Saturday 4th February, a beautiful morning in downtown Johannesburg. A perfect day for the Fashion Widower* photo shoot. Hlony Senokoane, founder of the Fashion Widower* online fashion hub whom I met for the first time in June last year, planned this shoot for his brand spanking new, hot of the press website which is launching today, and to do a collaboration with Studio Cocoa Moon Art Jewellery.
When I arrived at Hlony's apartment I was introduced to the models Tshidi, Hloniphile and Rich, and photographer Angel. The initial plan was to shoot at different locations in town but due to time constraints we decided to do the shoot on the roof top of Hlony's apartment building. The view from there was so breathtaking that my fear of heights quickly faded into the background.
When I arrived at Hlony's apartment I was introduced to the models Tshidi, Hloniphile and Rich, and photographer Angel. The initial plan was to shoot at different locations in town but due to time constraints we decided to do the shoot on the roof top of Hlony's apartment building. The view from there was so breathtaking that my fear of heights quickly faded into the background.
At some point, after having exhausted all the options on the rooftop, we took the crew to a location in Newtown. Hlony had this very clear picture in his mind of how he wanted this part of the shoot to be done. There was some or other steel art installation which hundreds of pigeons had made their chill area. The models were not particularly excited about the prospect of these birds flying all around them. But besides looking gorgeous and glamorous, being a model often means having to step out of your comfort zone. Each time the pigeons flew up, the girls screamed and nearly died of stress. It was amazing to see that, despite their 'fear', they did exceptionally well and the photos came out brilliantly.
It was hilarious to see to see all this traffic coming almost to a complete standstill while driving past us. We turned each and every head, not exaggerated. Passengers as well as drivers hung out the windows to get a glimpse of all the interesting stuff that was happening. This curiosity caused quite a few almost collisions. Just as we were taking the last shots, the clouds started looking rather angry. Fortunately we managed to get everybody and everything back in the car before it came pouring down.
It was phenomenal to work with Hlony, he is a dynamic young creative, a very inspiring and amazing guy. The designers who made their garments available for the shoot were Urban Zulu, Abia Mahlase and 2Souls. And oh my, the Urban Zulu label is definitely one to keep a close eye on!
Check out the slide show of the entire shoot here!
Check out the slide show of the entire shoot here!
Right: Hlony at SAFW 2011, wearing a Studio Cocoa Moon neck piece.
*THE BIRTH OF FASHION WIDOWER
Many will agree that Fashion Widower is a rather unusual name, it evokes all kinds of interesting thoughts and makes you want to know more about the brand, the driving force behind the brand, and especially, the reason for choosing this name. I asked Hlony about it and this is what he told me:
"It all started at SAFW. I was with a number of young designers I knew from the CBD. This was in 2008. We were all hyped up, ready to be blown away by big game players in the industry, learn a thing or two from them, get inspired, stay longer in the fashion world and starving for showcasing on that runway. With all these expectations and the fantastic atmosphere I felt like a huge part of me was being castrated through each and every appalling garment that was showcased that evening. I remember being anxious and anticipating what Carducci and Ephimol had to offer. But they destroyed all the hope I had left for that evening. At that moment I became disillusioned and lost my faith in the fashion industry. But strangely, at the same time this event was also the moment that Fashion Widower was born. From then onward I made a point of being dressed to the nines. I found that it should be an important aspect of every day life. Very interesting to experience that a disappointment can actually start a whole new chapter in one's life."
Many will agree that Fashion Widower is a rather unusual name, it evokes all kinds of interesting thoughts and makes you want to know more about the brand, the driving force behind the brand, and especially, the reason for choosing this name. I asked Hlony about it and this is what he told me:
"It all started at SAFW. I was with a number of young designers I knew from the CBD. This was in 2008. We were all hyped up, ready to be blown away by big game players in the industry, learn a thing or two from them, get inspired, stay longer in the fashion world and starving for showcasing on that runway. With all these expectations and the fantastic atmosphere I felt like a huge part of me was being castrated through each and every appalling garment that was showcased that evening. I remember being anxious and anticipating what Carducci and Ephimol had to offer. But they destroyed all the hope I had left for that evening. At that moment I became disillusioned and lost my faith in the fashion industry. But strangely, at the same time this event was also the moment that Fashion Widower was born. From then onward I made a point of being dressed to the nines. I found that it should be an important aspect of every day life. Very interesting to experience that a disappointment can actually start a whole new chapter in one's life."
FASHION WIDOWER - THE ONLINE FASHION HUB
Fashion Widower is a prestigious, elegant and unconventional fashion brand aiming at being the social hub for fashion and beauty enthusiasts. Fashion Widowers’ online platform allows readers to interact and share views and various multi-media content, i.e. pictures, videos, events etc.
All content will be approved by the Fashion Widower’s administrator and fresh content will be published frequently. We also have a team of esteemed local and international professionals contributing new content and insight about fashion and beauty trends all over the world.
Fashion Widower is an exclusive fashion website, designed for today’s innovative and fashion conscience individuals. Our website will be a home to all trend seekers and fashion lovers, also serving as an online directory promoting small and medium fashion and beauty related businesses.
Click here to check out the website!
This post first appeared on Studio Cocoa Moon Art Jewelry Design - Studio Coco, please read the originial post: here
