23 years old, Designer and owner of Janie B

Jane Banks has always had a passion for fashion. During primary school she scribbled designs all over her school work and by the time she got to high school she realised it was something she could do as a career and proceeded to start her label while finishing her schooling from home. In 2004, her matric year, she made up her first sample range for Autumn/Winter 2004. From here everything progressed and she exhibited her second range (Spring/Summer 2004) at a stand at SA Fashion Week in July 2004 and at the International Fashion Sale in Cape Town in August 200 with amazing response. She wasn’t selling any of the clothing, but people were begging to buy it. She then decided to start selling her clothing from home. In 2007 she started stocking a store in Long street and gradually got her range into more stores over the next few years, until she opened her own store on Long street in December 2009 which closed in 2011 and is now looking for a new home in the Southern Suburbs.

1. What makes Janie B different from any other clothing label?

Janie B strives to be unique, I don’t simply copy the trends from overseas, my designs are my interpretation of them. Janie B garments always have some detail that makes them distinctly Janie B.

2. As a Capetonian does the city inspire your work?

I am often inspired by the personal style of people I see on the street. I am also inspired by the natural beauty of Cape Town, the mountains, gardens and the beaches.

3. What / who else inspires you?

I am also inspired by what I see on the international catwalks, magazines and sites like lookbook, where individuals can showcase their personal style.

4. It’s hard making a name for yourself in fashion with so many fly by night brands especially in Cape Town. What keeps you motivated to keep going?

It has taken many years, and yes it is very hard to make a name for yourself, but when I see someone wearing Janie B it makes it all worth it. It is my dream and my passion so giving up is not an option.

5. You’ve achieved so much at 23, what’s next for you and your brand?

I will be continuing to market Janie B and expose the brand to as many people as possible. I hope to be one of the most recognized brands in Cape Town and eventually the whole of SA. Who knows, perhaps even internationally one day!

For more on Janie B clothing visit Janie B’s site

Photographs courtesty of Leigh-Ann Crafford

Lara is a Soapbox Editor. Visit her blog, Words By Lara Moses.

Girls are hoarders. The gatherer to your hunter. We keep, caress and love every teddy bear, cat, person and clothing item we can get our hands on.

I didn’t think I had a “problem” per se, until I decided to reorganise my closet. Four “throw out/give to charity” bags later I kind of got the inkling that I might just perhaps vaguely have too many clothes…and shoes…and bags…and belts…and… And yes, I am quite ashamed to admit that in this Everest of clothing items and accessories, the phrase “But I have nothing to wear!” has slipped from these lips on occasion. I hang my head in shame.

I would like to blame my (and most girls in general, mind you) compulsive buyer behaviour (or CBB if you want be cute about it). I sort of just made that up, but I’m sure it must be a real disease, thus a real excuse. Somehow, in my mind, one can never have too many cute dresses, waist-cinching belts or random headbands.

I of course am not alone in my ‘sickness’: most if not all (obvious generalisation here) girls have exactly the same problem as I do. Maybe they just hide it better or attend underground support-group meetings with bad coffee and tennis biscuits. I have tried to combat my problem, limited my spending habits to one item a month but to my dismay I keep it up until I pass by a Mr Price store and then, my friend, it is tickets! Cue internal battle: “and it’s uber cheap here so, I can buy three items and pass them off as one…”

I have basically come as far as to contemplate freezing my poor lil’ savings card in a block of gigantic impenetrable ice. But ice melts, so…next?

Although to me this is not a huge problem. My spending habits are not further damaging the ozone layer or promoting child trafficking: it’s just too many clothes! No biggie, right?  This is the part when one would nod and smile for nodding and smiling’s sake. I guess we all have our little quirks and obsessions. Some collect Elton John posters, or buttons or old used chewing gum (the latter does happen). And I, innocently, preoccupy my time with fashion accessories, clothing and self-image evaluation. On second thoughts, pass that jug of ice water and that deep dish will ya?

Mishqa Rossier is a qualified copywriter that moonlights as a radio producer to support her “retail habit”.

There has always been something otherworldly about fashion shows. Whether the collections are drab or the tailoring is poor, any sartorial flaws are temporarily overshadowed by the vibrant hum that comes with the mechanics of socializing, which was most definitely the case at this year’s FEDISA graduate show.

As with most things lately, poor man’s chic was the way of sugar-coating the recession. I thought my designer friend was kidding when she said to meet at P4 at Wembley Square, but the parking lot venue added a much-needed moody contrast to the haughtiness of the standard bright lights and white spaces. Given the nature of student shows and their family-filled audiences, there is usually an absence (for the most part) of upturned noses and the front-row hierarchy that comes with haute couture territory. More importantly, your audience is more forgiving.

You would, however, think that given you’ve feted fashion as a career, studied the likes of Posen and Jacobs to a pious degree and eaten, breathed and slept designing for over year, you would be well out of the boundary of the tacky and shabby?

Picture courtesy Kelly Berold

The show started off with the first and second year pieces before segueing into the final year collections, which compromised of about eight or nine pieces per student. Most collections succeeded in threading a nice common theme through their work, with influences stemming from film (Alicia Oakes’s Clockwork Orange), historical periods (Gretel Weichardt’s turn-of-the-century Paris) and abstract takes on Gothic, Victorian and Pirate themes.

That being said, I generally expected something a little more inspiring. While the show setup was beautifully executed and catered to each patron, FEDISA organisers copped out by not hiring professional models, something most other fashion institutes do. Even the best of clothes can look awkward on the hunched-over and the poor walkers, or worse, non-models who think they’re the next Brazilian export.

Many designers failed to strike a balance between creating something magnificent and wearable, with the only notable exceptions being Inge Lembrechts, Mathi Kellen and Jennifer Rubidge. Lembrechts was the only student to capture the much desired vampiric undertones (thank you, Twilight) and translate it into something dramatic yet accessible, with an intelligent use of shapes and textures. Kellen’s impressive tailoring and use of billowing soft fabrics were reminiscent of Marchesa and Chanel, while Rubidge mastered 1930s British high society with boaters and blazers in clean lines and an effective colour palette.

I found many of the others to be a mere rehash of old trends, suffering from the matric dance hangover of taffeta and ill-fitted bodices, or sifting through the leftover buckets at Vogue. Despite the great work on the organisers’ part, the designs were generally lacklustre and not those of the bright young ingénues I was expecting. Better luck next year.

Kelly Berold is a media student at UCT.

If I had to rework that column today I’d actually create a character list of personal attributes many men display. I wouldn’t need to group them in smaller subsets. They’d all be in one large group. Men to Avoid.

It may sound like a superficial and choosy option. But it’s actually pretty balanced. Not being choosy leads you with bad relationship choices. No one is going to let you forget the time you dated a convict and couldn’t change him. Or when the married man you had an affair with cheated on you. However being too picky can lead to a sad life. Single girls can only be perky for so long. Suddenly you’re pretending you’re happy to be alone but secretly you’re crying into your popcorn whenever you see the rain scene from The Notebook.

Below are a set of dealbreakers which women muse over when deciding a potential mate. Apart from the obvious dealbreakers like cheating, lying and abuse, these are the little things that can be paramount to whether a relationship stays on course. Of course there are others that differ with every man. And there are many some women would overlook. But heads up guys, asking if we’d like to do a threesome with our best friend is technically not cheating but it’s not cool either.

1. Bad Fashion

Everyday women go out of their way to look good. We squeeze ourselves in magic knickers, we wear dresses when it’s cold and we spend entire working days in high heels. Is it too much to ask men to do the same. Of course we don’t want you wearing platform boots. Or our dresses. Our knickers? That’s a different story and not for every couple. But if we’re willing to make the effort can’t you. We don’t need the sauveness of James Bond or the stylings of Kanye West. All we want is a man who willing not to wear the first t-shirt he finds on his bedroom floor. A man who can part with more than a hundred for a pair of jeans. A man who forgoes the comfort of Crocs to buy a normal and pretty pair of shoe. And while you may not notice that we own five different types of black shoes, we will notice for you. Other no-nos that make women cringe: army pants unless you’re auditioning for a revival of Band of Brothers chuck them out; wife beaters: only acceptable if someone is gay and toned or K-Fed. Please don’t be either; and polonecks: only suited for artsy guys called Napoleon who ride bicycles and attend “Save the Whale” protests. And if you’re more into fish than females, you’re not gonna like us anyway.

2. Gross to Groomed

Women are a conundrum. We’ll admit it. We hate when you’re a slob but we hate it even more when you’re made-up prettier than us. All we’re asking for is a healthy balance. Bad hygiene is disgusting. No one can see a future with a man whose idea of washing up means licking the plate after they eat. Chasing us with a vacuum cleaner while we eat cookies isn’t going to score you any points either. All we need is someone who bathes regularly, cleans his ears and pays attention to his skin. By pay attention we’d appreciate more than soap and water. But we’d also appreciate it if you didn’t have a better skin care regime than we do. When you start to tell us our pores can be seen from space, there’s a serious problem in the relationship. We’re more than happy to share our girlie products with you but there’s a line. Exfoliate? Sure! Eye Cream? A necessity. Our prized-reason-we-cannot-eat-for-a-month Le Mer cream? How do you feel about kneecaps? Look and smell prettier than us and we’ll cry. Even worse we’ll develop a complex. Nothing can bring down a girl’s spirit more than a guy telling us to get our roots done. Many women have put up with the monobrow and carpet back hair, so give us those few weeks between blonde and not-so-blonde.

3. The Male Arrogance

We are not sure where you get this from, but it has got to go. A bit of confidence does wonders to attract a mate. Thinking you should be praised to grace us mere mortals with your presence does wonders to attract a bad rap. This used to be a key characteristic of the good-looking brigade. the guys who had better bone structure than most. The ones with hair that flops naturally into place. And the bodies for a Men’s Health cover. Due to excessive attention from adoring females (no doubt originating with the mother), these boys have started to believe their own hype. They expect nothing less than Beatles-esque hysteria from women but won’t settle unless they have a six foot Brazilian beauty having off their arm. A little secret…most women don’t want what every other girl wants. Knowing I covet the same thing as my trashy work colleague puts me off it immediately. Good looking men included so loose that pride. Actually all men loose that pride. At least the good looking have a reason for their attitude. Just because you encompass a penis and chest hair does not mean the ladies are going to come a-flocking. If you want us to treat you like the most important person in our lives, we’d be glad to if you work for it. If you cannot adhere to this, remember most women live their lives by a mantra from Carrie Bradshaw: “Good looking men are never good in bed ‘cause they don’t have to be.”

The incognito Green Eyes blogs about life, love and fabulous fashion at her must-read blog: Skinny Bitches – In The Making.