don’t break your ankle

Here are my top 3 colours for Winter 2008:

1. Risqué Tokio – an amazing dark grey metallic that lasts forever
2. Chanel Blue Satin – Black Satin’s younger sister and guaranteed to be cult classic
3. Rimmel 60 Seconds in Deliciously Dark – a gorgeous deep plum

Just between you and me, chipped nail polish has gathered a bit of attention lately, especially in the States as apparently the uber wealthy/chic are too cool or too busy to care about their nails. Um, surely if you don’t care then you wouldn’t paint them anyway? Oh well, that’s certainly one trend that won’t have any impact on me! What about you?

Lolo, as she’s called, is a Standard Bank Young Artist of the Year award winner - only the second photographer to have won the prestigious prize. A stalwart of local pop culture, she’s made a name for herself by photographing the edgy fashion stylings of South African youth. She’s earned international recognition for her radical take on identity in her series of street fashion portraits titled ‘Beauty is in the eye of the beholder’ and is gaining in visibility on the local front too.

Here’s some of what makes her work so special…

What is the international reaction to your work?

When I thought that my work wasn’t well received here I thought it would be the same over there. But overseas they really enjoyed my work. What they’d seen up until then was mostly focused on apartheid and they didn’t really see what’s happening in contemporary South Africa. I show them what South Africa is like, I make contemporary art.

You focus a lot on issues of identity. Will you continue with this, or are you moving on?

I’m still doing this. We’re constantly redefining ourselves as South Africans, not just black or white. This process is still happening all the time on a national and personal level. It’s still an issue for me and South Africa and for me inside of South Africa. I mean, we have 11 official languages, there’s a lot to tackle, there’s a lot of influences, from the East and West.

Why use clothes as an entry into this debate?

We all enjoy clothes. The SA fashion industry is big right now, everyone wants to be a designer, but I’m surprised that people don’t understand where identity fits into this. If you look at John Galliano and his Scottish themes in his designs and the way he uses all the tribes, he understands the history of the places, and he puts that history on the ramp. It’s interesting that someone from a mixed heritage questions this. I think it comes from our apartheid past and we’re still working through our own stuff.

Where do you find your subjects, especially for Beauty is in the eye of the beholder?

Most of the subjects are from Cape Town. My memories of Cape Town that everyone’s so individualistic in their style. I remember everyone had their own style and people would be outdoing each other. I really yearn for those days. The problem right now is that people are copying each other. Initially, it was a challenge finding people in Johannesburg. I’d find someone, take a picture and then wait three months before I’d find someone else to photograph. It really taught me patience. I’m going to Durban and Bloemfontein next to look for subjects.

How do you convince them to be part of your work?

 It’s not even about my picture, it’s about them. It’s their picture, so I have to find out how they want to be represented. Some amazing people have said ‘no’ to being photographed. but it is some kind of collaboration between us. Sometimes you meet people and they’re running somewhere, so you have to set up an interview, make appointments. I respect their time, there are some who have more time, so you can just point and shoot.

 Are you happy with the body of work you’ve accumulated thus far?

 I’ll never be happy. I wish I had a constant built in eye camera; sometimes I’m not prepared and I wish I had a camera with me. But also sometimes it’s important to take a break because I’m always working with people. For me it’s not about money. Most of our history, as Africans, has been wiped out and this is something that’s rebuilding that. I can show my great grandchildren – I had this life, show them the work I did and the work of my peers. This is bigger than us. I don’t take anything for granted, I experience everything – I go to music shows, exhibitions, theatre, just everything.

You’ve had extremely positive reviews. Some American reviewers, though, seemed to be surprised by how we dress in South Africa. What was the reacion like at the actual exhibitions?

Americans are my favourite people to get upset with. They’re always asking, ‘where are the animal skins’. It’s ridiculous! Whenever they’re here, we have to take them to Sandton to see that we’re a modern city. They still expect us to be in animal skins. But then again, even the Europeans are naïve. It’s time to educate the world, but we have to do it with love and take our time. I mean, just the fact that we have 11 official languages shows that we’re culturally richer than many other places. 

- Janine Jellars

I used to think you need to wait for awards to feel thankful. My misfortunes of not winning at previous awards shows taught me the wonders of seeing life unfold, regardless of a positive or negative outcome.

Being nominated for a MTV European Music Award for Best African Act was a crowning moment. Having my name scroll down in bright lights where just a few minutes ago Amy Winehouse’s name scrolled down is an orgasm.

Strictly Come Dancing made me a credible, strong brand and allowed me into millions of living rooms. Traffic cops glance at my driver’s license and say “Hey, HHP right?” An old Afrikaans tannie walked up to me the other day and said “You dance like a champion.”

A lot of people think crossover success means appealing to white and black audiences. Even within black audiences, there are diverse cultures and languages to appeal to. I want to secure the entire spectrum of the country.

My achievements have all been calculated. I’m here purely because of hard work. If I take a backseat, I could lose everything.

What I do, musically, may influence just one soul. I’ve lived long enough to know that changing just one person is changing the world.

I consider myself a fighter for the upliftment of Setswana and other indigenous African languages. We live in the era of decolonisation – exciting times. Now, with Setswana rap, the language, culture and overall pride of the Tswana people is back.

I’ve learnt that with great success, comes false friends and true enemies. Fortunes can change over night and just because you’re going through hard times, doesn’t necessarily mean times are hard.

Being a father is like walking into class in Grade 7 without having done your homework the night before – tense. You’re forever on the alert: “Is he bullied at crèche?”, “Does HE bully other kids?” Those questions rush through my mind all day. You can only do what comes naturally.

I’m a lifetime ABBA fan. My dad would play the LP. Money Money, Mama Mia, all the material was genius, but my all time favourite is Dancing Queen. The melody is so angelic.

I never know what the next step is. That’s what keeps me on the edge.

- Janine Jellars

It turns out that when it comes to networking, both of us were doing things wrong – but surprisingly, she was making more mistakes than I was. Good networkers don’t treat networking events like they would a friend’s house party. Nor do they underplay their own potential or skills.

I didn’t want to write a story about networking; it’s something that I tend to shy away from at the best of times, but when I spoke to Helen Nicholson, author of ‘Networking: The Unwritten Rule of Business You Need to Know’, I found out that we all have the wrong idea about networking: we either think it’s about flitting between as many people as we can, or making a bee-line for the VIPs. But it’s not.

All the secrets of good networking are in the next issue… All you need to be a black-belt networker. (And don’t miss our list of all-time most effective women’s networks in SA either).

Highlights in my day include ripping open all the boxes of products that land on my desk (and yes by that I mean boxes) and styling up the products we shoot. There’s nothing like taking an NT Cutter to a lipstick or getting covered in glycerine for the perfect ‘water-pouring’ shot! Basically it’s a dream job – not everyone I know gets to put 12 hour lipgloss to the test as part of their job description!