Vol. 7 (Relax) – Summer 2022
New Looks
There must be something in the water… Everywhere you look there are local creatives causing a stir with their freshly launched collections, products and lookbooks
Compiled by LOOKBOOK Studio Words by Thabang Buthelezi
Image by Design Network Africa, Photography by Katinka Bester, Creative Production by Illana Swanepoel, Modelling by Terence Masamuna, Wardrobe Consulting by Louw Kotze and Fashion by Uniform.
Design Network Africa
After operating as Source for almost two decades, the world’s leading design and export agency in Africa has recently changed up its look and rebranded as Design Network Africa – DNA for short. DNA has worked tirelessly over the years to promote African design, offering retailers worldwide a personalised service that includes exclusive product development, sourcing, order processing, compliance, and packaging. If the new name sounds familiar, that’s because it was originally a design development programme funded by Denmark’s Centre for Culture and Development (CKU) from 2011-2016 and co- ordinated by The Guild Group, Source’s parent company (and that of Southern Guild).
Now its name and spirit live on in the continent’s leading export agency for handcrafted homeware. To launch its new identity, DNA turned to local photographer Katinka Bester and creative director Ilana Swanepoel to produce a lookbook that showcases the incredible products created by artisans and design studios across the continent.
Pichulik
For the jewellery brand’s SS23 Algiers Collection, Pichulik chose to delve into founder Katherine Mary Pichulik’s family history and draw inspiration from family letters, photographs, archived manuscripts, and her grandmother’s heirlooms. ‘My father recently passed away, and I experienced a deep longing to stay connected to him; an almost overwhelming fear that with his death, his memory and our shared ancestry would die along with him,’ she says.
Her longing carried her to a remote region of the Aures Mountains in the north-east of Algeria; the birthplace of her paternal grandmother. This became the starting point of her design process. To capture this journey, and the resulting collection, Pichulik worked with photographer Michael Oliver Love, hair and make-up artist Amori Birch and model Hafidha Masoet to create a soft-hued lookbook, also featuring fashion pieces by Gold Bottom.
Photography by Michael Oliver Love for Pichulik.
Photography by Chelsea Pickering for Cross Polynations and EX Hotel, Modelling by Alexandra Wunderlich.
Cross Polynations x EX Hotel
Local hand-weaving studio, Crosspolynations and detail-orientated furniture brand, EX Hotel, have partnered up to produce their first collaborative product, Obscura.
The result of the two brands’ shared love for making things by hand and with great care, Obscura transforms any space by introducing texture, directing movement and creating the opportunity to conceal or prompt intimacy in large environments (or small!) The freestanding folding screen combines traditional hand-weaving and joinery skills, and is described as an interplay between light and shadow, the visible and masked, as well as the public and private.
To showcase this beautiful product, the makers turned to lifestyle photographer Chelsea Pickering who, with the use of soft light, and the body of model Alexandra Wunderlich, beautifully showcases the product’s versitility and craftmanship.
Keith Henning
Having released various sculptural collections and forms over the years, creative director and owner of concept store AKJP, Keith Henning, has recently launched his latest body of work, Ceramic Sculptures.
Made from porcelain and a celadon glaze finish, Keith aims to challenge preconveived ideas around masculinity by using sexual and evocative forms to question social issues and misconceptions.
Known for his playful imagery of the human form, Michael Oliver Love was the obvious choice to capture Keith’s collection of naughty and neutral-coloured works, alongside model, friend and frequent collaborator, Sergei Adonis.
Photography by Michael Oliver Love for Keith Henning, Modelling by Sergei Adonis.
Photography by Ben Orkin.
house.house
house.house was recently launched by artist and sculptor, Ben Orkin, offering a range of nostalgia-inducing and neon-coloured crockery in the form of mugs, plates, bowls, teapots, and candlestick holders.
Photographed by Ben himself, we’re in love with this effortlessly cool and more casual counterpart to his more familiar ceramic vessels.
Via Wax
Founded in 2020 by sisters Laura and Nathalie Viruly, Via Wax is a handcrafted home design studio that produces a myriad candles in various shapes and colours.
Known for their sense of play and collaboration, the pair recently worked with photographer Matt Slater, producing a beautiful lookbook in the process – even roping in their mom, Silvia Viruly, who embroidered the textiles.
Photography by Matt Slater for Via Wax.
Photography of Llama Wolf by Andile Buka for Superbalist.
Lulama Wolf x Superbalist
Visual artist Lulama Wolf is no stranger to the fashion and design scene. Marrying her love for art and design, Lulama partnered with online retailer Superbalist on their limited collection EDEN, a celebration of South Africa’s beauty, also her first home and womenswear collection.
To capture the looks, Lulama collaborated with photographer Andile Buka to create a striking series of portraits.
SKYY Moment
Collaborating with local photographer and creative director Aart Verrips and Joburg-based stylist Obakeng Rantlane, SKYY Vodka has released a photographic series that embodies a SKYY Moment. Described as a point in time when you’re refreshed, tuned in and positively charged, the creatives envisioned their personal SKYY Moments for this series. Choosing to focus on the San Francisco-sourced Pacific minerals present in each bottle of SKYY Vodka, Aart explains that ‘by playing with texture, colour and light to create what, [for him], represents the SKYY Moment in abstract form‘, he and Obakeng were able to achieve this beautiful body of work, ultimately inspiring us all to discover what represents our true SKYY Moment.
Photography by Aart Verrips, Styling by Obakeng Rantlane.
