21 Sep 2022 ///

A New Era for Kaapstad’s Original Label, TWOBOP

There’s a feeling in the air – a strange sort of tension, in which ‘possibilities’ feel more opportune and accessible than we have had in over two years. Ahead of us lies the first summer since the pandemic seeped into our lives, in which there is a sense of security in the future. Security and assurance are often attachments of the self; but in this case, in relation to South Africa’s creative future, a full embrace feels almost essential. In the last few weeks, it has become publicly known that TWOBOP is relaunching; Cape Town’s most formative and beloved streetwear brand since 2004, that quite literally set the tone for culture and fashion in the city, until it tapered down – quietly, with only murmurings of why – around 2019. Founder and originator of the brand, Anthony Smith, had moved to Vancouver – and with him, the future of TWOBOP lay in wait. It’s hard to describe the full impact of what Anthony founded nearly two decades ago. Here, in our coastal town, his vision for locally produced streetwear was taking place before streetwear as we know it today had swept the globe. Internationally, Ye was putting out The College Dropout – Yeezy was perhaps still a blip in his consciousness – and the parallels between skateboarding, surfing, hip hop and street art were still being woven together, to later become a unified banner under which ‘streetwear’ is housed, as experienced today.

In 2004, there was no Tumblr – no Youtube or Facebook – and certainly no Instagram. Can we imagine, then, where Anthony founded TWOBOP’S inception, if not from what surrounded him immediately or digitally? In later years, Tumblr would become a digital vision board for the brand, alongside the story as it unfolded into the local fashion lexicon: TWOBOP was the manifestation of Anthony’s will to see his experience and community represented sartorially, beginning as an reference to his childhood in the late ‘80s, enamoured with video arcade and the use of ‘twobop’ (20 cents) to spend hours in immersed in this new, pixelated frontier – now, a truly vintage tech in 2022. This is about as authentic as a brand story will ever be; and a founding caveat that is so deep, it is now the foundation for almost every sincere brand we know of. Human beings build and create in order to see their essence reflected around them; there is perhaps no greater or more noble path in that sense. Now, TWOBOP is making its mark in the third decade of its existence; a surreal thing to note, considering how this century has felt like one long, continuation with the gaps in our cultural consciousness growing narrower each year.

Sitting in Origin in De Waterkant, CEC met the new custodians & owners of TWOBOP: animated, passionate and open; husband and wife duo, Mario Ogle and Eden Myrrh. Having been entrusted with the entire future of the brand; the only two people, for Anthony, that he could imagine TWOBOP’s legacy being invigorated by for a new era. Interestingly, Mario and Eden are not from Cape Town; and this is perhaps one of their greatest strengths, aside from their innate creative and entrepreneurial talents respectively. This is a small city – with a reputation for closed-circles, and sometimes noted for people’s hunger for their proximity to clout, than arborists of culture. There is also unspoken tension around a seeming vacuum that was left in local streetwear when the iconic Corner Store closed its doors and its various brands & designers splintered off in varying directions; still, it is a space that remains important in the story of streetwear culture in Cape Town. With Mario and Eden at the helm, though, none of this really matters; theirs is a fresh perspective, and a personal one too. With Eden having worked at Corner Store, she understands the brand from its golden years – and for them both, the vision is to strip back TWOBOP to its most critical function; as a vessel for creative expression and community wellbeing.

Mario and Eden had been working with Anthony, and independently began to think that perhaps there was something bigger there for them to do within the brand – and not just from their vantage point with their agency, Msizi. In a moment underpinned by synchronicity – Anthony suggested it first, asking them if they would be interested in taking on TWOBOP’s future. This was mid pandemic in 2020, and Eden goes on to explain the last two years of seeding the transfer of guardianship from Anthony to them, “We have been digging deep into putting seamless and feasible business structures in place. That’s where my creative flow is derived from; functionality, and making things really work. I think this was something so many creatives struggled to balance in the early years of pivoting their talent or vision into a business: we are so often told that creativity and business are exclusive of each other, when in fact both have to function together. It’s non-negotiable. One of our biggest building-blocks for TWOBOP’s relaunch is how it will reinvest it back into the community; providing jobs for the mums who make the garments, and honing in on local production. We want to highlight Woodstock once again, for what it means to the brand’s past but also what the future can hold.“ Mario follows on, further elucidating the core of their vision, “I’ve said that our customer vision is for those who used to buy the brand, but are now older – wiser – in different income brackets. We are creating TWOBOP for its original community who matured – like we have – and inviting everyone else to join, too. I think this idea of re-investment into the community speaks to where we have matured to now. It’s not about the parties anymore – even though those are necessary – it’s more about, what is the point of this? Are we contributing back to society? TWOBOP’s history is a symbol of a social, cultural and economic shift in South Africa; in which people of colour are ascending as the rightful leaders of their own narratives and land. The brand is continuing to tell that story in this next chapter.”

Nostalgia can be a perilous thing, locking our memories into a particular view of how something was, and thus should continue to be. Veterans of the scene a decade ago might have mixed responses; but, it’s not about capturing what once was, rather it’s about invigorating what still exists. For Eden and Mario, their questions lead to a larger inquiry about the future of our country as an established design market – where is our Daily Paper, or Aimé Leon Dore, they ask? And while the new kids of streetwear come up, what are the wayshowers up to? For the duo, for TWOBOP to exist as a fading remnant of what once defined coolness would be a tragedy – so even with the challenges of reinvention, and the deep digging they’ve had to do to prepare themselves and the brand for what is ahead, it’s also been a complete no-brainer in taking up this mantle. Mario comments on this, “I think Anthony’s choosing us, and in giving us his blessing in that way, while remaining an advisor that we can always lean on – means that the support of the community will happen. We’ve had a great response so far.” With Eden saying, “On the nostalgia thing, I wrote my research proposal for my honours around that idea of memory- and it’s so interesting to me, the relationship between nostalgia and brand love. It’s a psychological phenomena, but does it actually equal long-term business vitality? The thing is, TWOBOP as a name is powerful enough to hold the nostalgia – and the rest is about enhancing that feeling to new heights.”

The strategy going forward is as such: the brand will host an evergreen collection of carefully designed, fabricated and made essentials – pieces that will become the favourites, and form the stronghold of the brand’s foundation. With clean branding, Mario & Eden have revealed the bare bones of the relaunch that has seen people go wild online. Mario says, “We have this incredible opportunity to begin to define what TWOBOP looks like, now. Transeasonal, trusted pieces are optimal – and then around that, we can really play and build on the design language through limited capsule pieces or collections.” For the first insight into the brand – and a direct homage to their matured community – TWOBOP KETTANG is a chain and emblem pairing, symbolic of a rite of passage; an exceptional offering enriched with meaning, featuring the very 20 cents style that Antonyhy would have used as a kid, at the arcade, in the late ‘80s. With two varying entry points – 925 Sterling Silver or 9-Karat Gold – the balance of luxury and unpretentious cut effortlessly in this first edition of TWOBOP’s future. Eden says, “Where we’re from, when you get your first really good job or paycheck – it’s customary to buy gold. Just your first piece of gold, in some way, that then becomes part of the family’s story. Heirlooms are intrinsic to us and the people around us, so we couldn’t imagine a more beautiful way than to step into this new phase of TWOBOP with its own heirloom to pave the way forward.”

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