JOZI JOLS #6

FASHION Sartists is a young collective that aims to raise the flag about urban culture and fashion, and with their authentic style they have been barricading the lifestyle field with their bold vision.

What inspired the concept behind Sartists?

Sartists is a creative collective documenting their lives and style in post-apartheid South Africa. The collaborative creative collective was formed as a result of wanting to challenge the edifice ideas of what it means to be black or African in modern society. It was formed in 2012 by me (Kabelo Kungwane), AndileBuka, and Wanda Lephoto. Sartists aims to recreate and communicate untold African authentic stories through fashion and photography.

What have you learned through documenting the cultural lifestyle in Jozi?

‘Don’t be ashamed of where you come from, embrace it.’

Can you tell us more about your recent collaboration with Adidas?

We were curating the Supershell campaign with Adidas, from styling, garment creation including an editorial look book. We used inspirations that we grew up with. We looked at the kwaito era groupsat groups such as Alaska and Trompies. The garments that we made include the one-piece tracksuits and Dungarees with the bucket hat,and then we used the barbershop inspired art paintings as design details on garments.

What are other projects are you guys currently working on?

We currently working and continuing our personal project with AndileBuka. It is a sports series that is inspired by our athletes who had struggles during the apartheid era.

What future do you see for the Jozi style and culture?

These are really exciting times to be in Jozi, now. The future is bright for the culture. I just wish people could stop being hype