Last year EDUN approached a group of diverse African photographers to interpret their new collections and represent it in their own way. Been one of the Photographers and having an open window to do as I wished with the clothing, I took inspiration from the garments themselves. The outfits reminded me of some of outfits I had been documenting in the different sub-cultures around Johannesburg. Namely the classic Zulu fashion culture 'The Swenka's' and 'Pantsula' the dance culture I have spent years documenting. I wanted to show the uncanny link between selected looks and these cultures attire. Performer Manthe Ribane (and her sister Tebogo) who I had extensive experience working with on my Ghost Diamond Short Film and Dear Ribane Music Video, interpreted classic poses from both the cultures and transformed them physically on the downtown streets of Johannesburg.
We re-interpretted classic masculine poses from the different sub-cultures and posed the shots in the harsh the South African summer light, not shying away from its encompassing effect. I wanted to keep it as real as possible, maintaining a sense of believability which is often lost in fashion photography, but maintaining the fantasy of the over the top garments. The results are a less than typical aesthetic, poses which reference by-gone showmanship in masculinity shot in reality.
We re-interpretted classic masculine poses from the different sub-cultures and posed the shots in the harsh the South African summer light, not shying away from its encompassing effect. I wanted to keep it as real as possible, maintaining a sense of believability which is often lost in fashion photography, but maintaining the fantasy of the over the top garments. The results are a less than typical aesthetic, poses which reference by-gone showmanship in masculinity shot in reality.
The images take clothing which is designed in New York, manufactured ethically on the African continent, transported back to the USA and now imagined back in Africa and specifically in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Thank you to Julien Labat, the CEO of EDUN for making this a possibility.
Credits:
Photography Chris Saunders
Photographic Assistant Kyle Goulden
2nd Photographic Assistant Lesedi Mothoagae
Producer Jodie Ennik
Styled By Crystal Birch
Make-Up Alex Both
2nd Photographic Assistant Lesedi Mothoagae
Producer Jodie Ennik
Styled By Crystal Birch
Make-Up Alex Both
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