THE REAL JOZI [FASHION] A-LISTERS.

The common knowledge around the world is that everyone thinks they have the whole style and fashion thing on lockdown, right? Now, with that said, how do we begin to rectify the wrongs done to us by thrift shops and knock-off brand factories? I notice that the “cool kid” era has given birth to a whole new breed of “fashionistas”.   Girls are looking more and more like their grandmothers with the coming of every weekend in the name of “vintage”.  Braamfontein is the capital city of this new breed.

The general practice is to raid Wanderers street during the 5am thrift-on-the-sidewalk “dunusa” activity, dunk your latest purchase in fabric softener to rid of the reek and slay Neighborgoods Market and Kitcheners in your frocks. The ladies will be clad in Moss Crepe maxi skirts, pussy bow Goergette blouses and ill-fitting Tartan blazers. The gentlemen are then in pinstripe suits, tribal print wax shirts and tassel slip-ons. Though honestly, it is not so much the guys that bother me but much more the ladies. I totally get the idea and the direction of the aesthetics and all, but the execution is horrendous, to say the least. How this came to be called vintage is beyond my wildest understanding.

The accessibility and free use of Tumblrhas not made it any easier for me and any other person that shares my sentiments.  My timelines are forever filled with images of bright lipstick and ill-fitting skirts.  Look, by no means am I hating on the poor kids. Hell, I was probably much worse when I was in fashion school thinking I was the Dion Chang of my time (I once owed a green Seshweshwe maxi “man skirt” inspired by Amanda Laird Cherry). Yeah, I know.

However, I had the basic understanding that I cannot, under any circumstances, wear a Tweed jacket and Leather pants in the middle of November at a food market. The dashikis, the shorts with the tights, reef boots and riding hats. It’s a whole new era of bad fashion.

They travel in prides of no less than 10, and often have a name. Last weekend I had the pleasure of meeting “The Nomads”. What an interesting group of humans. With that being said though, politics aside, there is a lot to be admired and applauded with these young trailblazers. They have balls.

Remember when Boom Shaka’s Lebo Mathosa and Thembi Seete first hit the local music scene in PVC regalia and Paula Abddul-meets-Janet Jackson-style choreography? It was a jaw-dropping time in local music and possibly changed the face of South African music. This movement is no different really. Well, depending on how you look at it. It’s an entirely new movement and rebellion. The kindthat cannot be ignored or pushed aside. It’s raw and it’s loud. It’s a new revolution and whether you hate or love it, it’s a movement that’s happening and possibly reshaping the history of South African fashion. Fashion will probably never be the same. Will it?