Featured
FEATURED – The South Is Blooming
November 2, 2012This is the third instalment of our FEATURED section when we talk to a designer, singer or general all round fabulous person. It’s the turn of …The South is Blooming
1/ Designing for a famous person:
For a designer: Dries van Noten, he understands cosmopolitanism, pattern, colour.
For a non-designer: Kanye West (as the musician, not his fashion label), he’s experimental and doing his own wild thing
2/ Name two tracks (records) which sums up the label (it maybe something you would play to get you in the mood to work or use on a runway)
Julia by the Very Best, off their album Warm Heart of Africa: has the combination of edge and warmth that embodies the label.
Also Exhibit A by Dirty Paraffin: these Joburg based dudes are just so cool! They embody the best of secret Africa which the rest of the world still has to discover. Here’s a video:
3/ The name The South is Blooming
Symbolises the creative explosion that’s going on down south, specifically South Africa where I come from, but more generally in Africa.
4/ What we make/sell
We are a ‘mixstore’ – that’s a Dutch word for a curated store which sells pretty much anything that takes our fancy. At the moment heavily into Vlisco wax print accessories – awesome trilbies from Joburg based label Babatunde for instance – and even wax print kiddie shorts made specially for us in Cape Town. We also have a lot of home accessories and have just branched out into music and books. We’ll soon also be stocking some emerging photographers’ work and hopefully also art prints. All from deep dark Afrika!
5/ Inspiration:
All over the place really. Obviously a lot from the vibes of Joburg, the cool cats in Cape Town, the people, the landscape and the light in South Africa – we make regular trips. But we’re based in the Netherlands and there’s loads of inspiration in Amsterdam too. There’s cosmopolitans and creative people, geometry, colour, texture, light in most places in the world!
FEATURED – TBC Clothing (The Teddy Bear Club)
September 1, 2012The second in our ‘featured’ series is TBC Clothing (The Teddy Bear Club)
Tell us about the company
TBC Clothing (The Teddy Bear Club) was founded in 2007 on the intuition of 2 young entrepreneurs, who since then have transformed their skills, knowledge and hard work into a successful brand that is well known for its originality, warmth and ability to produce recognisable designs, influenced by it consumers.
Who’s behind the group?
Co-Founders
Yomi Akosile
Akin Cole
What song sums up TBC?
Wale – Ambition feat. Meek Mill & Rick Ross
FEATURED: Moldarina
August 20, 2012
featured gives us the oppurtunity to showcase things, people and products we are excited about. We spoke to Sónia Nunes from Moldarina to find out what makes this little outfit tick….
1/ How did you get into making jewellery (how did you choose this line of work)?
It was accidental and happened six years ago when I experience the pleasure of creating jewelry, after a casual visit at a supply store. My first item was a complex beaded necklace with some textile parts. Since then I never stopped.
2/ Where do you get your inspiration from?
People and their thoughts, relationships and feelings are my greatest source of inspiration.
3/ Have you got any famous clients / who would you love to design for?
I do my work with care and dedication and I give my best to my clients but, for me, creating jewelry is my main way of self-expression. I don’t design for people, I design because I love it.
4/ Tell us a bit about the company – how many people / how long has it been going – plans to use different materials? How can we get hold of your product?
I started this project in 2011 with an online store and I’m working alone.
This year I opened an etsy store and I’m starting wholesaling in Portugal. My products are available at my online stores.
5/ Pick a song that get you in the mood to create
Leonard Cohen – I’m your man and Hallelujah
http://www.moldarina.com
http://www.etsy.com/shop/Molda
http://facebook.com/moldarina