I recently bumped into Sipho Mackenzie at a party. Although we’d met a few months before, I was so dazzled by Sipho’s look (the youngsters would call it a lewk) that I couldn’t immediately place him. Sipho, who had been relatively dressed down at our first meeting, was wearing an outrageously avant-garde outfit, with an oversized hat and sunglasses and a mix of traditionally masculine and feminine pieces layered over one another.
My Joburg Jumpsuit: A Love Story
This jumpsuit love story began eight months ago, when I booked a Caraci experience on Airbnb to celebrate my birthday. Thorsten and I spent a glorious day in the Joburg CBD, shopping for African print fabric, learning how to sew, hanging out in the city, and having fabulous jackets made to our exact measurements.
Read More
Swap Movement: Joburg's Clothes Swap Phenomenon
I’ve developed a great interest in clothes, as most of you know, especially locally designed and thrifted clothes. And clothes-swapping – the act of exchanging clothing items with others, rather than buying new or second-hand clothes – is like thrifting on steroids. We’ve all got clothes that we don’t want or simply don’t wear anymore…Why pay money for new ones when you can trade for them instead? This is the theory behind Swap Movement.
Read More
Joburg Thrifting: Winter 2023
I’m obsessed with Joburg thrifting (see here, here, and here) and the more I shop second-hand, the more I realize it’s almost never necessary to buy new things. There are so many great places in Joburg to shop for used clothing, furniture, jewelry, shoes, housewares – everything you can imagine. The quality is usually better than buying new and the prices are cheaper, even for amazing vintage stuff, if you’ve got some patience and know where to look.
Read More
Jozi Fashion Designer for a Day
Last Saturday, to celebrate 49 years on earth, I gave myself a gift: I booked an Airbnb experience with Caraci Clothing and pretended to be a fashion designer for the day.
Read More
Youth Day Warmup for the Brixton Light Festival
After last year’s Brixton Light Festival, lots of people read my blog post and were sad they missed the festival and asked how they could be sure not to miss the next one. So consider yourselves warned: The next Brixton Light Festival takes place on Saturday, September 2nd, 2023. I have every reason to believe it will be even more spectacular than last year’s festival. Mark your calendars and follow @BrixtonLightFestival on Instagram for updates.