Threads By Dreads

It was the want to see more modern and Casual African Wear in her own closet that inspired Christiana Afotey to start Threads By Dreads. “I wouldn’t be creating something I wouldn't wear myself. Although I adore and respect the fashion creativity of designers worldwide, I feel as if I can put my own twist on things within the industry”. And so with that mission in mind, Threads By Dreads was Born in September 2013.

Her time spent in Ghana also contributed to the inspiration behind Threads By Dreads, eye catching and Unique clothing is what she loved to see. She admired the pride in which the Ghanaians took in their proudly African Prints. Their unique prints weren’t reserved for specific occasions as they “would wear their African print clothing to work in corporate offices, hospitals, musical performances…just about anywhere!” And so Threads By Dreads would contribute to the Fashion World by staying modern but also incorporating interesting African Designs.

Because she is currently based in the US, most of her designs are imported from Ghana and in some cases she may design her own prints however Threads By Dreads is more than just a brand as it’s a celebration of Ghana’s roots “I see myself as an individual cultivating the roots of Ghana and planting the seeds with people all over the globe. I would love to see supporters of TBD wear the line and accentuate it with their own individual style of fashion.”

Since the birth of TBD Christiana has “developed a better understanding of why people go after their heart’s desires and fulfil their passionate dreams.” She has realised that the desire to go after your goals and particularly what you’re passionate about is enough to push you to reach far beyond your limitations, the sky may not be the limit as you can reach beyond that. “I can say it has sparked a new flame for me. “

Christiana may embrace African prints however they are uniquely made to accommodate the closet of a modern women who also wants to infuse African prints into her modern style. However if given the chance she would love to collaborate with Swedish retailer H & M. “Their product lines are constantly evolving into a never-ending futuristic stylish trend. They have opened doors for many designers around the World like Alexander Wang, Jimmy Choo, Roberto Cavalli. I would love the opportunity to mesh with their brand and set the tone for the future of ethnic fashion.”

Christiana not only pours the inspiration from her experience in Ghana into TBD but she also uses it as inspiration for her personal style.” My inspiration comes from the experiences that I have encountered while in Ghana and also while seeing what designers from all over the World are producing”.

However she does admit that if she had to invade a celebrity’s closet it would definitely have to be Ushers Closet as well as a Ghanaian singer’s closet Efya’s. Yet she does spend less time shopping for herself but when she does go shopping, she isn’t very particular as she shops from local retailers and she often has some of clothing tailor made for her from Ghana. Though some of her preferred brands include Levi’s, Nike, Polo and Timberland. She does, however, point out denim as being her favourite item of clothing “One piece of clothing I cherish more than others…is denim! Who doesn’t love a pair of hot jeans?”

We should definitely look out for Christiana as she is clearly here to stay and definitely reach beyond the stars. She not only sees herself as being one of the leading brands in the industry,“ I see myself leading people who have a passion for producing a new stream of ideas in the fashion industry and coming together to make the dream work. Ultimately, I want to be a successful servant and leader.”  With that said she would also love to work with communities, “Since I’m a dreamer, I would love to see myself being more involved in the communities of Ghana and especially Nungua.” Its clear that Christiana cares about more than just fashion as she would love to be known for more than just that but also be known for the good things she’s done, “and the positive influential sparks I’ve caused in people’s lives.” And she also advices anyone wanting to enter the fashion industry to follow their hearts desires and always be up for a challenge. A little constructive criticism has never hurt anyone and so she also advices that you should welcome it, “if you fail at something…its ok, learn from it and move on.”

4 more minutes with Christiana

1.       How did you come up with the name for your brand and which other names would you have gone for if it had not been what you have chosen now?

 So you’re curious to the method behind the madness?? Lol I honestly just thought since I was the one coming up with the designs for the TBD line, what other name would be appropriate? I am proud of my heritage, I am proud of where my people have come from, I love Ghana! One of my goals is to bring you specifically a taste of the Ghanaian culture. I don't regret choosing the name Threads by Dreads but it wouldn’t hurt to consult with a marketing/branding specialist to get other views. I’m definitely a fan of constructive criticism.

2.       Looking back would you change any of the decisions you took while you were starting?

Ha! Looking back on the journey thus far…I would say I should’ve signed up Sewing 101 and Fashion 101 classes. For me, the curiosity is what keeps me going, so I become more eager to learn the ins and outs of the fashion industry, how to sew, design and implement everything from ‘A’ to ‘Z’.  I love to travel to other countries and witness how native residents present themselves and rock their inner beauty! It’s never too late to begin a new adventure!

3.       Do you promote a certain way of living if so what is your philosophy for life? I try to keep things simple.

Live your life to the fullest, with NO REGRETS…knowing that you will encounter trials and tribulations, but stay strong because your actions will be your testimonies and triumph will be yours!

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

 I enjoy playing sports, being outdoors (I’m a freak of nature), reading a good book, indulging in laughter with family and friends. Some may not know this about me, but I enjoy the outdoors…I am fascinated by nature and I love plants!

 You can definitely follow her out on twitter @ThreadsByDreads

Or you can simply check out her website @ ThreadsByDreads.com

Happy shopping Guys

XoXo

Retrofontein

Kabelo Tsako and Sizwe Zulu came up with the idea of having a brand which is inspired by our heritage in November 2012 however it was in 2013 that Retrofontein came to life. “The essence of why we were inspired to start Retrofontein was because we wanted to do something that represented our African heritage.  The latter which was the cultural ideology of afrocentrism.” Without a doubt Retrofontein is a Proudly South African brand which is inspired by our heritage and I recently had the opportunity to speak to them and find out more about them and their brand.

With their philosophy being “Seek Beyond Yourself”, they definitely sell more than just clothing as they’d like to think that they sell An Afrocentrism lifestyle, “Afrocentrism is a multiplexed cultural ideology and lifestyle- it’s our African heritage”. The essence of Retrofontein is even represented through the name of their brand as “We thought of our South African heritage and the name had to directly represent that we are home grown. So we thought; in Afrikaans a town is called a dorp or dorpie. We had to figure out how we would merge a prefix that we hadn’t thought of yet and the suffix ‘fontein’. So we went back to the idea of what inspired us, and that was contemporary (retrospective) and afrocentrism. Minutes later there we were, a future retro dorpie called Retrofontein. There was no alternative name for us.”

Therefore, most of their designs are based on concepts as they are conceptual people and they would consider themselves to be creatives “and with that comes a specific artistry unique to that.” If given the chance they would collaborate with Stella Jean, INYU, Jewel by Lisa or Boxing Kitten. Although they wouldn’t mind doing collaborations, they do believe in the presence of competition as “the only way to keep oneself on their toes is the belief that everything around your accord is competition, directly or indirectly.” Which is why all their hard work paid off as they soon realised that they were growing in May 2013, in just a few months of being around.

Their personal style is inspired by street wear as they are willing to explore everywhere when shopping and aren’t limited to shopping at a specific place. Yet if they had to choose a favourite brand they would definitely go with Nike as they think the work they do is astounding. And when it comes to invading closets they wouldn’t necessarily invade a celebrities’ closet but they would rather go with a designer as they’d love to invade Maxhosa by Laduma’s Studio.

We are definitely looking towards summer however we’re still in spring and with all the wind and rain that we experience at this time of the year they advise us to incorporate a windbreaker as part of our closets , “Not only is it light and waterproof but the technology used on windbreakers retains heat and keeps you warm.”

As a contributor to our street culture they say that our culture is “vastly growing. It will get to where it needs to be in time.” And if you are considering to be in the same industry that they are in they advise you to be your biggest critic, “I think that’s the most important thing on a personal level because that’s the thing which usually pushes you to be a greater designer or creative.” And there is no doubt that the sky is the limit for Kabelo Tsako and Sizwe Zulu as they plan on taking Retro4Tein to greater heights, “in the next five years we see ourselves retailing internationally. We have to go international, we need to conquer the globe. The word Retrofontein has to be on the people’s mouth.”

 

4 more seconds with Kabelo and Sizwe

1. How has your life changed since the birth of Retro4tein?

Firstly, awareness of things that are and are not. The mechanics of how things work in the real world.

2. Looking back would you change any of the decisions you took while you were starting?

Certainly, there are things we would change, in decisions and indecisions. No one walks in an unflawed accord.

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

The favourite copulation of denim’s and sneakers by far.

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

I’m always online that’s like my secondary home. I’m either on soundcloud or doing research acquainting myself with what’s happening in the music and fashion universe.

You can follow them on twitter @retro4ntein  but if Tumblr is more of your thing, you can check them out @ acquiredretrology.tumblr.com  .

Happy Shopping Guys
XoXo

 

 

 

 

 

 

Keeping Up with WAKE

 

On Saturday after a stressful week I just had to spend some time in Braam, not to just chill and catch up with friends but to also see the new store of WAKE. I loved seeing their store especially since I had the opportunity of speaking to them in July and finding out a little more about WAKE. And so this time I had the chance to see Pieter and Carla’s new store in Braam.

WAKE first opened its doors in August and since then they’ve been running their store in a busy vibrant area which is filled with young fashionistas, which is one of the reasons they decided to bring their brand there. And if they ever had to move, they would only go to a much busier place. But for now that area is just right to call home.

It’s been a busy yet amazing year for WAKE as they not only opened their store but they also showcased WAKE at SAFW and not only did they enjoy meeting new people, making great friends as well as meeting other designers but they enjoyed every moment as it was really fun, a good experience and they enjoyed working with the SAFW team. They say that it was a privilege to have the opportunity to be there. However SAFW taught them a lot about preparation, timing and the art of not panicking because what’s done is done and there’s no turning back.

Although they’ve achieved and grown a lot this year they do admit that it was a stressful year as they worked hard and learned a lot not only about the brand but about themselves too. You can look forward to catching them at their Pop Up shop at Brooklyn Mall early next year but you can always just pop into their store at 70 Juta, Braamfontein. But until then you can always follow them on twitter @itsawakeworld and keep up with them on their website @ www.wake-us.co.za  

Photography : Gondo

You can keep up with Gondo on his Tumblr page @ www.Alternativevisuals.tumblr.com However If Instagram is your thing you can follow him @sar_revolutionary or you can simply just follow him on twitter @Gondo__ 

Happy Shopping Guys

XoXo