David Agbodji + Toyin oy-eneye.
RM: What are your top 3 essentials for every guy?AO: Nike trainers (a must) + An amazing scent (perfume is a must) + Orange culture.
RM: Orange Culture in the next 3 years, what can we expect from the brand?AO: On the path to world domination!
RM: Any last words?AO: Never let your passion go!
I do a lot of things outside the scope of fashion design, however, Orange Culture will always be
my number one love.
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Interview by Mikel Monroe | Photographs by Bernard Brand & Mary Riazanova
Born into a township to dream a dream big-ger than that of his peers. Raised by a mother who said the world in his eyes. Mikel Monroe talks with Imprint designer, Mzukisi Mbane about what it means to be a self-taught fash-ion designer with a tertiary qualification in Accounting. Do the numbers add up to be-ing able to forecast trends or do they add up to a vision being realistically achievable?
MZUKISIMBANE
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#theINTERVIEW
Interview by Mikel Monroe | Photographs by Bernard Brand & Mary Riazanova
Born into a township to dream a dream big-ger than that of his peers. Raised by a mother who said the world in his eyes. Mikel Monroe talks with Imprint designer, Mzukisi Mbane about what it means to be a self-taught fash-ion designer with a tertiary qualification in Accounting. Do the numbers add up to be-ing able to forecast trends or do they add up to a vision being realistically achievable?
MZUKISIMBANE
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#theINTERVIEW
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Q: Please introduce yourself.A: My name is Mzukisi, a 26 year old self-taught fashion designer, the Creative Director of Im-print, a brand that was created more than 4 years ago under the company Swagger Di-aries (Pty) Ltd. I am also a qualified accoun-tant, born and raised in Khayelitsha - Cape Town.
Q: How would you describe yourself as a per-son? What kind of personality do you think you have?A: I’m a very career and goal driven individu-al. Very focused and I always push against all odds to achieve my goals. I’m quite shy and reserved in character, which is something most people always find hard to believe, giv-en how I always appear. I’m the guy you will never not see, I always dress up and am al-ways unique. Something weird for a shy per-son as shy people always aim to blend in.
Q: You grew up in Khayelitsha (a township in Cape Town). How did that influence your up-
bringing and love for fashion?A: It’s very interesting hey. I grew up with this secret obsession with fashion. And in a place where fashion was interpreted differently and there was just this vibe. I can really say it was how I used to look at the people around me and I could just see my self in them, I got in-spired to create my designs. But yes I became an A student and also loved accounting and logical choice was to study Accounting.
Q: You are a qualified Accountant by trade. How is that helping you as a designer?A: It’s very useful. I’m not just a creative now I’m a businessman in the creative industry. I am able to create with the consumer in mind, consider the market and manage the busi-ness aspect of it. By making informed business decisions.
Q: The road to being an Accountant and that of being a designer: have these always gone hand-in-hand?A: It’s been tough. I finished my qualification
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while trying to build my brand. There have been times where I felt like I have to sacrifice one for the other. But looking at the bigger picture I always found a way to push myself to making it work. And now it’s going hand-in-hand. The knowledge, the growth and ex-perience in the accounting field pushes and fast tracks growth in my brand.
Q: Your mother plays a huge role in your de-cisions. With fashion, what kind of role has be been playing?A: She was my first muse. The first person I saw who carried style with such strength, grace and love. She inspires the woman that I dress and gives birth to all the guys I make clothes for. She is actually the one who taught me how to use a sewing machine. She was there every step of the way as my support structure.
Q: With your journey in fashion, what kind of changes or developments have you noticed in the menswear industry?A: We are now shining the light in menswear, giving value to a lot of unknown fashion cre-atives. There is change in the market and the world has become smaller which really push-es for more creativity. And yes the first ever fashion platform dedicated to menswear.
That’s like the coolest thing since men started proudly wearing skirts. I really see a huge op-portunity for growth in African menswear.
Q: Do you see progress locally getting better and strong?A: Yes. It’s getting better. There are more de-signers on the rise in menswear locally. And men are more comfortable trying new things and just standing out.
Q: You’ve been in this rat race for a few years now; which collection for you has been your favourite from your brand, Imprint?A: Oh God, my capsule collection SS 14 shown last year. That’s got to be my best so far. I’m still in love. I think that’s where I got to officially and formally introduce my self to the fashion industry as a “real” fashion designer with a distinct, defined identity.
Q: How do you translate the Imprint story through your collections?A: it really just happens. I think because this is more like a calling for me. It all starts with a creation; I just get all these ideas and create. Then only later on do I see/notice that what I have created forms part of the Imprint story. And easy, as the Imprint story is my story. But
Imprint is personal to me; it’s an impression of myself, my life. I’m here to sell this story, our story.“
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yes the prints I use, the cut, the inspiration - all tell the story. It’s all taken from somewhere, as a result, they leave that lasting impression. That Imprint, the mark.
Q: Will the Imprint story develop and add chapters to its book? And can we expect to see the new chapters in up coming collec-tions?A: Definitely. There is a lot more in the pipe-line. There is not limit or boundary to the extent the story extends or ends. I opened myself up to growth opportunities in the beginning. So yes please. In this collection you will get intro-duced to a part of Imprint that you have not yet been introduced to.
Q: Which African menswear designers/brands are you currently eyeing out and buying?A: I am very much in love with the young de-signers; Rich Mnisi for Oath and Lukhanyo Mdingi. I feel like they have something very new and exciting to say. And I love that. It keeps things exciting, inspires growth and creativity.
Q: What for you puts them on your map that you’re taking note of what they’re doing?A: I really just their fresh take in African Mens-
wear. They are growing and have a lot to of-fer.
Q: Are there any upcoming fashion weeks we can expect Imprint to grace the catwalks of?A: Yes! I’m showcasing my women’s wear SS16 collection at the African Fashion Interna-tional – Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Cape Town. So lookout for that.
Q: List: Your top 3 African photographers:A: Simon Diener of SDR Photo. Trevor Stuur-man. Lenni Tarriq.
Q: List: Your top 3 African stylists:A: Jerry Mokgofe. Mahlatse James. Gugu.
Q: List: Your top 3 African male models:A: Lesala Mampa. Sanele Xaba. Dave Ka-bamba.
Q: What are your top 3 essentials for every guy?A: Great shoes. Stylish shades. Tailored blazer.
Q: Imprint in the next 3 years, what can we expect from the brand?A: It’s about retail for us. Locally and interna-tionally.
Imprint is personal to me; it’s an impression of myself, my life. I’m here to sell this story, our story.
”
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Interview by Monde Mtsi | Photographs Supplied
Coréon Dú!RENASCENCE Magazine’s, Monde Mtsi, gets some beats with multi-disci-plinary creative, Coréon Dú. There’s some noise about a new album, stitch-es on the fashion line and the low-down on why merging polar opposite music genres is pretty much the same as discovering your own unique style and using it as an opportunity to cre-ate something new: something special.
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#theINTERVIEW
Monde Mtsi: Coréon Dú, in-teresting name. What does it mean?Coréon Dú: I began calling myself Coréon in a person-al context after becoming a fan of the show Spellbind-er when I moved to Virgin-ia (USA). I´m very drawn to sound, and the sound of the name caught my attention. From that point I started sign-ing some of my e-mails to close friends as Coréon. Then he went from being my alter ego to nickname and then my stage name.
MM: You are currently cited as a multi-media artist. What is your full listing of skills or fields in which your talents reach?CD: It´s quite funny because, I´m still not sure whether it was life or fate that made me a multi-media artist. I wanted to study musical the-atre in university, but got no support from my parents. As a result I tried to fill that void by learning and participat-ing in other creative activities
to pass the time. I started de-signing Angolan and African inspired garments in 2001 as a hobby for some cousins and other family members, which gained way more mo-mentum than I intended. That led to a brief stint in cos-tume design for theatre and TV projects in Angola. I had decided to “quit” that side of things in 2005 , because it wasn´t a viable business, and only made an exception to develop some textile art for a fashion exhibit during the 2007 Luanda Trienal. Fun-ny enough that was that was around the same time I had moved to Angola after graduating from my Mass Communication & Business Administration degree from Loyola University New Orle-ans.
When I decided to focus professionally in the creative field, I mainly worked free-lance doing PR and produc-ing events in Angola and then started Semba Com-munication by joining forces
with my older brother and his best friend’s website. Those opportunities have been a great learning expe-rience, especially because I´ve worked as creative di-rector in advertising, tele-vision and fashion projects both in the editorial and the design aspect. That´s part of the reason al-though my main passion is music, I´m very visual and en-joy expressing myself visually whether it´s through my per-sonal styling, music videos, the looks I design or even some of occasional ventures into visual art collaboration.
MM: For you, on a personal level, which do you love the most?CD: I love art as a whole, but I must admit I´m a perform-er at heart. I love singing, I love the process of creating music especially because I love collaborating and see-ing what happens when my
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musical point of views meet other musicians in a perfor-mance, and then what hap-pens when the listener starts to interpret it through their own personal view of the material.
MM: Being Angolan yet Unit-ed States of America raised, how has growing up shaped your personal, cultural and mental identity?CD: At some point, I had to bridge the gap between adapting to my surroundings and retaining my own culture. Being constantly challenged about my own culture and being faced with so many African stereotypes in the U.S.A actually made my will to defend my Angolan and African identity even stron-ger. I was constantly faced with statements such as “you don´t look African” or “you don´t sound African”, which to me was perplexing being from a continent with such a vast diversity of people and cultures, and from a coun-try that is also pretty diverse
in that sense as well. I think my experiences abroad, re-ally helped me understand how many foreigners see the place where I´m from, and the importance of staying true to who I am as an indi-vidual. Often times, I think even Africans feel the need to prove our own authentic-ity, when we just need to be ourselves and embrace our beautiful cultures in the way that fits best with our own life-style and context.
MM: Your new album, Binario, is popping on South Africa. What has the process been like writing the music for this album, producing the tracks and finally mastering the al-bum and working on the ac-companying cover art?CD: It was quite a journey, most of my music arises from a place of fusion. I myself am a cultural fusion. I was raised by strong African women which probably explains why I made it a point never to lose touch with my roots, howev-er I did spend most of my
formative years outside of Angola and mainly between the U.S.A and Europe. Musi-cally speaking that exposed me to a lot of different and fascinating sounds. I wanted to make sure Binario was a continuation of where I left off musically in previous works. My debut The Coréon Experiment was almost an extreme where I tried to turn everything I loved about tra-ditional and contemporary Angolan music , as well as everything I loved about Pop music into this very acoustic journey. I went as far as mak-ing Kuduro songs using Jazz forms. In my remix album The WeDú Experiment I played around more with the elec-tronic side of things, thanks to a lot of the DJs and pro-ducers that contributed to it.
With Binario, I wanted to compliment what I´ve done so far. My personal dispo-sition is very tropical. I was born by the sea in an Afri-can country that speaks a
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Latin language, and raised listening to Latin music from across the sea. So Binario, or binary, is called just that be-cause of the dualities of the album. It´s exploring the trop-ical side of Latin and African music genres, it has a very organic essence with a lot of electronic or technological inspiration, it´s inspired a lot by the music I listened to in my childhood but very much focused on this century and this decade.
MM: It’s noted that the album fuses your Angolan heritage with your Latin-world expe-riences. What nuances can we expect from the album?CD: I do have a fusion be-tween Angolan rhythms such as the Semba, Kizom-ba, Kuduro and others with latin ones such as Bachata, Merengue and Samba, as well as my favorite elements from Urban music genres, Country , and electronica.
MM: From an ear for music to an eye for fashion. As a
creative, being able to cre-ate something unique in one genre generally means you can do the same in another. What’s your earliest memory that you articulate as the in-fluencer of your current fash-ion and style direction?CD: My interest in fashion design funny enough came from me watching a Brazillian soap opera when I was about 5 year old. It was a comedy based telenovela called Ti Ti Ti, which was on TV in Ango-la at the time, about two du-eling fashion designers . Of course the slapstick comedy components of it caught my eye, but then I was drawn by them sketching clothes and then turning them into real garment.
That then translated to me trying to dysect and recon-struct the style of some of my childhood icons such as Mi-cheal Jackson, Prince, Elton John, Madonna, and that in-terest continued throughout my childhood.
MM: Would you say it’s been greatly influenced by your music or your style has great-ly influenced your music?CD: Both are very symbiot-ic. I think when I´m creating things for myself to sing or wear they come from the same place. I have to feel comfortable enough with the material for me to share it personally. For instance, I would not promote any type of song or look that I would not be comfortable with wearing or singing my-self. That´s also partly why WeDú by Coréon Dú is a uni-sex fashion line . My music is made for everyone without any gender gap, so I chal-lenged myself to also creat a fashion line that could brige that gap. MM: Mass media has prov-en time and time again how music (videos) takes from the street, converts it into a culture assigned to a specif-ic musical genre and then ‘influences’ designers to rec-reate street looks based on
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this for the public. Would you say you have gone through the same cycle with you as an artist and with the estab-lishment of WeDú by Coréon Dú?CD: I´m a bit more influenced by what I´m going through at the moment and my sur-roundings. Obviously, from a generational point of view I´m an Angolan from the Kuduro generation. Though people associate Kuduro only to an electronic music anda dance genre which started as an Angolan cous-in to the Western Raver cul-ture, it has since become a wider urban culture. It values personal expression, which means you have to let go of the fear of mixing different and even contradicting visu-al ideas into one place.
At the moment my inspiration is coming more from Ango-lan heritage, than from the streets per say, though as as city dweller and world citizen I´m always absorbing thrings from various urban surround-
ings. So WeDú by Coréon Dú is more so my way of incentiv-izing my #WeDúFriends to ex-press their creativity through fashion. They can an idea that I started , which are the clothes, and then should play around and express it in the way that best suits their personality.
MM: What has the public’s response been to your fash-ion line, which is inspired by your street style looks?CD: Luckily it has been quite positive so far. It started out as something very small that my fans would only be able to get at my album signings and some shows, it´s since been picked up by a retail-er with stores in Angola and Nambia. Luckily my new fol-lowers abroad are also be-ing very supportive, which is why I´m starting the online store and expanding the col-lection.
MM: Do you see Africa de-
veloping into a strong con-tender in the Clothing and Textile Manufacturing indus-try of the world, especially in the sphere of menswear?CD: I think more and more international fashion opion makers are researching the very diverse African aesteth-ics beyond their usual trendy tourist destinations. Most im-portantly of all, I notice that a lot more African and Afro-politan consumers are valu-ing products designed by Af-rican talent and even made in the continent. In order to strong fashion industry, we also need to support each other´s products internally within the continent.
MM: In which areas do you think we, as a continent, need to focus on to ensure we collective regain our control within fashion and become an economic stronghold through fashion production?CD: Knowledge is power, so of course all of us should learn as much as possible and empower African fash-
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ion professionals to educate themselves in the most fea-sible way. The other part of that has to do with the consumer, the more African consumers support the local product, the stronger our in-dustry will become.
MM: Which African designers are you currently supporting/buying and wearing?CD: I´m always on the look-out for interesting African de-signers, and I must say I was very proud to see how many are growing internationally. The most recent one I´ve dis-covered is Armando Cabral from Guiné Bissau who de-signs high end contempo-rary footwear. I know of his very successful career and was very proud to see his work as a male supermodel. After seeing his collection in New York, I do confess shoe shopping was in order.
MM: For you, what makes him strong, competitive and unique enough to gain the backing of your money buy-
ing their garments?CD: Creativity is very im-portant, but the quality has to match it. That does not mean the products need to be more or less expensive, just well executed.
MM: Any chance of seeing WeDú by Coréon Dú on one of the South African fashion week platforms?CD: I would love to be invit-ed and it would be an honor to participate for sure.
MM: Who inspires you with regards to the music you produce?CD: I´m an incorrigible ro-mantic when it comes to both life and love, but I´m also very realistic and try to stay grounded. Guess that comes with the territory with me being a Libra. As a result, most of my songs are based on my own experiences, and observations about ev-eryday occurrences with a heavy emphasis on love of course.
MM: And when it comes to fashion?CD: I´m a bit of a workahol-ic and a perfectionist , so it´s also part of my personality to keep researching and push-ing myself to improve. How-ever, the feedback from my fans, clients and consumers is very helpful.
MM: Define the African ver-sion of a Renaissance Man…CD: I believe most of this gen-eration of Africans are Re-naissance People. I believe that no matter how special-ized each of us is in our stron-gest interest or asset, we should never stop learning and exploring new interests.
MM: What’s next for Coréon Dú?CD: My current focus is to keep strenghtning the bond with all the people support-ing my work whether it´s the fans, press and new people who are discovering it . MM
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Suit and shirt by 46664 Fashion, Shoes (not visible) by Anton Fabi
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Suit and shirt by 46664 Fashion,Shoes by Anton Fabi
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Suit and shirt by 46664 Fashion,Shoes by Anton Fabi
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Suit and shirt by 46664 Fashion, Shoes (not visible) by Anton Fabi
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Suit by 46664 Fashion, Shirt by Stiaan Louw, Shoes by Anton Fabi
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Suit by 46664 Fashion, Shirt by Stiaan Louw, Shoes by Anton Fabi
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Tee with matching trousers by Imprint ZA,Shoes by Anton Fabi
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Dave wears framesby Prada, Jumper fromMaXhosa
Photography Luxolo Poyo | Assistant LeHydro Photography | Make-Up Artistry Lynn Le Roux | Production Monde Mtsi | Models Dave Kabamba (BOSS Models) & Bulelani Katikati (Wicked Talent)
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Photography Luxolo Poyo | Assistant LeHydro Photography | Make-Up Artistry Lynn Le Roux | Production Monde Mtsi | Models Dave Kabamba (BOSS Models) & Bulelani Katikati (Wicked Talent)
Bulelani wears Havannaframes by Giorgio Armani
Jumper from MaXhosa
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Bulelani wears Clubmasters by Ray-Ban, Throw from MaXhosa by Laduma
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Bulelani wears Typewriter Limited Edition frames by Persol, Bomber Jacket from MaXhosa by Laduma
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Bulelani wears Folding Wayfarers by Ray-Ban,Bomber Jacket from MaXhosa by Laduma
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Bulelani wears Chris in Red Velvet frames by Ray-Ban
Jumper from Stiaan Louw
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Dave wears framesby Emporio Armani, BomberJacket by Stiaan Louw
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Bulelani wears Barnes-Imbnia frames from Ballo Eyewear (top) and Oak frames by Hout Couture (bottom),
Indigo Peacoat from Puma SELECTDave wears Oak frames by Hout Couture (top) and Grey
Denim frames from Ballo Eyewear (bottom),Grey Heather Jumper from Puma SELECT
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Bulelani wears Barnes-Imbnia frames from Ballo Eyewear (top) and Oak frames by Hout Couture (bottom),
Indigo Peacoat from Puma SELECTDave wears Oak frames by Hout Couture (top) and Grey
Denim frames from Ballo Eyewear (bottom),Grey Heather Jumper from Puma SELECT
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#ThrowBack110
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#creditsLAST_WORD