Fashion is fickle. In a contemporary context, the industry has been boiled down to consumerism on an unprecedented scale with every new trend permeating through seemingly every aspect of the market with hype often galvanising a brand or product over actual design. Think of the media frenzy around the Balenciaga Triple S sneaker and how…
Moroccan born couture mastermind Karim Adduchi has achieved a lot, having been featured on the Forbes 30 under 30 list in both Europe and the Middle East in 2018, not to mention his multiple editorial shoots for Elle. Taking some time out for preparing and conceptualising his new collection ‘Maktub’, Adduchi spoke to me about…
The Basel, Switzerland based fashion design label AFTER WORK STUDIO has the transformation of sport silhouettes and their perception in mind. Making use of sporty silhouettes typically associated with cycling, diving and more they similarly use classical design elements that are altered to encapsulate feminine elegance yet retaining their casualness. Fabrics that they are drawn…
“Fashion is defined as the art of the perfect moment, the now at the threshold of an immediate future” This quote is taken from the back of the book 21 Years of SA Fashion Week launched in November 2018. This is not the first time Lucilla Booyzen and her team have taken to publishing to…
‘GRATITUDE’; ‘EMPATHY’, sewn onto the vamp of each shoe respectively in black, bold lettering. Sport, a way of changing lives – Pharrell Williams‘ ongoing exploration lends his design sensibilities to the adidas Originals Basketball silhouette. Pushed forward by the innovation and technology of the BYW, the X assumes the unique makeup and DNA strands from the…
What could possibly be more ideal than adidas Originals interpreted by Alexander Wang? Not much TBH… A fusion of two brands who carry the trademark stamp of cult, off-kilter and unconventional in their woven DNA strands pushing subversiveness. Spliced logos. Contrasting inserts. Upside down brand flags. What is ‘wrong’ and ‘incorrect’ takes centre stage. With…
Desire unchained. Drawn to one another. Heads of dolls collapse in intimacy. Teases of flesh part organic. Short, cropped fringes masquerade as head pieces. Colour enters the underground. Orange, red, and blue. Latex, vinyl boots. The private becomes public. “Tucked under a Zurich underground this photo series tells the story of three cyborg dolls lost…
* Disclaimer: In publishing this article Bubblegum Club is in no way supporting the appropriation of the intellectual property of others which includes designs, logos, slogans etc. This piece is merely presented as a commentary on ownership. After studying fashion, Joburg’s Sakhile Cebekhulu spent two years building his art practice, showing his work in…
The recent rise of streetwear brands in the Johannesburg CBD fashion and art scene presents diversity and caters to a wide scope of streetwear fashion enthusiast residing in and around the city of gold. The fashion landscape of streetwear in Joburg is taking various forms while accommodating the ideas and ambitions of each brand respectively….
Growing up outside of London, the cynosure of transdisciplinary creative Jade Pearl’s practice was engrained in her being from a young age. In her childhood home sustainability was emphasised through conscious living (saving), recycling and even upcycling to aid the family with their financial wellbeing. “I think subconsciously that must have had an effect on…
“I don’t really consider myself a fashion designer” explains Hakim Ngcongwane, the creative force behind the Pretoria-based CRITIC STUDIOS. Born out of a company started by him and a friend 4 years ago, he launched the brand as a solo project last year. The name comes from the designers own self-doubt. “I was scared of…
The marriage between slogans and t-shirts definitely goes down as the greatest of all time- yes, G.O.A.T. A t-shirt can be seen as assertion of self-expression (social or political), and the words depicted on them a means of getting something off your chest, on your chest. To spoof or to riff means to imitate (something)…
