An Inside Look Into Ted Baker’s First Store In South Africa

Ted Baker launched his first store in South Africa within Sandton City, Johannesburg.  The 1960 square foot retail space will house Ted’s SS16 menswear, womenswear and accessory collections.

Every Ted Baker store design is bespoke and no two are the same.  For this project, inspiration has been taken from Johannesburg’s famous Shakespeare garden, whereby plants mentioned within the works of William Shakespeare are cultivated in a beautiful and serene setting.  With Ted also being an avid gardener himself, he wanted to bring his horticultural talent and a little Elizabethan grandeur found in England, to South Africa. 

An ornate Elizabethan wooden framed store front and antique oak floor with a black and white chequered in-lay, welcomes customers to the new space.  Plants and hanging greenery trail down behind the glazed shop front and an ornate gilded ceiling feature is reminiscent of a British stately home.

Conservatory style panelled walls with lush green plants behind the arches act as a hiding place for famous Shakespearean symbols and artefacts.  The skull from ‘Hamlet’ and the scales from ‘The Merchant of Venice’ are just a few of the treasures that can be found.  Sumptuous, heavy velvet fabrics and drapes fall from the ceiling, softening the interior.   Neon quotes on the wall mark the menswear and womenswear shopping areas; “The soul of the man is his clothes” and, “And though she be but little, she is fierce” – A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Introducing the Iconic PUMA Clyde

PUMA has launched the much-anticipated comeback of the iconic silhouette, the PUMA Clyde. Returning after five years, the PUMA Clyde has been inspired by a milestone in the brand’s rich sporting history and modernized through exciting new colourways and textures. This icon is a staple for any true sneakerhead.

The story of the PUMA Clyde began when basketball’s Walt “Clyde” Frazier asked for a custom-made pair of PUMA Suede’s that were then reconfigured to suit his legendary unique style, making him the first player in history to have a sneaker named after him. His quick hands on defense combined with his cool, calm and collected demeanor paired with his smooth off-court style earned him the nickname "Clyde”.

Originally created in 1973 - in an era when sports stars began to impressively impact on popular culture, influencing everything from film, fashion and even language, the PUMA Clyde quickly became the sports sneaker of the 70s. It’s maintained a strong presence in pop culture in the decades to come, being adopted as sneaker of choice by the hip hop stars, skateboarders, B-boys and musicians leading the punk movement of the 90s. Its many important cultural links ensure it’s a crucial shoe for the sneaker collector of today. Clyde himself describes the shoe as ‘a timeless design’ enabling it to remain a cult sneaker and return to the streets after five years.

This season PUMA welcomes the legacy of Clyde back, a style that remains one of PUMA’s most epic sports-inspired styles that oozes with streetwise swagger and guarantees enduring appeal for generations on. Available in brand new colourways including Bright Gold-Puma Black and Barbados Cherry-Whisper White, the Clyde is finished with a PUMA logo and ‘Clyde’ signature in gold foil imprint.

The PUMA Clyde are available in PUMA Select Bree Street, Cape Town and Braamfontein for R1499.

Introducing the NMD_XR1 by adidas Originals

Marking the next stage in the evolution of adidas Originals’ groundbreaking NMD, the NMD_XR1 continues the series’ deconstruction of footwear traditions, blending classic sneaker components with progressive design perspectives into a clean, modern design.

Building on the winning design formula of the NMD series, the release stays true to the original blueprint with subtle updates. A microrib knit construction is developed with a two-tone pattern, strengthened by tonal overlays, including a premium heel patch in plush nubuck leather. Finished with full colour-blocked tooling and tonal branding details, the result is an understated release with contemporary touches that embody the NMD philosophy.

The NMD_XR1 pack drops next week Thursday, 18 August 2016 at selected retailers.

Today’s Tastemakers Which Include Kylie Jenner, YesJulz, Rae Sremmurd and Young Thug Don the PUMA Suede

Kylie Jenner rocking the PUMA Suede

Since it’s debut in 1968, the PUMA Suede has become a benchmark for footwear design, and enjoyed an amazing run as a cultural artifact from one of the most progressive and historically significant eras of the twentieth century.  Made famous by athletic greats -  60’s trackstar Tommie Smith and 70’s basketball legend Walt "Clyde" Frazier, the Suede hit new levels of fame during the '80s dawn of b-boys and hip hop beats, taking over New York City blocks.

As the times changed, the Suede went with the flow. Soon after the makeshift carton dance floors were packed away, the sneakers found its way to sticky moshpits headlined by punk acts and then on skaters pulling tricks on a half pipe. These days, you’ll see heads rocking the Suedes in their cozy sweat chinos or pin-rolled jeans and models with their off-duty looks. It’s the Suede’s timeless look and easy silhouette that appeals to sneaker enthusiasts. Some wear it for its function, the rubber outsole grips really well, and some for its style – with its plush leather upper and variations of colourways available.

YesJulz rocking the PUMA Suede

This season, PUMA puts the limelight on a young roster of tastemakers currently making waves in the music and entertainment arena. Style icon and social phenomenon Kylie Jenner, snap queen and director of vibes YesJulz, hip hop’s catchiest duo Rae Sremmurd and 100% amped up rap artist Young Thug round up this amazing list of creatives.

These kids don’t work 9-5, they’re on Snapchat 24-7 and the Suede is a staple in their sneaker rotation. Today they are keeping the sneaker culture interesting and alive with their unique sense of style and influence.

Rae Sremmurd rocking the PUMA Suede

As a cool nod to the past, PUMA tapped legendary OG street photographer Jamel Shabazz to shoot the young tastemakers in Suedes and streetwear garb around Bed-stuy in Brooklyn. Shabazz was instrumental in popularising the Suede in the 80’s with his snaps of the New York City street culture and hip hop scene. The images will be showcased in PUMA stores globally and featured on social channels.

Seeing these young breed of tastemakers rocking the Suede gives the iconic sneaker a fresh perspective. We can only be sure that the Suede will continue to transcend cultural trends and generations in the coming years.

The unisex sneakers are available for R1 299 at PUMA stores and PUMA SELECT Bree Street, Cape Town and Braamfontein, Johannesburg.

Olwethu Cele Is Making Moves As One Of The Faces of Durban Fashion Fair 2016

Olwethu Cele from Ice Model Management Durban is one of the faces of the Durban Fashion Fair 2016 ad campaign. He is an example of how an opportunity (he won the new face category at the DFF 2015 recognition awards) can build a career and create a role model for a whole community.

Although he is currently based in Durban, Cele comes from the small village of KwaNikhwe, which is close to Bizana near Port Edward. As the first model to come from this small town, he is looked up to by many of the younger members of the community.

Within a very short space of time, he has worked with a number of trend setting designers and fashion brands including House of Saint Luke by Mxolisi, Duke, Hombre’ by Vanessa Pillay, Terrence Bray and Palse. He has also showcased for Shaldon Kopman and African designer, Clement Effanga and has done shoots for The Hub and a number of stores in Botswana.

Buy your ticket now, to catch Cele on this year’s catwalk at Durban Fashion Fair. Ticket prices range from R100 per person per show with students at R50 per student per show. Prices for the Awards show will cost R200 per person and students at R100 per person. Tickets are available at Computicket.