Fashion tribes: Finding your Kind: Part 2

A vintage canvas

Thando Made – Entrepreneur and founder of Blue Canvas Life (47)

Thando Made describes his style as “mid-century Americana-Japanese with a pantsula twist”. There is a lot in there, all perfectly aligned and easily discernible in the way Made shows up as the driver behind Blue Canvas Life, a lifestyle platform dedicated to denim culture. He uses this platform to tell personal stories, share knowledge, get lost in denim lore, and make connections with fellow enthusiasts. “It’s in my DNA: exposure to Americana since birth, the Japanese influence on Americana, and the South African cultural phenomenon of ownership of American style and appreciation of good-quality brands that remain permanently stylish and yet relaxed.”

For Made, as with his friend and collaborator Rodreck Mudzengerere, the conversation is about vintage broadly and denim specifically. The specificity can get even more acute, as Made explains. “I like the simplicity and the detail that goes beyond what is evident to the naked eye. I love the conversation that is created through clothing and the texture of a good fabric and how the way it ages creates a visual story through beautiful wear and patina. A sense of personal style cannot be replicated, due to how you wear the pieces and the memories created.

Denim in this regard, Japanese selvedge denim to be precise, is the highest form of respecting the thought that someone will enjoy the piece and create a work of art through [how they wear it].” Unsurprisingly, denim, as outlined by Made, permeates the functional and leans into the meta. “Denim is a metaphor for me, denim is life, denim has soul, denim represents so many different things to people and their stories are personal. Denim has been a conversation, and it is still ongoing. I connect with the old and the young and find similarities between denim and jazz.” @bluecanvaslifejozisa

Wide brim hat, model’s own

Burberry sunglasses, R3 750, Sunglass Hut

Rolex Datejust 41 watch on Oystersteel bracelet, R155 500, Charles Greig

Reversable micro-check blouson shirt, R38 000

Bandana polo shirt, R17 000

Pleated trousers, R23 000, all Amiri

Leather loafers, model’s own

Flavour beyond blokecore

Kabelo Kungwane - Entrepreneur, aesthete and founder of Kasi Flavour 10 (30)

Hot off the conclusion of various leagues around the world and with the Euro 2024 kicking off mid-month and an exciting football spectacle promised at the Olympics in July, the beautiful game is poised to steal the moment once again, as we boldly don our football tribe’s colours and cheer it on. “They call it blokecore, defined by football jerseys. It has always been there as a subculture, it just wasn’t trending enough for there to be a term for it,” says Kabelo Kungwane, founder of the football-inspired lifestyle brand Kasi Flavour 10. “People used to dress up with football jerseys, it is nothing new, from taxi drivers in town to ladies selling food on the streets — they show love and appreciation for their football teams.” It seems a bit reductionist to refer to Kungwane’s style as blokecore.

He has something that the generic image of the laddy English football fan in a replica team jersey, jeans, and Adidas sneakers lacks. Flavour, perhaps? “My style is classic, with attention to detail. I sometimes love to shop in the women's section, it makes it more interesting.” It seems incredible that Kungwane — a fashion fixture for a decade and a half — is only 30 years old, but this tends to happen when you start early.

He recognised his connection to the cloth early, diving into research, experimenting with thrifting and suiting as the teenage co-founder of the Sartists collective. Football was always in the blood, courtesy of his father, the late Isaac “Shakes” Kungwane, who made a playing career out of confounding opponents with the alchemy of his left foot. Later in life, as a football pundit, Kungwane senior’s colourful banter earned him the nickname Kasi Flavour. Blokecore, according to Kasi Flavour 10, means nostalgic collabs, limited releases, exhibitions, and research-led content illuminating South Africa’s football cultural history. kasiflavour10.com

Zipped colourblock mixed material jacket, R7195, Lacoste

Tudor Pelagos FXD watch, R73 200, Charles Greig

Cotton sweater

Wide-leg trousers, both model’s own

Future 7 Ultimate FG/AG football boots, R4 499, Puma

New punk stars

Yuri Pailman – Model and agent (28)

Punk, as in Patti Smith, Debbie Harry, and Basquiat. Punk, as in Hugh Masekela, Harari, Brenda, and every last one of the big dudes. In its current revival, it remains irreverent, misunderstood, anti-establishment, revolutionary, “futuristic, contemporary, gothic, [and] disruptive”, like our cover star Yuri Pailman. They may be in an of-the-moment cowboy hat, but the talent agent and international fashion model (with a 2023 appearance on these very pages) embrace their bald head, brought on by alopecia areata, and have repeatedly challenged conventions by starring in international titles — such as Dazed magazine, no less — despite the stack of challenges their condition may present.

Punk, much? “I’ve cultivated my style through a combination of experimentation with various stylists and a deep-seated passion for individuality. I often felt like the black sheep of my family, drawn to those who defied conventional norms. Icons like Amy Winehouse captivated me with their unique personas and unapologetic expression. Rihanna’s ‘Rated R’ era further fuelled my fascination with fashion, music, and visuals, leaving me utterly obsessed.”

That outsider status, that sense of alienation, can at once sharpen one’s sense of belonging and bring individuals closer to the parts of society that speak to a shared world view. Very often, those people are the weirdest, most interesting lot you are likely to ever come across.

“Punk is known for its loud and disruptive culture, but I also interpret it as a way to connect and build community. In Joburg, currently, the queer community are the new punk stars; we are adventurous and audaciously bold. Punk is a movement, and as a punk star I am here, I exist! I will disrupt, change the norm, and celebrate the punk stars who came before me and the ones who are yet to come.” @yuripailman

Willow Twiss cowboy hat, R 1 150, Crystal Birch

Cape-tweed loom-stripe double-breasted jacket, R78 000

Crystalline knit trapeze jacket, POR, both Viviers

Silk shirt, POR, Ephymol

Crystalline knit trapeze trousers, POR, Viviers

Chunky leather boots, R4 900, Europa Art

Stockists:

Amiri  amiri.com

Charles Greig  charlesgreig.co.za

Crystal Birch  therealcrystalbirch.com

David Harris  davidharris.co.za

Dolce & Gabbana  dolcegabbana.com

Europa Art  europaart.co.za

Ephymol  @ephymol

Lacoste  lacoste.co.za

Puma  za.puma.com

Sunglass Hut  sunglasshut.com

Viviers  viviersstudio.com

A look behind the scenes of our fashion shoot: 

From the June edition of Wanted, 2024