People are more saturated with popular culture than ever before. Through Facebook, Instagram and Twitter we are constantly bombarded with the antics of the rich and famous. Celebrities have dramatic break-ups on social media, cause firestorms of outrage with offensive statements and throw shade on their rivals- all in real time. But through such overexposure, popular culture runs the risk of losing a fundamental glamour and mystery. A tawdry example is provided on the social media of people like 50 Cent and DJ Khaled. Covered in money and diamonds, their efforts to convey the message of success instead become meme punchlines. When you show everyone all aspects of your life, your image goes from being legendary to boring.
Nqaba Fatman, has been exploring this mix of fascination and apathy with his new street wear label Born Out of Boredom. The label started from a professed love/ hate relationship with popular culture. It began with his Instagram feed, which is curated to highlight tedium and lack of interest. Listing its main theme as ‘social anxiety’, @shakesbored shows Nqaba and his friends trying to stay awake through the banal events of everyday life. However, the atmosphere of apathy is misleading. The photos and images are expertly framed and styled, giving the work a casual glamour. With this foundation in place, Born Out of Boredom has now joined a wave of DIY designers coming off the internet.
Its first collection dropped in February this year, with a limited collection of t-shirts. Their slogan captures the label’s ironic ethos- NOTHING INTERESTING. WEARY AND UNINTERESTED. SENSIBLITIES ALWAYS FOREVER.
And just in time for Winter it has released a second collection of long sleeves and hoodies. The accompanying photos (shot by Liam Volschenk) position models in a humble suburban home. This makes the stark red and blacks of the clothes stand out, and it shows the label as a source of durable and stylish street wear. In the age of overshare, the laid back quality of Born Out Of Boredom speaks volumes without having to raise its voice.
Photographer: Liam Volschenk
Stylist and director: Nqaba Shakes Fatman
Models: Nikho Rudah and Lucas Carr
Assistants: Isabella Vernes and Larissa Armstrong
