South Africans are killing it. As the core of what we dialogue at Connect Everything Collective; it is often no surprise to us when talented people from our country do incredible things, but it is no less awe-striking. Cris Fragkou is an inimitable fashion photographer, with whom it has become a tradition for her and I to retrospect regarding her whirlwind journeys to Europe and the US to photograph the people, shows and designers that we simply dream about from our corner of the world. What Cris sets out do in building her career is not simply to capture the essence of fashion as a creative energy; rather, it is to do this while continually developing her own enlightenment, and such – Cris dances the harsh and beautiful boundaries of what fashion is as an industry, as an event, an experience; and as a force. This Fall/Winter 23 season was no exception, and the regular updates via her IG tell the tale and showcase images and moments that are explicitly surreal. More on that later. Firstly, to add to this, is Tsele Nthane, AKA @melanateyourmood, suddenly appearing on the scene in Milan and Paris. All at once, the distance between us and fashion week in Europe feels even closer, intimate and more possible. This has been demonstrated by designers such as Lukhanyo Mdingi, Thebe Magugu, Rich Mnisi and Lezanne Viviers – and the many ways in which South Africans and Africans are forming part of the global cast of fashion creatives.
JPG x Haider Ackermann Haute Couture SS23, Loewe AW23 PFW for 10Mag and Paco Rabanne AW23 PFW by Cris Fragkou.
CECILIE BAHNSEN & CFCL PFW by Tsele Nthane
Puppets Puppets AW23 NYFW for SSense, Simone Rocha AW23 LFW BFC, Victoria Beckham AW23 PFW by Cris Fragkou.
In chatting to Tsele about his experience, he describes what led to him being in Milan and Paris, “FW23 happened just as I was making the transition to pursuing photography and art full time so it represented the perfect opportunity to be fully immersed into the fashion world. It was actually a really intense immersion and probably too much too fast but I had two great people I met there who were kind enough to show me how to navigate fashion week. That was really essential and the biggest stroke of fortune. Prior to February I was doing full time academic research in the fisheries sector and that’s where the social documentary work comes from.” With Tsele ended up shadowing Cris, the two linked together to navigate a scene that Cris has spent a few years familiarising with; this makes the experience no less intense, though. As Tsele describes it, “I met two incredible South African photographers at the Milan and Paris weeks. In Milan, Cris Fragkou let me shadow her the whole week which was the biggest gift any first-timer could ask for because she’s so busy shooting a range of bigger and smaller shows. My favourites weren’t necessarily the bigger shows because it’s really chaotic and you don’t get many chances to shoot what you want amidst a sea of other people. Cris knows many of the top models so well she would personally call them over and have a chat with them while taking their exit pictures away from the crowds and I’d be there with her. The bigger shows also attract a lot of people and the outfits aren’t as impressive as people attending the smaller shows. I really liked Fendi, MM6 Maison Margiela, Prada, Iceberg, Annakiki, and Viviers’ was a stunning presentation!” Tsele explains the other chance meeting and another tie back to South Africa, “In Paris I went to see Thebe Magugu’s latest work which was brilliant! South African born Italian photographer Filippo Fior showed me around some of the shows backstage. He sits centre on the photographer’s podium and that’s the most important position shooting live for global magazines so it was really really kind of him, he just loved seeing another South African there and I’m fortunate to have met him. We did Cecilie Bahnsen and CFCL together, both gorgeous. It was really fun in Paris and shooting night exits at Valentino was really interesting.” Filippo Fior is a legend in his own right, and if you’ve ever read our fashion column Interlude – you will have seen Filippo’s images, along with many, many archives of his work on VogueRunway.com.
OFF-WHITE and Milan Act No 1 by Tsele Nthane.
Dior and PRADA Exits by Tsele Nthane.
VIVIERS by Tsele Nthane.
For Cris, this season has been her record: 61 shows in seven weeks, “When I counted it up, I couldn’t believe it. I started the season off on a high note coming from a three month summer in South Africa, so I arrived really ready, and ready for battle – I felt so grounded and super connected. But it’s intense; fashion weeks at that scale contain so many, many moving parts, with really short windows in which things have to happen. It’s weird for me to start in Milan, because my start was New York and then London. I had my least amount of shows in New York, which is a great place to begin the season. I had a really good time there – there’s interesting and weird stuff happening there. I feel like New York has become the young, queer cousin of fashion, and so it’s a beautiful expression of independent, experimental brands. Obviously, Hillary Taymour of Collina Strada is like the queen of that whole scene. Then, London is very student driven; and there’s a youthful, less jaded energy there. People are dying to show their work, and they do it on a fraction of the budget that you would ever see in Milan and Paris. I think that DIY ethos is so critical to fashion, so it’s really cool to experience fashion as a large ecosystem, divided into these smaller, unique parts.” For Cris, navigating fashion week for her clients such as Dazed, her image-making draws her directly into the most intimate parts of the shows; back-stage, where the models, garments and creators are quite literally seeding our fashion dreams. As Cris says, “it’s what this is all about – you know, sitting on your bed at 12 and watching Fashion TV, and then being in a city like Paris, in the heart of it. Even though each season brings me a new level of challenge, or comfort and familiarity, it never gets old – the magic of it never get lost.” Until this season, Cris had never had someone assist or shadow her – with Tsele’s burgeoning passion and curiosity around, Cris reflects on the nature of being connected amongst the chaos and intensity of fashion week, “It was really great having Tsele around, and having a local friend from South Africa really, really helped. I’m not used to having support, and I get into an automated pilot mode. On the day, I will talk to my body and prepare it for the way I have to move through the experience – 20 minute shows, across different venues, negotiating with security and personalities – and Tsele just had this extra eye. One day I was telling him that I never drink water, and then 30 minutes later he got me water – and everytime we got onto the metro, he reminded me to take a sip. Small acts of care make so much difference. Having done this work for a while now, sometimes it feels like it’s an accounting job and I get wrapped up in the professionalism and order I need to maintain. It was so cool to see his excitement.”
AW23 for DAZED by Cris Fragkou: Cormio, Moschino, Eckhaus Latta, Sunnei.
AW23 for DAZED by Cris Fragkou: Dior, Di Petsa, Ferragamo, Vaquera.
AW23 for DAZED by Cris Fragkou: Loewe, Mawalola, Off-White.
Tsele says of the considerations in experiencing Milan and Paris as a photographer, “first just the basics like knowing where the show is happening. Milan is great because they publish the locations in advance but Paris you only really know if you’re invited or know someone with the connections. Learning how to navigate the different locations is also really interesting because there’s a shuttle but most photographers just walk or use public transport and the busiest ones are always in a rush for the next show; we walked so much, and it’s a great way to see the city. Paris is different in that they use a lot of the same venues for the shows so you’re not running around as much. Milan is really really flat and walkable. I’m personally drawn to colourful and quirky looks from both people attending the shows as well as the public around there; I loved capturing model exits, getting close enough to focus on the details in motion without necessarily having a face in frame. Shooting away from the crowds can throw up some nice surprises as well.” And the energetic differences between the two, “Milan feels so much more accessible and social because everyone’s walking around to shows as each show is typically in a small enough venue to access. Paris is so much larger in scale and prestige and usually at a few venues that can accommodate that – so it feels really different in that sense; it feels like attending an actual event you’ve booked for weeks in advance and you just have to arrive. Socially, though, Paris is gorgeous and so diverse it just feels better as a place you’d want to live and work.
Milan MAX MARA Exits by Tsele Nthane.
ANAKIKI Milan by Tsele Nthane.
Florentina Leither Paris by Tsele Nthane.
Written by: Holly Beaton
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