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| Attending a wine launch in Khayaitcha 2014. Love this picture, I look like the greater part og me:Bushmen |
The journey to Konceit Kulcha.
Individuality described as the freedom to express who one is
through various mediums. The way you dress, speak and express yourself are the
badges to individuality. That why this has become imperative to dig deep to who
I am to express that through fashion.
The dimension of fashion evolves every single season. This explains why the majority emerging designers lack so much authenticity in their work, and that is primarily because of the need to remain current and conventional. Convention and trend is what sells. It is just as important for me to design garments that are unique and pays loyalty to my individuality. The journey is quite intellectual and profound. I wish to avoid submitting to styles that are western or what we would describe as “modern”. I wish not to dispute the work of great designers. I am not detected from following the creativity of our designers. And with saying that one can still the foundation of all garments from different designers is still born in America and London. A question will be. Can Africa claim its duty back to be the first of its kind? Knowledge? Undiluted culture?
I have a desire to illustrate that in my silhouettes, patterns,
fabric, styles and designs of my first clothing range (final year exam). But how
can I achieve that if I haven’t seven discovered much of who I truly am. I
bushmen ancestral blood flows in my veins, I a child of the Setwana tribe (Morolong).
My late great-grand father I was told was a white South African who was farming
in Botswana in the 1940s. Im a disgusting breed I jokily say. The thought of
white Afrikaner blood flowing through my veins. The feeling alone brings a nod
to my thought. I have a direct connection with first humanity, home of Africa.
Being proudly African, I find myself in my own space arguing
that line. Gift, you can barely speak any African language? You admire the
sounds of Beyonce compared to that of
your homeland? It saddens me that I have o “true’ element of being truly African,
but what is being true African then? How can I say that I wish to portray the
idea of Africa in my range, when my identity has been challenged by so many of
my African brothers and sisters?
It still hurts to see how we as Africans, particularly black
Africans sill fight for African pride and exercising true African identity and
knowledge. I wish to become free from my own stupidity and idiocy about my
individuality. Our identity has become what the white men has taught us to see.
Our individuality seeks for validation from “likes” and terms such as “hip, dope,swagg”
. We lose so much of ourselves every day and we forget that we are still
slaves. It contributes so much to the uncomforting feeling of being in my own
skin.
I believe that passion leads to greatness. I wish to use the
journey to find inspiration to my range as a journey of self-discovery “My
African Identity”.
Conceit Kulcha (pronounced culture) is a bold way of being
very proud of who you are, your culture and being aggressively conceited about
your culture. I want to be that. I wish to advocate individuality and originality
through my passion, yes! Trough fashion.
My journey to be inspired for my range started two day
ago.!!
Everybody seeks recognition and validation,my hope is that I
and my work is recognized for it being truly from me.”- givado
