MAZEMAG SA

maze m ag

b a n d il e

c e l e

I ss u e

f eat.

pho t o grap h y fashio n art musi c

C O NT E NTS

CL A S S IC S 08 10 22 24 27 39

T T V S P B

RENDING IN FASHION RENDING SNEAKER I N TAG E W EAR T REET WEAR L AY L I ST EAUT Y

F E ATUR ES 12 16 18 20 25 32

KINGS O F THE YO UTH SAVAG E C UST O M S Z HAMBO KADON BANDILE CEL E N AN A AT TA KIRST EN DI EDRIC K

EDITOR IN CHIEF DEPUTY EDITOR MANAGING EDITOR ART DIRECTOR

THE TEAM

Mercedez Dlikilili

Kim Barendse Donae Manuel Donae Manuel & Nkosi Zungu

SPECIAL THANKS Bandile Cele (”Covered”) Donae Manuel

Fashion

Donae Manuel Street Wear

Kim Barendse Featured Designers

L v e e , K i n g s O f T h e Yo u t h Kim Barendse, Savage Customs Mfundo, Zhamborkadon Art

Kirsten Diedrick Beauty

Naomi Black Music

Nana Atta

FOLLOW US @mazemag_

Is s ue

M AZ E M AG

Mazemag is an online magazine that focuses on empowering and acknowledging upcoming talents within the fashion and ar ts industr y.

fINALLY!

It's here!! It brings me great joy to welcome you into t h e fi r s t i s s u e o f M a z e m a g . T h e w a i t i s fi n a l l y o v e r.

Mazemag is an online platform that dwells on uplifting & empowering individuals who are venturing towards t h e f a s h i o n & a r t i s t i c i n d u s t r i e s . H o w e v e r, s a d l y w e would like to acknowledge the young talents that Durban has recently lost during the course of these past few weeks: Rappers, Clayton "Inseezy" Xulu & Bryan "Bruno" Ngobeni, DJ Malibongiwe "Maverick M a l i " M b a t h a , a n d p h o t o g r a p h e r, L i n d o k u h l e " L i n d t z " Sokhulu. Mazemag would like to pass our deepest condolences to family & friends of these young talents.

I urge you to read each page & explore the journeys of fashion & art that has been portrayed in Mazemag.

Thank you for reading. Until next issue.

Mercedes Editor in Chief

XX

The editors’ take on mazemag MERCEDES DLIKILILI Mazemag is a maze of a self-discovery; an exploration in which allows you to become who you are without any fear of being who you are. The beauty of this is, just when you think you've conquered the maze, a whole new j o u r n e y b e g i n s , a n d y e t a g a i n y o u fi n d yourself exploring...

@captured_by_mkd

KIM BARENDSE Mazemag is a publication that digs deep into individuals, extracting and showcasing their talents and curious bravery to be their undeniable artistic selves in a world where they are misunderstood or shunned.

@kim_is_plur

DONAE MANUEL Mazemag is a catalyst and a voice for artists (especially A f r i c a n a r t i s t s ) f r o m d i ff e r e n t walks of life to introduce themselves to the wor ld. We all have a story to tell, in a way unique to us...don’t let your story go untold.

@donna_manuel

SEEING DOUBLE

FASHIO N

Say hello ...to these sibling pairs, who have changed the face of fashion to being not just once, but twice as nice. Twins have always undoubtedly been a fascination in society — and the Internet is no exception. Thanks to this powerfully influential platform, these sibling duo’s have made a name for themselves, with tremendous amounts of followers, of course. It was only a matter of time until big industry names latched onto these creatives and tapped into a more organic, relevant audience. These young people represent the “current” generation, the one’s making the much anticipated digital noise…the generation y-ers or wires might just be more fitting, if you will. A generation that is proud and unapologetic in what it stands for, and proud of what it looks like as a representation of that.

Allow me to introduce to you the creative trail blazers, with serious fashionable flair and some important leaves we can take from their book.

(Images are all sourced from respective websites and feeds, not our own)

BY DONAE MANUEL

The Quann Twins OWN YOUR IDENTIT Y Blog: urbanbushbabes.com B e h i n d t h e U r b a n B u s h B a b e s b l o g , y o u w i l l fi n d ebony beauties, Nikisha Brunson nee Quann and Cipriana Quann. African American bloggers who celebrate natural hair (and fashion) among other topics. The concept of natural hair for t h e m i s e s p e c i a l l y s i g n i fi c a n t b e i n g b o r n o f a w h i t e m o t h e r a n d a b l a c k ( J a m a i c a n ) f a t h e r.

H a v i n g s t r u g g l e d t o fi t i n t o W e s t e r n s o c i e t a l norms by taming their natural thread growing up, they soon realised that they were never meant to be tamed. Their style and black b e a u t y h ave m e s m e r i s e d m a ny. Wi t h c o u n t l e s s features in and campaigns for names like G a p , V o g u e , A S O S , W M a g a z i n e , T h e N e w Yo r k T i m e s , R e fi n e r y 2 9 , a n d H B O G i r l s d u b b i n g Cipriana Quann as “the voice of (her) g e n e r a t i o n ”, i t c o m e s a s n o s u r p r i s e a n d t h i s i s d e fi n i t e l y n o t t h e l a s t w e h e a r o f t h e m .

The Mukheli Bro’s S E E T H I N G S D I F F E R E N T LY @iseeadifferentyou Justice and Innocent Mukheli are Soweto-born brothers who f o r m p a r t o f t h e p o p u l a r v i s u a l t r i o ‘ I s e e a d i ff e r e n t y o u’ – a sar torial photography blog dedicated to capturing o p t i m i s t i c S o u t h A f r i c a . “ We t r y t o m a k e p e o p l e s e e a l l t h e s e p l a c e s d i ff e r e n t l y – s e e r o m a n c e , s e e p o s s i b i l i t i e s , s e e f u n a n d b e a u t i f u l t h i n g s ,” I n n o c e n t t o l d D a z e d m a g a z i n e o f t h e blog they star ted back in 2011 with his brother and their best friend Vuyo Mpantsha. They cop their style from old p h o t o g r a p h s o f t h e i r p a r e n t s a n d g r a n d p a r e n t s a n d t h e r e’s a d e fi n i t e A f r i c a n i n fl u e n c e i n t h e i r d r e s s c o d e . T h e f a s h i o n duo were chosen by Diesel to be the main muses for the l a b e l ’s A f r i c a - f o c u s e d c a m p a i g n . T h e i r p h o t o g r a p h s h a v e n o t only landed them modelling gigs, but have also been e x h i b i t e d i n To k y o. S h i n e , A f r i c a , s h i n e !

Massena Twins FA M I LY M AT T E R S

@suzane_massena

@suzana_massena

This pretty pair was born and live in Salvador de Bahia, in B r a z i l a n d d e c i d e d t o p u r s u e a m o d e l l i n g c a r e e r, y o u g u e s s e d i t , t o g e t h e r. H o w e v e r, t h e y w e r e n ’ t t h e fi r s t i n t h e i r f a m i l y t o w a l k t h e w a l k b u t i n s t e a d f o l l o w e d i n t h e i r o l d e r s i s t e r, S u e l l e n M a s s e n a ’s f o o t s t e p s w h o t h e y a c c o m p a n i e d t o a m o d e l l i n g a g e n c y o n a d ay – t h e re s t a s t h e y s ay, i s h i s t o r y.

W e fi r s t s p o t t e d t h e s e t w o w h e n t h e y g r a c e d t h e c o v e r o f E l l e South Africa in January 2015 and are now no strangers to South African shores. They have walked South African catwalks numerous times as they have in Brazilian shows.

They have already completed numerous editor ials for Vogue a n d M a r i e C l a i r e , a s w e l l a s G l a m o u r.

The Dotson Sisters C R E AT E M A S T E R P I E C E S Website: www.cocoandbreezy.com N e w Yo r k b a s e d t w i n s , C o r i a n n a a n d B r i a n n a D o t s o n , a k a , Co c o a n d B re e z y, a re t h e g i r l s behind the brand that took eyewear trends and turned it upside down with their quirky designs and special mention to their “third eye glasses” (pictured right). Within weeks of the launch of their brand, the likes of Beyonce, Prince, Lady Gaga and Rihanna we re we a r i n g Co c o a n d B re e z y. T h e y h ave also enjoyed praise from publications such a s V o g u e a n d H a r p e r ’s B i z a r r e t o m e n t i o n a fe w. I n t h e i r s p a re t i m e t h e y c re a t e m u s i c and visual art – just our kinda girls.

#MAZ E TRE NDING SNE AK E R

THE ORIGNS The Old Skool debuted in 1977 as the so-called “ S t y l e 3 6 ”, a n d s h o w c a s e d t h e i c o n i c V a n s s i d e s t r i p e . A n e w l o w - t o p s t y l e a s V a n s ’ fi r s t skate shoe that incorporated leather panels, the company that had been founded as the Van Doren Rubber Company in Anaheim in 1966 had a new classic silhouette on its hands. What started as a random doodle by Paul Van D oren was o r i g i n a l l y r e f e r r e d t o a s t h e “ j a z z s t r i p e ”, a n d over 35 years in the making, the sidestripe has become the unmistak able hallmar k of the Vans Brand” - source, www.sites.vans.com

ARE YOU “OFF

Vans Old Skool sneakers have made a

huge comeback in this era. Mazemag has appointed the Vans Old Skool sneaker as the Trending Sneaker of this issue. As we all know, Vans sneakers are essentially comfortable sneakers to rock at any occasion with any trendY ensemble. Old Skools have always been popular for being worn by skaters, however, nowadays you don’t have to be a skater to style in the Vans Old Skool.

The ‘kool’ thing about Old Skools is that they allow you to become creative in how you rock them. You then become accountable for creating your own identity by creating a Vans story in your Old Skools. We asked our followers tag us in a pic on Instagram of themselves with the hasgtag #mazetrendysneaker. Here are some visuals of Maze’s Old Skool kools, rocking their Vans.

THE WALL?”

(IN REMEMBRANCE OF DJ MAVERICK MALII - YOU’RE FOREVER IN OUR HEARTS)

Who is Lvee? What is he about?

My full name is Lungisani Nduduzo Nkosi. A lot of people don't know my real name, they just call me LVee. I found the nickname easier to identify with; as a way to hide a lot but it's become me and what I'm about. Basically, I'm a kid who’s obsessed with contemporary arty-vibes since a young age. From graffiti, to skateboarding, to wu tang, to Kurt Cobain, Marilyn Manson - I am inspired by all the stuff kids my age are not really aware of or into. I always used to feel like I wasn't born in the right place or constructed to be a curator or designer with a capital D, for me, that was for people who grew up in Cape Town or Jo’burg or even Paris that studied under Gucci or Balmain. I wanted to make stuff that ended up in magazines and make things that resonated with the culture ( I hate that word now) but I've always been about the art of making really cool sh*t, and at the time I didn't know what it is or what to do but I first fell in love with fashion when my mom would sell Levis jeans straight outta our crib and I used to be like “can I sell for you to my teachers at school” and this was at primary school level, grade 1, where I ended up selling to my teachers and it was my intro and first experience with business and clothing. I studied those jeans every night. The patterns and textures, stitch and pattern became familiar to me and intrigued me. That experience inspired me to start drawing my own pieces in class and marked the beginning of my fashion journey. I wasn't really good but it made sense to me at the time. I always wanted to start something that would unify a lot of people with different ideas and views on things. I moved around a lot as a kid and I was able to engage with a lot of people and learnt a lot of things; how the world works from every person I met. So, when I decided to curate and make stuff Iit was a chance for me to collaborate with like-minded and different individuals. No one man is an island. It made sense to me that it wasn't just about me but about all of us in a sense. I want to make stuff that is added to our current time in civilization. That's what I'm about: collaboration and creation.

Photography: LVee

What is the concept behind KOTY? It's funny, whenever I speak about KingOfTheYouth, people tend to think it's about me. It's really not like I have the opportunity to work for a brand like Red Bull so in that light I was able to connect with a lot of young kids on the ground. I saw what was happening in my city more than I did when I had no job ‘cause now I had something to offer them. I had that platform to create with them and give them a chance right? but with that I saw that the power that kids have is actually immense. it's just that we shy away from it. We wait for someone else to do it then we follow suit or we wait for a hand out then we feel comfortable in stepping up and saying “look, you need us, come to us for the sauce and the ideas” that's what KOTY is about: giving the power back to us as the kids. All these brands want to sell and make sh*t for us; we now need to understand our power and then we will be able to say “cut the cheque and let's do dope sh*t, period. So what I did is, I got my niggas and we did just that. I got a lot of backlash for KingOfTheYouth, peeps on the streets were saying “what gives me the right?”, “Who do I think I am?” whenever I was out. Even now, dudes have this way of saying "awu king of the youth", it's sort of poking at me sarcastically and I'm okay with that ‘cause I know what I'm doing. For the kids it might be small but I know what the mission is. Look at it this way, would the likes of Cassper Nyovest ever come to a university campus without it being a big show and kids having to pay? NO. But we did that as a team and it was just so that we can say to the kids “we are your voice, let us come together and do more.” Love to brands like Nike and Red Bull. Those brands reach out to kids and actually pay them and support them for dope creative ideas.

We created KOTY to manifest in a lot more avenues that will allow kids to do more and us to create more experiences for them. Truth be told, I started this for the love of fashion then but now it's become a lifestyle and a movement. It's a thing of, when you come to Durban we are the people you mess with for the vibes and the saucebits - likewise when you go to NY, you got the ‘ASAP Mob’, go to Joburg you got ‘Boyzin Bucks’, ‘DOC’, ‘The Sartist’, in Cape Town you got ‘2Bop’, ‘Head Honcho’, ‘SolSol’ the Cornerstore peeps, etc all these kids that just shoot their reality and created a culture of global thinkers mixed with local style and flavour - that's the mission. We wanted to make something that said this is like a new era - everyone run through the door at the same time and let's have our own industry. That's what KOTY is. it's not us trying to reach some holier place of success, we just wanna flip the script so that the industry is confronted by this new wave of kids they cannot possibly say no to.KOTY is us summing up a generational shift within a brand.

THE POWER THAT KIDS HAVE IS ACTUALLY IMMENSE

How does art influence your eye in fashion?

I see art in everything. I'm a very visual person. Art has played a huge role in my life, from visuals, to sonics, to design and architecture, etc. I draw from all that. I was saying the other day that I love the YEEZUS album, it was everything sonically for us as creatives ‘cause if you listen to Kurt Cobain, AC/DC - that punk rock stuff and if you look at the fashion at that time, it was influenced by the music. When Saint Laurent did the leather biker jeans, that silhouette was inspired by punk rock. So, when you listen to YEEZUS, it's punk rock mixed with rap and that's art for us and it inspired my designs at the time. I draw inspiration even from stage design. I follow a guy called Rem Koolhas who’s an architect but he does stage design as well. The stuff he creates look like clothing. It's like why when people look at off white clothing on the runway, they don't get it at first? Because it’s different pieces, you kind of have to put it together like a house to understand the composition.

For me, it's taking a look at something and thinking how do you then make a better product for the real world; whether it's fashion or curating an event or visuals.

IF YOU LISTEN TO KURT COBAIN, AC/DC - THAT PUNK ROCK STUFF AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE FASHION AT THAT TIME, IT WAS INFLUENCED

BY THE MUSIC.

Any last motivational words for the kids?!

Just create from a place of truth, create from a place of honesty and create things that you love. Think about what people are gonna say but also say “fuck what they say they will understand one day”. Never give up on what you want in life. I know a lot of kids come from traditional families where you meant to get a normal office job and do normal sh*t. I don't believe in

being programmed to be a certain way just because someone said it's the right way. Branch out; learn more about what's going on in your surroundings, it's not an easy journey, trust me, I've slept on my boys floor before I got my break ‘cause I've always wanted to do more with these ideas in my head and when you have a lot of people saying no, that messes with you a great deal, but trust me, your day will come and you gotta be ready.

Being a creative or curator of things is not something you wake up and say “I wanna do this”. Study the market, perfect your craft whatever it is, don't do things half heartedly. Just create from a place that's pure and the rest will follow.

savage customs Not everyone that smiles with you is your friend.

Yo u o n l y n e e d t o d o one thing every single time after you fall and that is to get back up.

-KIM BARENDSE

Mazemag speaks to Kim Barendse, visual artist extraordinaire and creative director behind the label, Savage Customs. Hereʼs what she has to say…

request. I’m really hoping some of my future clients would trust me enough to give me freedom of creative expression to create my own authentic designs for them until my clothing label is officially launched. (laughs) I definitely feel that eventually I will become more independent with my designs.

Any words of motivation for young kids starting their own businesses?

Firstly, it’s going to be so challenging. At times you’ll wish you never started. You’ll want to give up several times, but don’t! Nobody warns you about how difficult it is to run your own business.

They always make you believe it’s glamorous, they’re selling you dreams chomma, it takes hard work and dedication. Educate yourself about your craft, set new goals to acquire different skills that will benefit your business. Take the mistakes you’ve made and turn them into pearls of resourcefulness and wisdom. Not everyone that smiles with you is your friend. You only need to do one thing every single time after you fall and that is to get back up.

What inspired you to venture into custom designing?

I kind of stumbled upon it, I’ve always been very incessant and passionate about art and fashion. I started exploring with different avenues of altering my clothing to be authentic from tie dye to painting. it was a natural progression.

How does art influence your craft in custom designing?

It plays a big role. Artists from all creative fields in general inspire me thus my decision to study visual arts. Art is influenced by such a broad range of subjects layered with emotion and complexity that you could say your daily life should inspire you, the people around you, your joy, your sorrow, relationships, tragedies, the universe, God… I could go on forever. I have a paranoia of my creations being overlooked in the mainstream because it’s so mediocre and trend abiding. My creations are and always should be an extension of the client’s individualistic traits, interests, beliefs, ideologies, understanding and vision.

How do your designs come about?

Well usually it depends on the client’s

Do clothes maketh the man or does man wear the clothes? It all comes down to how you see yourself and how you want to project yourself to the world.

More than ever before, fashion has become something one simply can’t ignore.

It is everywhere but there is simply nothing as profound as wearing something with purpose. When a name that sounds like some kind of tongue-twister-phenomenon, is indeed a fashion phenomenon, be sure to get in the loop. Zharmbakodan is the brainchild of Durban-born designer, Mfundo Maphumulo, a designer with purpose and interest in how his pieces affect an individual’s perception. Mfundo regards his brand as an extension of himself and “is everything you want to be, and loves you as much as you love it” he says with great confidence.

The name was made up by Mfundo himself…as he longed for self-acceptance he created a non-existent name with the idea of self-growth and renewing his state of being - how he wishes to be seen in the future.

Zharmbakodan is a personal brand inspired by the relationship one has with oneself. This brand encourages the individual to (literally) wear their own confidence. Wearing a Zharmbakodan piece says a little bit of who you are, portrays your individuality and where you’re headed through your choice of garment. The ‘Roses’ line symbolizes beauty and celebrates individuality.

Inspired by a rose: the thorns defending the beauty of the flower similar to how we take care of our hearts being our centre point, from where passion flows.

The most important investment is the (type of ) energy that goes into what you do. Mfundo says that “the eyes adopt an individual’s perception. Perception is shaped through good and bad experiences. A healthy self-constructed perception is a healthy state of mind and being that doesn't require the approval of those around you but the approval of yourself. Creating a masterpiece is about letting go of what it’s supposed to be versus that of what it is meant to become.

T H E ‘ROSE S’ L INE S Y MB OL IZE S B E AUT Y A ND C E L E B RA T E S INDIV ID U ALIT Y

p h ot o g r a p h y / / s i n ot h o m s w e l i

ZEALOUS

C O V E RE D

b andi l e ce le

S’got the juice B a n d i l e , t h e g e n t l e m a n w i t h “ t h e j u i c e ”, i s a v e r y d i v e r s i fi e d a r t i s t . H e c o n s i d e r s himself very art driven and it shows in his sense of style.

“My style is very eccentric compared to what you see from these other k i d s . I ’ m i n fl u e n c e d b y f r i e n d s f r o m when we were still in high school with their crazy but cool fashion sense. Also, icons such as ASAP Rock y a n d R i c k y R i c k .”

N o t o n l y d o e s a r t i n fl u e n c e B a n d i l e ’s s t y l e b u t l i k e w i s e m u s i c , p l a y s a v e r y s i g n i fi c a n t part of his style. “Music is also art that we p o r t r a y ”, h e s a y s .

The one item in which Bandile says he cannot live without are sneakers, which is typical for any guy these days and seems to be a key piece in all his looks.

“Individuals should stop wearing the Adidas three strip pants yish! Literally everywhere you go, people are wearing those. They h ave s o o ve rd o n e t h a t I t h i n k t h e y ’re o l d n o w. S e r i o u s l y ! ” With ar t being a source of inspiration for Bandile, he is mostly motivated by other fashion icons. “I also can get my game up a n d e ve n t u a l l y, o t h e r p e o p l e w h o w a n n a g e t into fashion get inspired by me and my f a s h i o n s e n s e .”

Style my

VINTAGE

T e ff i s a N e w Y o r k blogger and photographer whose style is inspired by the vintage lifestyle with an urban twist. She e ff o r t l e s s l y d o e s e ff o r t l e s s l y e m a n a t e u r b a n s t re e t we a r, putting together

o u t fi t s t h a t s a y everything without being out there. Being a photographer works to her advantage as she gets to travel a lot, including the continent of Africa, and explores the environments with her

fashion sense. As noted through her photographs, the fashion blogger likes to keep her colors very neutral and settle with bronze, browns and orange colors.

inspired by vintage lifestyle with an urban twist

WE AR

SHAUNA @shauna_alika

JARVI S

My style in one word is an expression of my personality “introverted�.

STRE E T

Favorite style icon/s are Arianne Witt, Kanye Westm Kellyn Fung.

My inspiration comes from all my surroundings whether it be a piece of clothing, art, nature or design.

Must haves are: high waist denims, anything and everything oversized, comfy timeless sneakers and a boyfriend with a wardrobe you can too call your own.

I wouldn't say that I follow trends, but I do allow for their influence every now & then.

S TR EET S MB ULELO

NTLONT I @ta_nme

My style in one word is unique Favorite style icon/s are I wouldn't use the word "icon" to describe him but I really enjoy Blake Scott's style.

My inspiration comes different people and different styles I come across everyday.

Must haves are: white t-shirts. They go with everything.

I follow some trends.

JUST I N @jussie_za

JO O ST E

My style in one word is timeless Favorite style icon/s has to be Kanye West himself My inspiration comes from best street outfits on instagram Must haves are: You can never go wrong with black skinny jeans.

I never follow trends. I just wear whatever suits me at that particular time.

T YL(ING) NKANY EZ I @nkanyezikinase

KINASE

My style in one word is fresh Favorite style icon/s are I adore Rihanna and a bit of Solange.

My inspiration comes art in fashion Must haves are: anything denim I do follow trends but enfuse them with my style

P L A Y L IS T

D U B OI Z - H A L L E L U JA H D U R AT I O N - 0 4 : 0 2

N A N A AT TA - YA S H I S A D U R AT I O N - 0 3 : 0 1

INSEEZY- HAIL MAMA D U R AT I O N - 0 3 : 4 6

O KO - B A B A W A M I D U R AT I O N - 0 3 : 5 9

P . A - M A M A C I TA D U R AT I O N - 0 3 : 4 7

E Z R A TA I - G R E Y C L O U D S D U R AT I O N - 0 4 : 0 8

S L I M E G O - S AV V Y D U R AT I O N - 0 4 : 0 7

B L I Q - W AV Y D U R AT I O N - 0 2 : 1 3

L U M K A H - S YA B A G E N A D U R AT I O N - 0 4 : 1 3

T h e c i t y o f D u r b a n i s fi l l e d w i t h a m a z i n g m u s i c talents. Nana Atta, birth name Sinehlahla Mthembu, is one of the many musical talents that brew from D ur ban, Veralum. Her musical jour ney began at the y o u n g a g e o f 1 1 , w h e n s h e w r o t e h e r fi r s t s o n g f o r h e r f a m i l y c h o i r. S h e w a s l a t e r a p p o i n t e d a s l e a d s i n g e r f o r t h e s c h o o l c h o i r. B y t h e a g e o f 1 4 , s h e h a d recorded her song and expanded her journey through school choirs and writing music. Nana was groomed i n t o a fi n e a r t i s t i n 2 0 1 1 , w h e n s h e w a s i n a m u s i c g r o u p c a l l e d B 5 . A f e w y e a r s l a t e r, N a n a l e f t t h e group to become a solo artist. In 2014, she signed a recording deal with Universal Music group, and has b e e n e x p l o r i n g h e r a r t w i t h i n t h e m u s i c i n d u s t r y.

It is quite evident that Nana has been always destined to pursue her career in music. She has s h a r e d a s t a g e w i t h s e v e r a l l o c a l a r t i s t s s u c h a s W T F, R ik y R ick , Aewon Wolf, Lira, R ingo M adlingozi, the list is endless. The 23 year old style is inspired by i c o n i c m u s i c i a n s s u c h a s B r e n d a Fa s s i e , L e b o M a t h o s a ,

“At this moment, I feel very proud of mys

Letha Mbuli, Thandiswa Mazwai, Beyonce, Rihanna, just t o n a m e a fe w. H e r m u s i c i n s p i r a t i o n s i n s p i re h e r t o become a powerful RnB as well as Hip Hop artist, as she infuses her soulful side when per for ming. We can’t deny h o w c a p t i v a t i n g i s h e r a r t i s t r y.

Signs of Nana releasing an album soon are high, as she s t a t e d i n a Fa c e b o o k p o s t , “ I ’ v e b e e n w o r k i n g w i t h o n e of the best to make it from my city for a year and a half n o w, Z a k e s B a n t w i n i ! Wo r k i n g o n h i s s o o n t o b e re l e a s e d a l b u m a n d i t ’s b e e n a l o t o f l e a r n i n g a n d w o r k i n g ! ! ! A l o t o f s l e e p l e s s n i g h t s a n d fi n a l l y w e fi n i s h e d i t u p ! ! ! I ’ m so excited to be a par t of that masterpiece that will be soon hit the shelves!!! At this moment, I feel very proud of myself and ready to drop my album as well!!!”

W e a r e d e fi n i t e l y p r o u d o f y o u r a c c o m p l i s h m e n t s a s w e l l Nana and we wish you nothing but the best in your m u s i c c a r e e r, a s y o u a r e s u r e l y o n t h e r i g h t p a t h .

self and ready to drop my album as well!!!”

KIRSTEN DIEDRICK Art is about welcoming individuals into the world in that you have recreated through artistic means. Being an artist is about living in that recreation that you have designed and expressing it for individuals to experience. Kirsten Diedrick(pictured left), a talented visual artist, upholds that title.

From canvases, to sur fboards to faces, diedrick knows how to portray the art regardless of given surface.

TITLE:FEMALE ENERGY

In the past year and a half, Diedrick has spent a lot of time at backpackers and had the opportunity to design board arts on surfboards. It was a big step for her as she usually worked on a small scale so needless to say working on canvas that was bigger than her was daunting yet exciting.

The artitst then developed a more abstract and geometrisized style through this and began using more paint markers a n d fi n e l i n e r s i n h e r p i e c e s .

After receiving really good feedback on this new style that she was embarking on, she started doing custom artwork on jackets and was recently commissioned to do artwork on caps for a local headwear company. “ A s a n a r t i s t I g e n e r a l l y s t r u g g l e t o fi n d inspiration. As a result my style, subject matter and the medium in which I work are constantly changing. In a way I guess I ’ m s t i l l t r y i n g t o fi n d m y a r t i s t i c identity. Not all of my ar t has meaning and I personally don’t feel as if it s h o u l d .”

D i e d r i c k ’s aretwork are sometimes an experiment in which she would try out at that particular time, in which result to masterpieces.

H o we r ve r, t h e re a re s o m e p i e c e s t h a t mean a lot to the young artist and have some sort of concept behind them.

She chalk drew “ Tunk ashila” pieces, depicted as the universe, as a tribute to her late grandfather whom was very close t o h e r. Tu n k a s h i l a i s a n a t i ve A m e r i c a n word meaning “g r e a t s p i r i t / g r a n d f a t h e r ”. A n artwork titled “Female Energy ” which represent the energy and power women possess, which was exhobited last year at Artopia RSA. “The way I see it inspiration is not always going to come to you and you’re not a l w a y s g o i n g t o fi n d i t b u t t h a t d o e s n ’ t m e a n t h a t y o u ’ v e g o t t o s t o p c r e a t i n g .”

Diedrick is currently working on a new s e r i e s o f p o r t r a i t s t h a s h e ’s h o p i n g t o upon completion. The portraits are all of Asian women whose beauty has fascinated her for years on end now.

“One of my fi r s t drawing memories is sitting in my backyard cutting out little fi g u r e s I h a d d r a w n a n d m a k i n g them walk my makeshift brick ramp as if they were tiny paper models. Since then my love of and interest in art has not stopped growing. It was only in high school that I got to experiment beyond just pencil and regular poster paint. I began playing around with oil paint and for the next few years it was p r e t t y m u c h m y o n l y m e d i u m .”, says Diedrick. The following two years after high school were hard times for the artist, in which she turned to painting to express herself. As a result, this led her to using watercolors for t h e fi r s t t i m e , a m e d i u m s h e continues up to this day, as she enjoys it “ M y a r t r e fl e c t e d m y l i f e a t t h e time and all the paintings I did w e r e d a r k a n d b o l d . I t ’s c r a z y t o look back at them and see how much not just my art, but my life has changed. My love for tattoo artistry naturally led me towards a hobby for tattoo design. I designed a few of my own tattoos as well as commissioned d e s i g n s f o r f e l l o w t a t t o o l o v e r s .”

“In the future I am hoping to be able to do a lot more collaborations with clothing companies as well as board companies. I would also like to have a lot more exhibitions and be able to work with and learn from other artists.

My art becoming a brand in itself is the ultimate goal!”

TITLE:FEMALE ENERGY

MAKE UP

BY KING

BE AUT Y

T RE NDS

MAKE UP TRENDS BY KING

Make Up by King is a makeup service owned by Naomi Blvck, an aspiring makeup artist whose trends are always fashionably inclined. Here are some tips in which she has for you makeup lovers to rock this autumn/winter season.

RED LIP ALERT!

“I personally love wearing red lipstick with a clean fresh beat a bit of glow and my hair tied up in a bun. It automatically makes you look sophisticated, fresh and youthful. Every lady needs red lipstick.”

PASTEL

“Autumn/winter are known for being very cold, so why not switch it up by being colorful. Well, I’m not saying clown your face but pastel colors would be a total new way to be creative. A switch from day autumn look to a night look can be as easy as just changing your lip color to a darker lip or orange eye shadow.”

FOR THE BROWS

“My must have make-up product is my Mac concealer. My eyebrows always have to be on point, therefore this product helps to do the trick”

maze mag ADVERTISING & GENERAL / BUSINESS ENQUIRIES Mercedes +27 74 450 5241 Kim Donae

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