If you love fashion, you're in for a treat this month. We're celebrating South African fashion at SA Fashion Week (3 – 6 April) in Johannesburg and next week at AFI Cape Town Fashion Week (11-13 April). We'll be thinking a little more seriously about fashion at…
Today’s world of fashion gives ‘Zero Fs’ to the planet. The industry is mostly concerned with creating ever-changing trends and making dirt-cheap virgin clothing which is sold fast and cheaply via sales, bargains and two-for-one deals. All done without considering waste, pollution, resources and ethical…
Kye Shimizu is not a fashion designer, but his Algorithmic Couture project has created a new convention for fashion. “I have used code to eliminate waste and make fashion sustainable,” he says. Kye is the co-founder of Tokyo-based research collective, Synflux, which focusses on design research…
So you’re interested in learning more about sustainable fashion and about being a more conscious consumer in general? That’s great. But where do you go for information and who can you trust? With over 1 billion users globally, and almost 4 million users in South…
When Leandi Mulder and Frances van Hasselt returned from a residency in Japan, they brought back a nugget of advice. Masaki Sato told the young designers, “Embrace what is unique to your situation”. After applying what they learnt from Sato, a master of creating unique,…
Why would PUMA, one of the world’s leading sports brands, collaborate with an 18-month-old South African design brand, which has in turn collaborated with an NPO? Not Just A Comb recently launched a collection of trainers with embellishments designed by Hamzeh Alfarahneh and beaded by…
Clothing in Britain is increasingly characterised by a high volume/low value approach to business. Judging by past precedent, consumers will discard some 680m items of clothing when they spring clean their wardrobes this year. Replacements are cheap: dresses can be bought for as little as £5 from online retailers…
Is this the flyest wedding in Africa? When stylist and photographer Picha Marangi met Elizabeth Korikel in Turkana, a town in the northwestern part of Kenya, he found his creative soul mate. A short while later, he married the singer, beader and translator. To celebrate…
At Greenpop’s Reforest Fest last year, the crew wore T-shirts made from recycled plastic bottles. You're thinking "school design project". Or, that it is a T-shirt made from clear plastic scales hot-glued together. Nope. These T-shirts look, feel and behave like normal cotton or polyester. They…
Lesley Whitter, founder of Heart & Heritage label and of Convoy, has opened a new shop and studio space in Johannesburg. Ever since she launched Heart & Heritage in 2013, she’s been working from her mother’s basement. “The time has come for me to move out,” says…
Concern about the mainstream, commercial beauty industry is growing. Toxins, packaging, animal testing and waste are just a few of the issues people are worrying about. At the same time, the number of locally-produced, natural, organic and cruelty-free beauty products is growing in South Africa.…
Imagine. At the beginning of a new month, 30 or 31 outfits are delivered to your door by a rental service. Clothes and accessories are clean, the right fit for your body shape and styled to suit your lifestyle, including specific plans for the month.…
It’s a new year and time for a ‘new you’, right? Maybe you’re starting a new job (I am!). Or lost your suitcase. Gained (maybe lost) some weight. Or just want a new look. You may need a few new items, a wardrobe freshen-up or…
A Fashion Revolution activist is one of the top 50 best-dressed men in South Africa. GQ magazine recognized Cyril Naicker for his sharp local and sustainable style. We asked Cyril how he keeps up with fashion while being conscious of what he buys. When I…
Beauty Spot is our monthly column about natural, clean beauty in which we only feature products that we have tried and tested ourselves. We want to support natural, clean beauty products that are on the market as we believe they are better for the planet…