SPLF

They're here to stay and not only stay but change the game too, as they were created to bring back quality and quantity into the entertainment industry. If you don’t know yet, I am speaking about SPLF. SPLF whose members are Chimuka “Chilla”, Katlego , “Rams” and Phila “PBK” ,   have been around since the 31^st of December 2012. And together they make up a musical group of 3 artists.

Kanye West once said “They say ya additude determines ya laditude...” and with an attitude of wining by only producing the best  SPLF has put together a whole team that aims to bring back some serious competition into the game. They have Tshegofatso who takes care of their production and Bongani who manages their finances. Yet they are joined by two beautiful ladies, Lebogang and Koenadi who take care of their PR and Marketing. With full team like that ready to leave their mark in the music industry, we should only expect the best.

CHILLA 

Tshegofatso

PBK

RAMS

I could’ve written a long piece about who they are but I would rather let their music do all the talking. Here is the link  to their latest offerings; XIA  http://www.datafilehost.com/d/af7c8103 

However soon enough you can read up more about them right her on mincink. But until then you can always check them out on www.splfasylum.tumblr.com

All photography was done by of course Gondo and you can always check out his work @ www.Alternativevisuals.tumblr.com

Happy Shopping Guys

XoXo

Looking Through the Lens of Daniel Magidi

Some  of us may know him for his hilarious tweets and very interesting opinions about how he views our world however most of us know him more for his photography, which is just as thought provoking as his attention-grabbing tweets. This week we get to know Daniel Phumudzo Magidi II and find out more about his interesting relationship with photography. We also find out more about how he may see photography as more than just a hobby; “I see myself telling untold stories, travelling the world, changing people’s lives through images, yes, a great image can evoke strong emotions that changes one's perception of life, I see myself being the one whose pictures tell great stories from years to come.”

Before Daniel started taking photography seriously, which later lead to him being the Co-owner of RAW X CREATIVE as well being a finalists of the Canon SA photography competition in 2013, Daniel took pictures with his first Camera phone way back in 2006. “, when I got my first camera phone, I started taking pictures of children in the street, then as time went on I got a better camera phone, which encouraged me to take my screensavers for my phone instead of using ones that are default screensavers.” Daniels journey has been an interesting one since the days of him taking images with his phone because he is also the 1^st place Winner of the Sunday Times Generation Next Youth Photography Competition 2013.

However; behind every one of his shoots is an interesting story, one worth remembering; “My most memorable shoot was the one me and my friends decided to do in tribute to Mandela's death in december 2013 in search of anything that has "Mandela" on it, we travelled from JHB CBD, Braamfontein, and we went to his house in Alexandra township where he lived when he first arrived in joburg from Eastern Cape, we captured really great images and had a lot of fun, we learnt so much about our own history than the media tells us.”

Which is why one of the reasons he loves photography is the fact that, through photography you’re able to share stories, travel to unique places as well as having the amazing opportunity to explore our beautiful world. “I want to learn about the world, and learn more about myself through interaction with other people beyond my everyday routine. You meet people who literally change your life and it opens my mind about life.”

And so one can only believe Daniel when he says that he considers photography to be more than just a hobby, considering the fact that he left his studies in engineering soon after he found happiness in photography. “As I was studying Engineering at tertiary, it was a hobby, but that hobby grew in me so much, me and my friends at campus would literally bunk school on a Friday to go have a photo-shoot with a cell phone, we'd be in major trouble on Monday,  but after I won the Sunday times competition, I completely lost interest in engineering, with all that dy/dx, solve for x, I found so much happiness in photography, I then decided to just pursue photography and leave engineering. I haven't looked back since.”

Although photography may be his first love, he certainly does see himself getting into other forms of visual art. He may find an interest in graphic designing yet, he has fallen in love with motion pictures. “I am a movie lover, I can spend the whole week at home watching movies, not just any movie, it has to be a movie that after watching it, you feel a certain type of way, and makes you want to watch it again, look at epic movies like Inception, Memento, The Dark Knight Trilogy, Fight Club, Shutter Island, The beautiful Mind, etc. I want to make movies like that! In due time though.”

Even though he may enjoy watching movies during his spare time he does also enjoy chilling around his neighbourhood, “My favourite Hanging out place has to be right here in Soweto, nothing is more raw and doper than the township lifestyle we live in. I wish white people would come to the township and experience this awesome place!” However besides just chilling around his neighbourhood, you may often find him watching movies, listening to music, surfing the net and playing video games but one which comes as no surprise; he does tweet a lot, “what I do the most, is Tweet, I'm on 143258 tweets,  and counting”

Daniel may be a self-taught photographer however he does stress the importance of school; “go to school, learn the ins and outs of how to operate a DSLR camera, how to frame an image, etc., I'm a fast learner so I understood how to use a DSLR on manual mode in 5days, self-taught. Keep shooting, practice practice practice, link up with other photographers, collaborate, learn from each other, every shutter is a learning curve, research, remember, AN EXPENSIVE CAMERA DOESNT MAKE YOU A PHOTOGRAPHER, IT JUST MAKES YOU A PERSON WITH AN EXPENSIVE CAMERA.” And even though, he may be sharing some interesting advice he does believe that the following piece of advice is the best advice he has ever received; “If you want to be a better photographer, stand in front of more interesting stuff" - National Geographic Photographer”

5 more stylish minutes with Daniel

1.      If you had to invade a celebrity’s closet, which celebrity would it be (Internationally or locally)?

Closet, hmmm, I'd invade Pharrell Williams closet, have you seen how good Pharrell dresses? He dresses so timelessly, He's the only guy who rocks Uggs at Grammy awards and kills it, nobody said "eeuuwww, Uggs," like who does that?

2.      Where do you usually do your shopping?

I don't shop often , I haven't bought clothes in the past 3years because I do shoots for clothing brands and they also give me their awesome clothing too so I'm set. , but when I do shop, I shop at Sports scene, Mr. Price and woolworths, yes, woolworths, the little white kid in me is alive.

3.      Which item of clothing do you believe is a necessity and one cannot live without?

Sneakers, I'm a sneaker head, sneakers say a lot about a person’s personality and style, so sneakers and important!

4.      If you had to go shopping in a different country where would you go?

Shopping....haha, I'm not a fan of shopping but I'd totally go to China because they have the dopest and coolest things and they are super cheap, (don't support sweat shops), here in SA we only get 1/10th of the cool stuff that brands release. So I'd go to china. Come back with a plane full of gadgets and clothing.

5.      Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?

Travelling the world, making movies, inspiring people, and being one of the best photographers in the world. :)

You can always follow Daniel on Twitter @SoSoDeezy or you can catch him on Facebook @ Daniel Magidi

Happy Shopping Guys

XoXo

Team work makes the Dream work!

Earlier this year I had to do some research for work which required me getting to speak to a few interesting and not to forget Stylish individuals on the streets of Braam. It also required a few interesting visual elements, which meant I had the pleasure to once again work with one of the few amazing photographers I know, Gondo.

Not only was he great company as I was doing my research but he ensured that I got the best possible shots which in turn allowed me to create a very cool presentation. So I thought I'd share a couple of the images!

 

 

You can always follow him on twitter @ __Gondo but you can always check out more of his work @ www.Alternativevisuals.tumblr.com

Happy Shopping Guys
XoXo

Pharaohs And Gods

 

Kagiso Mamakoko, Neo Sitole, Thapelo Molebaloa and Sihle Langa established Pharaohs And Gods in 2012 when they were inspired by their desire to venture out into different worlds. And ever since then they have realised their full potential when their journey led them to being responsible for The Styling of Busiswa’s music video not forgetting that they had the epic opportunity to have their brand be a part of the Back To The City fashion show.

Looking at their journey one can only think that they always aim to be the best as well as do things out of the ordinary, and this is something we see not only in how they do things but it’s also evident right down to the name of their brand, “we didn’t want to be cliché, hence we say ‘we don’t think outside the box, we rip it’.”  Therefore it’s only natural that they sell more than just clothing as they may at times describe their brand as ‘Nemes’, a word which is derived from an ancient Egyptian tradition, in which the Pharaohs would wear a head cloth which was referred to as Nemes and it represented Power.

Pharaohs And Gods are a part of our Street Culture ensuring that their mark is made in terms of Fashion, they even agree that they are a part of an interesting time within our street culture fashion, ” South African street culture is booming now, it’s turning heads upside down, allowing people to be unique and creative”. Although they may live and breathe our Street Culture, they definitely take an interest in our South African Fashion industry as a whole, “South African Fashion is really growing because a lot of people are starting to understand it much better than before” 

 Even though they are the creative Brains behind the brand, the brand itself has taught them a lot of valuable lessons, “we actually saw a lot of potential in ourselves in a way that no one else has. It has shown us the unique and creative side of ourselves. It has taught us commitment, staying on point all the time”. Which may also be why they wouldn’t change their journey for anything as they also enjoy working together and they believe that nothing can beat that. However if they had an opportunity to collaborate with other brands they would definitely work with Sgod and KreativeBeings. Therefore it’s no shocker when they say their favourite brands are Nemes, Sgod and 2Bop because we can clearly see that they’re all about supporting local. Although they may support local they also take their personal style inspiration from international figures such as Ian Connor and if given the opportunity they would definitely not only raid Ian Connors closet but they may also consider taking a look at Joey Badass closet too.

 They’ve been in the industry for some time now and they know what it takes to get to where they are now that they advise those who are interested in the industry if you’re going into it because of fame, “It’s all about the passion, the love. Because in the end you have to commit yourself” and with the commitment that they have made to the industry, they definitely see themselves having a market worldwide in the future.

3 more seconds with Pharaohs and Gods

1.     Which piece of clothing item do you believe is a necessity and one cannot live without?

Jeans

2. What tips do you have for summer? 

Yo, if you going to wear shorts with sneakers make sure you have dope socks on!

 

3. In your spare time, when you aren’t working, what do you love doing?

Rap

You can always catch up with them on Facebook @ Pharaohs and GODS or why not follow them on Twitter @gang_paper but then again you can always check out their blog @ www.pharaohsNgods.tumblr.com
Happy Shopping Guys
XoXo

                                                 

 

LOOKING THROUGH THE LENS OF THOMAS MOKOENA

 

Jim Richardson once said, ‘If you want to be a better photographer, stand in front of more interesting stuff’, which is exactly what Thomas Mokoena does. During the week you may find him working at Wesbank in Fairland and part time you may find him focusing on his Bcom Accounting studies. However, during weekends he stands in front of “more interesting stuff”, as he works towards making a career out of what he loves doing, which is of course photography. Therefore, although he may consider himself to be on the “Come Up”, we should definitely lookout for T-Snaps.

 

All those close to him and those who may know his journey as a photographer may be fascinated by the journey he has taken so far, considering the fact that his only 21 and his interest in photography started during his matric year in 2012, “I just got my hands on most of my friends’ smartphones taking images of them. They kept on complementing me on how dope they are and one of my closest hommies suggested that I take it serious. That’s where the whole thing started. It was something that I never knew about myself.”

Although he may consider himself to be on the come up, one may look at his journey as not only interesting, yet  it is also an inspirational one which shows us that with a whole lot of passion and determination you can only go far. As one of his memorable photo-shoots among the many other interesting photo-shoots he has worked on is definitely his latest shoot which he had with ‘$HOT! BY W.A.T.E.R’. 

 

What started out as just an interest and hobby lead to him coming across interesting projects which he loves, “I love the fact that I get to tell my stories through the interpretation of visual arts. I get inspired all the time when I capture.” This is the same love and passion which pushes him to work towards his goal of someday owning a Photography and Film company as well as looking into collaborations with other great local and maybe even international individuals who work in the photography and Film industry.

Thomas may be a very busy individual who is working towards an interesting goal; however, when he isn’t working you may find him on the streets of Braam, “Braamfontein is my favorite hangout place. I get to socialize and chill with like-minded creatives who are dope in their own right and as Frypan would say: “Braamfontein is like New York’s Brooklyn”. Yet sometimes you may not even run into him at Braam during his spare time, as you may often find him with his Xbox.

 

Those who may be close to Thomas may know that besides him believing that a dope watch is a necessity, he believes in supporting our local street culture brands as he believes that without us supporting them, they will not grow. Therefore, you may not constantly find him in the mall as he would much rather support the brands which contribute to our street culture. Yet if given the opportunity he would love to do his shopping in Japan and maybe even raid Kanye West’s closet.

Thomas has worked hard to get to where he is today and he advises those who are interested in photography that, “Photography is NOT just about pressing the shutter button. You need to know when and how to capture (precision, timing and angle). This is very important. Be passionate and enjoy.” But as for him; in the nearer future he sees himself as a “well established professional photographer. It’s still a path that I’m taking and being new and on the com up, I’m going to grab every opportunity that comes my way with both hands.” And it’s a path which has been worth all of the hard work because besides all the amazing opportunities he has had and the interesting path which he has taken; “Thomas is just a young, ambitious, opinionated and goal-driven 21 year old from Randfontein who is deeply passionate about Photography and Film.”

 

You can always keep up with Thomas on Facebook @ Thabo Thomas Mokoena as well on twitter @Thabo Thomas Mokoena

 

 

Happy Shopping Guys

XoXo

 

 

SOCIAL DIARY REVIEW : Style_Is_Incalculable.

In case you guys missed it, this past Saturday was of course the 31st of January, which can only mean one thing; it was the 'Art is Currency' exhibition hosted by the talented Belinda Phofu,  the creative who makes sure that we have SIIC accessories by being the Creative Brain behind Style_Is_Incalculable , otherwise known as SIIC.

It was a day when art and Jewellery became one as she worked with 10 different artists to bring the exhibition and of course her vision together. As the artists were given the opportunity to interpret how they see Belinda's creations using one of her pieces. The room not only had amazing pieces on show but the good music and great company contributed to the ambiance of the room, making it an intimate set up. Not only allowing everyone to appreciate what she and the artists came up with, but it also gave everyone with a common interest the chance to interact with one another over good art.

The weather was not really on our side as it was literally pouring and one may think that the rain may stop people from coming through. However that was not the case because many people made it in support of Belinda's unique event and some even purchased a few SIIC accessories, proving that a little rain can't get in the way of support.

All in all Saturday was a great day, I not only got a chance to see a different kind of exhibition, catch up with great friends, as well as meet a couple of new people; but I also got a chance to see where hard work and determination can get you. Belinda is truly inspirational and one can only wish her the best moving forward!

 

 

 

 

Keep a look out for more images from the event :)

However for now you can follow Belinda on Twitter @S_II_C as well as keep up with her on Facebook @ Belinda Phofu

 

 Happy Shopping Guys
XoXo

SOCIAL DIARY: Where you should be this weekend

If you have ever wondered if there is any type of relationship between art and fashion and you would love to see the two not so different worlds of Visual art and Jewelry come together, then why don’t you make plans to spend a day at the SIIC exhibition ‘Art Is Currency’? Which will be hosted by the inspirational Belinda Phofu, who is of course the creative brain behind Style Is Incalculable. She has teamed up with 16 artists to bring her vision to life and together they will be showing us how they interpret the relationship between Jewelry and Art.

JoziHub
44 Stanley
Mill Park Johannesburg

Therefore, if you have not yet made any plans for this Saturday; and you would like to not only experience an exhibition which brings together 2 worlds but also mingle with people who appreciate art then why don’t you come through?

“Those who create are rare; those who cannot are numerous. Therefore, the latter are stronger.”_ Coco Chanel

Happy Shopping Guys

XoXo