Sartists at Str.Crd Day 2

Impossible Is Nothing.

At Str.Crd day 2 we tried to challenge that, is impossible really nothing? And does the brand back that statement up, inspired by recent collaborations by Adidas with Nigo, Pharrell, Palace, Kanye we thought of a concept we would do if we were afforded a chance to collaborate with the brand at such a level.

So we created, created out of the need to create and only that, to contribute to making better quality product and I think sometimes we are at fault for giving away ideas, being exploited by brands that don't really care about us and what we have to offer but only care about how they benefit as a result that. 

We need to have dreams, dreams so big that they seem impossible and maybe for us this dream is impossible, but if we are not dreaming then what are we doing. The problem is when you have ideas on progressing the level at which culture is being communicated and negotiated, you only care about getting that idea out, by any means possible whether you get support from people or brands. And that is our struggle, a struggle we must admit is hard to overcome because we aren't at a point in our lives where we can afford to do that and not get paid.

We want the money and the dopeness, a dopeness that sometimes exceeds people's ideas of product creation that they can't or rather don't want to help. So having our own brands is important, because we get to dictate what we want without any considerations from elsewhere, and we are working on it, but due to financial struggles and responsibilities with family that don't allow us to dedicate all our time and money to producing at a level where we won't compromise what we stand for, we are at cross-roads. A cross-road that sees us either explore product creation with little to no resources and fight that struggle until it reaches it's peak on our own or another road that sees us use resources the world already has, and through collaborating ultimately better the standard of product.

One thing we know for sure is that, either way we will get to the finish line (with or without aid) and it is only a matter of time that we do.

The Sartists two piece 'Adidas' suit is our first idea of a collaboration, with any brand..and hopefully soon enough there will be more.

Shot by: Hanro Havenga

Directed by: Xzavier Zulu

Sartists at Str.Crd Day 1

Weeks before Str.Crd there was a buzz about the city, an excitement in street-culture that we hadn't experienced since the last Str.Crd in Johannesburg, 2013. With promises of acts and talks from Virgil Abloh of OFFWHITE , Heron Preston of Been Trill, Justin R Saunders of JJJJound, Emma Stenstrom of Stockholm School of Economics, Jeff Carvalho of Highsnobiety and Selectism as well as what would be the most important talk of the day for us, Lazi 'Greiispaces.

What is really important about Str.Crd is that it's the only time of the year that people, brands, creatives get to meet in one place and engage in the cultural state of South Africa, as well as its cultural progression. And it was a pity that not everything promised could be delivered. It was also a really sad to realise that where some people invest their entire lives trying to contribute to growing South African culture, some people don't seem to care. A realisation that sometimes where money talks, love really does stutter.

Having missed some of the talks we got to catch up with some of the speakers later, to learn about their beginnings in their respective works, and as anticipated the most important talk for us was that of Designer and Illustrator, Lazi 'Greiispaces'. A communicator of South African stories that a vast majority of the population relate to but seem to be embarrassed about. An embarrassment we need to stop being embarrassed by.

On a different note, we wore the Brooklyn Circus' new collection, a brand that has allowed and given us the opportunity to communicate culture to a wider audience, giving meaning and a voice to global culture.

Lastly thank you to Hardy and Mandla for Str.Crd, Lazi Greiispaces as well as the rest of speakers as well as everyone that continues to encourage and support the Sartists on their journey, as well as the Brooklyn Circus that continues to make us look good.

Photos taken by: Hanro Havenga
Directed by: Xzavier Zulu
edits: Sartists

Str.Crd illustrations by: Lazi 'Greiispaces'

clothes: available at http://thebkcircus.com/collections/new-arrivals

the Brooklyn Circus x Sartists

Okay, so the other day we meet up with a friend who raises a good question, a question we ourselves have been looking into for a while, a question we.re still trying to figure where we stand in belief towards it. He congratulated us on connecting with the Brooklyn Circus and representing the brand to a whole new audience in the township who aren't in urban spaces as much and are not too connected with the world moving beneath the surface, the internet.

With all that said he questioned where we stood in consideration of "African Fashion and style" looking at African manufactured textiles that represent Africa and will eventually shift the global culture into Africa's court. To be honest I had no answer for his questions as we are still understanding and appreciating through research of Africa and textiles manufactured for our people where we fit in, how we fit in and if we fit in into that identity.

This brings me back to this post and how we think we fit in, in re-shaping the image the world has of Africa and the image Africa has of Africa.

A couple of months ago when we met uncle Ouigi founder of the Brooklyn Circus, he told us about a global village and his 100 year plan and how his plan was not looking at the small victories of his brand and himself but at the bigger victories of everyone involved in the 100 year plan, that his plan looked at not recreating the past, but using it as a foundation to build his take on yesterday, today and tomorrow.

To us that is important. Our image may not be African in its traditional aesthetic, feel and maybe even in its expression, but it is in line with a global attitude of re-creating preconceived ideas of where the future is headed. It is African in its story-form, attitude, belief and values and to us, right now that is more important than its "look".

Our re-creation of our story might be blurry in communication and translation, but it is work-in-progress and hopefully it will reach to a point where it answers my friends question and maybe my own too.

This was shot by The Expressionist_ Anthony Bila.

The Brooklyn Circus x Sartists.

I think the year is 2010, I'm in my last year of High School and Kabelo is just a grade below, our heads are all over the place, excited, we've just started thrifting, anyway the tumblr age was just beginning for us, we were looking at trade shows like Pitti Uomo, reading articles on street style talking about Bill Cunningham, Scott Schuman and we were practically obsessing over the culture in America, watching the lo-lifes in Ralph Lauren and of course Street Etiquette and the entire Black Ivy crew.

These were still early days for us so we didn't really know the names of half these people and what position in the culture they held and what they represented. Locally not much was happening that excited us except for the Smarteez who were huge if you were into the fashion scene back then and right at the core of it was Manthe Ribane who we drew so much inspiration from, anyway I digress back to talking about the reason for this blog post.

Sometime between all the research, thrifting and re-selling clothes we came across pictures of uncle Ouigi Theodore and the Brooklyn Circus, like most things we didn't know he'd have a major role on how all things would unfold later on. Not knowing his name, his style was the only connection we had with him, which at the time was sufficient I guess. Fast forward three years later we're engaging in conversation through Instagram, finally meeting and a year later receiving gifts from him.

We've collaborated with Manthe Ribane, styling her in the Brooklyn Circus as to say thanks to uncle Ouigi for having the faith in us and having one of our dreams come true. This is also to give gratitude to our sister Manthe Ribane for carrying the cross all those years for things like this to be even possible.

Thank you.

Styling by: Kabelo Kungwane
Shot by: Andile Buka
Clothes: The Brooklyn Circus

the Brooklyn Circus x Sartists

Portraits of Kabelo Kungwane, Manthe Ribane and Wanda Lephoto shot on film by our friend and photographer Andile Buka.

Thank you to uncle Ouigi from the Brooklyn Circus for the gifts.

I SEE A DIFFERENT YOU x SARTISTS.

As the season changes to winter our brothers I SEE A DIFFERENT YOU helped us document our story through photography.

Our inspiration is taken from the 1930's Great Depression, in a time of slavery and economic difficulty where for most communities, denim was the only accessible clothing for farm workers.

To see more work from our brothers I SEE A DIFFERENT YOU visit: iseeadifferentyou.tumblr.com .

Thank you to our brothers for helping us travel on this path with them.

portraits by Mack Magagane