After working together on a recent music video for AfroHouse artist Holly Wasserfall, the collaborating artists “having felt a synergy of brands” decided to form The Style Collective SA.
Together they are a creative powerhouse gaining momentum online for their slick spreads that spotlight local design and business.
Wasserfall said each month, for the past three months, they produced highly stylised shoots and time lapse videos for Instagram and Facebook.
“The design process is collaborative. The team conceptualises a theme, chooses a location and then plays with fresh, new camera angles, make-up and hair techniques. The look is edgy and varies but the ethos is always firmly on local, ethical brands.
“The internet and the rise of social media networks globally have ironically promoted “groups” and therefore naturally prompted the notion of collectives.
“In terms of fashion, which these days is mass produced and rapidly changing, it has propelled the return to an artisanal way of doing things – championing craft, the handmade and local, which is what the collective is about.”
Wasserfall said: “As a co-operative we want to draw others in, who share our ethos and promote sustainable/ethical design. We want to support the local economy and empower local artists, in music, fashion and related fields.”
She said many creatives felt isolated in their practice.
“Working together has the benefit of shared expertise. At the end of the day the artists all contribute from concept to conception and it only makes the work better.
“They all benefit from the platform and each other’s collective networks of influence.”
MEET THE CREW:
The muse
At the centre of it all is Holly Wasserfall.
The young muso is passionately committed to all things eco/green and ethical.
Like slow food, the concept of slow fashion is about being a conscious consumer, considering where and how your clothing is made and its impact on the environment.
Holly isn’t just a musician but one with an audience made up of a generation of throw-away fashion users and believes she can use her voice in more ways than one.
Carol Clark is Holly’s stylist and fashion mentor, and the two are working on a range together.
@hollymusicsa (Instagram)
The picman
Simphiwe Kevin Mkhwanazi is an up and coming photographer who is gaining a name for himself in the fashion industry. He’s worked on major events like the MTV Africa Music Awards, Joburg Fashion Week and Durban Fashion Fair. He has worked on numerous campaigns for some of the biggest fashion brands in South Africa.
@thasimz (Instagram)
Make-up artist
Jackie Jet, short for Jetnayaran, is a talented and versatile make-up artist, gaining a following in the Durban fashion and entertainment industry. Jackie trained at the Lisa Bailey School of Make-Up and recently opened her own make-up studio in uMhlanga.
She is the managing partner of the Beauty Box, a hair and beauty salon.
Holly and Jackie make time lapse videos of their make-up sessions which are posted to Instagram. These are based on “best products” and “best techniques”.
Jackie can’t wait for Halloween and the chance to get a bit theatrical.
@jackyjetmua (Instagram)
Design diva
Carol Clark is a fashion designer and entrepreneur. Her designs are a mix of vintage and modern styles, always with attention to detail and a feminine flair.
Carol’s clothes are made locally and there is a particular emphasis on quality and timeless style. She operates on the principles of fair trade. She plans to push the boundaries of the collective by working with unusual materials and locations that force them all to think out of the box.
@carolclark1(Instagram)
Hair stylist
Fay Abdulla is the master of the two-minute hairstyle. She can create the most amazing up styles in absolutely no time at all. The award-winning owner of Hoi>Polloi Hair Design has been internationally trained with leading academics Toni and Guy and Vidal Sassoon and with 28 years in the industry, she has done her fair share of fashion weeks.
This Wella master colourist, master cutter, master upstylist has found a new frontier on facebook.
@hoipolloisa (Instagram)