KATHARINA HOVMAN MEETS SOUTH AFRICA
Philine von Sell, our photographer and director, recently spent 6 weeks on the road in South Africa. On an itinerary that led to many inspiring encounters with fabulous women, Philine had the new KATHARINA HOVMAN Summer Collection on board as well. Experience a taste of everything that awaits you this season in a very special preview!
The light! The creativity! The attitude towards life! Anyone who travels to South Africa returns filled to the brim with images – full of warmth and striking colours, the kind you don’t see where we live. I know the country quite well, my calling has brought me there often. As a photographer, to me this patch of land is a mecca of motifs time and again: and where else could I have a better place to set the stage for the new KH collection?
Join me on a brief journey to the “rainbow nation” with its amazing women, some of whom I was able to get acquainted with. “Independent women” who make their dreams a reality, who use their strength and energy each and every day to stand up for those dreams. Take a look at the video with all the inspirations it reveals here.
WELCOME TO EXCITING JOZI – CITY OF GOLD
I was particularly taken with Johannesburg – or better still JOZI, the way its residents fondly call their city – a burg much better than its reputation! Young, diverse, boisterous, trendy. It’s the hot spot on the continent. Here you sense the new dawning and creative energy like nowhere else in the country. I met women here who showed me their town – wearing the latest creations from KATHARINA HOVMAN, by the way – freely, absolutely authentic. Interpreted in their own ways! Need I say more? I had so much fun at the shootings, just like the women doing the modelling. Thanks for such fantastic “women vibes”!
MABONENG – GALLERIES, CAFÉS, BARS, JAZZ AND STREET FASHION
I meet up with my protagonists in Maboneng, a very “in” borough. Noni and Inno kick things off, two fashion-lovers eager to try things out for themselves and play with the looks they achieve. Inno – actually Innocentia – works as a marketing manager for Bacardi. She’s also a member of the Women’s Leadership Commitee, where she campaigns for gender diversity and equal opportunity. Noni comes from the PR sector and has a yen for cool looks. Whether in BLACK & WHITE at the fashionable Maboneng Concept Store, or in SHADOW, ELECTRIC or POONA in front of the impressive graffiti Maboneng has to offer. This is how strong South African women look! 
As for Lauren and Bocang, I meet up with them on the 50th floor of the legendary Carlton Centre – wow, this 360° view of the pulsating city! Bocang (wearing ELECTRIC and FROG by KH in the photos) is a copywriter, her girlfriend Lauren a marketing expert. In a fitting touch to the absolutely outstanding view, the two of them glow in new colours. Anyone with an interest in architecture discovers oodles from the widest variety of epochs in this town – we’re carried away into the timeless Apartheid Museum.
Tachma, the granddaughter of the king of Limpopo Province, lives in Orlando West, a much-acclaimed quarter in Soweto, and is both a designer and a musician. Her trademark: a light-blue guitar and eye-catching jewellery that perfectly highlights her svelte stature and grace. She selects the KH shade ELECTRIC to match. This cosmopolitan and cool personality from Limpopo performed regularly outside Mandela House on the world-famous Vilakazi Street in Soweto. Those who get the chance to experience her there are, in a nutshell: happy!
Change of scenery. Susan, Isa and Gail dancing. But nothing ordinary: They perform NIA at Susan’s studio – a holistic movement concept comprised of dance, yoga, martial arts and body therapy. And they wear white KH blouses. “We love the style and felt free and really good in them. Not to mention well-dressed,” they add happily.
BUT WHAT WOULD A TRIP TO SOUTH AFRICA BE WITHOUT CAPE TOWN!
Cape Town, Johannesburg – I like both of them. Each of these two cities has a charm all its own. In Cape Town, it’s nature with Table Mountain and the wild coastline along with the chilled-out lifestyle that are all a must! And the wind is just as much a part of the city as the cliffs that drop away to the sea and let this spot at the end of the world seem so magical. And here too I encounter supremely cool women.
Yet another breathtaking view: of the deep-blue Atlantic, with wonderful Marli, author and mother, in the foreground. We’re standing on the hotspot for paragliding. Early in the morning the silent gliders are already taking off on their flights. The view of Table Mountain makes it the quintessential spot for a sundowner, and for those who like to hike: it’s the right place. Later on we pay a visit to the Zeitz MOCAA, the Museum of Contemporary Art Africa. A fitting choice for the location, Marli selects the cool SHADOW.
The next day I meet up with a colleague: Katrin Hoyos. I stroll with her around Bo-Kaap, past the neighbourhood’s little pastel-coloured houses, then along the beach in Camps Bay. I photograph her at work. Her current project is fittingly entitled “#me, barbie & friends”. The perfect end. South Africa, see you soon!
PHILINE’S TRAVEL TIPS FOR JOHANNESBURG
12 DECADES ART HOTEL , 286 Fox Street, City and Suburban
MABONENG CONCEPT STORE There’s excellent coffee here, an Open Work Space, and the fabulous bakery BABETTE'S BREAD Fox Street 274, City and Suburban
EAT YOUR HEART OUT Great Breakfast & Lunch, corner of Fox and Kruger Streets, City and Suburban
CORNERSTONE CAFE Coffee & dessert, Albrecht Street 18, City and Suburban
BERTRAND RESTAURANT BAR MUSIC, 296 Fox Street, City and Suburban
CARLTON CENTRE Best view of the city, 50th Floor, 150 Commissioner Street, City
APARTHEID MUSEUM, Park Way and Gold Reef Rd, Johannesburg, 2001
MANDELA HOUSE, Orlando West, Soweto
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PHILINE’S TRAVEL TIPS FOR CAPE TOWN
I LOVE THE DOUGH Lunch & Café, 101 Bree Street, Cape Town CPD
STEENBERG FARM Wine Tasting & Restaurant, Steenberg Rd, Tokai, Cape Town
ZEITZ MOCAA MUSEUM Contemporary South African Art, V&A Waterfront, Silo District
BEST FOOD IN TOWN Always the most up-to-date tips and rankings
KATRIN HOYOS #me, barbie & friends
STREET PHOTOGRAPHY: Philine von Sell