Lesego Malatsi - SouthAfrica.TO
Lesego Malatsi - SouthAfrica.TO
Lesego Malatsi - SouthAfrica.TO
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LEFT: MNGOMEZULU'S<br />
DARKIE HAIRCUT LOGOS ARE<br />
REMINDERS OF HIS STREET<br />
FASHION ROOTS<br />
For Mngomezulu, “Darkie” has no<br />
political meaning. Being dark-skinned<br />
is something he was teased about at<br />
school, but he’s creatively transformed<br />
the slur into a symbol of pride, just as<br />
his Afro-comb signature logo recycles<br />
a popular street image, and works as<br />
a reminder of his street fashion roots.<br />
Darkie is the consummate<br />
cultural cut-up artist, recycling<br />
from the past to invent the future.<br />
“I didn’t study fashion design,”<br />
he says, admitting the simplicity<br />
of his design approach: “If I feel it<br />
and I love it, I do it.” He examines<br />
history in an attempt to understand<br />
it, but he doesn’t like being held<br />
back by the past, or by preconceived<br />
notions. He goes with his gut.<br />
for five minutes in any direction<br />
and you’re in a new neighbourhood<br />
with a totally different vibe.”<br />
Mngomezulu enjoys Cape Town’s<br />
slower pace. “It gives you control<br />
over your life. Johannesburg is fast,<br />
full-stop. You have to keep up. But<br />
here you can choose to slow down.”<br />
Not that he finds time to “do<br />
nothing.” Managing a hectic social<br />
schedule is part of his job. “You<br />
have only to witness the pilgrimage<br />
towards Long Street at 6pm on<br />
a Friday. It’s like a migration. A<br />
celebration.” This is where he gathers<br />
clues and creative inspiration for the<br />
stories he tells with his clothing.<br />
Mngomezulu’s own story is<br />
fascinating. Like many South<br />
Africans, he grew up wearing<br />
hand-me-downs - patching and<br />
mending second-hand clothing was<br />
something he did out of need. But he<br />
took necessity to the next level. He’s<br />
turned neckties into skirts, added<br />
curtaining to jackets, sewn shirts and<br />
pants together to create a whole new<br />
garment. Recycling was something he<br />
did before it became cool. That earned<br />
him recognition and he broke into<br />
fashion. And he continues to recycle<br />
vintage and African fabrics. It’s his<br />
way of keeping culture in circulation,<br />
of merging the past with the present.<br />
His brand name is recycled, too.<br />
The Darkie label turns a traditional<br />
pejorative, once used as an insult<br />
for black Africans, on its head.<br />
MELLOW MOMENTS<br />
Find the man behind the Darkie<br />
brand enjoying a mellow moment at<br />
&Union, Bree Street’s after-work social<br />
hub, where craft beers and handmade<br />
garagiste wines are served alongside<br />
real steak sandwiches. When he’s<br />
out at night, Mngomezulu prefers a<br />
place that’s smoke-free and where<br />
the door policy doesn’t dictate how<br />
to dress: “I’m a fashion designer—I<br />
don’t need a bouncer telling me to<br />
wear a collar and tie.” &Union fits<br />
the bill, and is especially lively on<br />
Wednesdays when there’s a line-up<br />
of worth-discovering musicians doing<br />
acoustic sets on the cobbled courtyard.<br />
Unknown Union, 24 Kloof Street, +27 21<br />
422 2843, www.unknownunion.co.za.<br />
&Union, 110 Bree Street, City Centre, +27<br />
21 422 4086, www.andunion.com, open<br />
Mon–Thurs 7am–11pm and<br />
Fri–Sat 7am–midnight.<br />
Black Ram, Tamboerskloof’s<br />
most neighbourly bar, is another<br />
unstuffy place for a sociable drink.<br />
Owner Adam Whiteman didn’t simply<br />
use vintage furniture, he recycled<br />
what he had in his house to get the<br />
authentic old-fashioned pub feel<br />
down perfectly. By day the pub<br />
doubles as The Power and the Glory,<br />
a relaxed café serving dynamite<br />
coffee and locally sourced food.<br />
Black Ram/The Power and the Glory, corner of<br />
Kloof Nek and Burnside roads, Tamboerskloof,<br />
+27 21 422 2108, thepowerandtheglory@<br />
me.com, Mon–Sat 8am–10pm/late.<br />
I N D W E S A F A S H I O N S P E C I A L<br />
32<br />
NOVEMBER 2011 INDWE