Sep 18, 20214 min read

Moments with Mojapelo in Muizenberg

Fashion Editorial by PatternNation

In the stunning South African beach town of Muizenberg, just outside Cape Town in the Western Cape, magical things tend to happen. Its colourful beach houses, surfer culture, and local creatives all add to the beauty of Muzies. People from across South Africa and around the world come to check out its charm, and many get enchanted by its creative vibes and stunning natural location nestled in between mountains and ocean.

This shoot evokes powerful energy, confidence, and vibrancy because that is what Vanessa Mojapelo is all about

I know I am in love with this place and it's largely because of an artist collective of fashion designers called the Priesthood, run by mother brand Blue Priest Afrotek who has a shop on the groovy Palmer Road. Just a few blocks in from the waterfront, Palmer is a road full of creative shops and often hosts street markets with local makers and live music. PatternNation, the brand myself, Cyd Eva, and my partner Costa Besta run, stock this beautiful colourful store with our one-of-a-kind clothing and jewelry. This is how we came to have moments with Vanessa Mojapelo in Muizenberg.

Vanessa is a filmmaker, director, stylist, model and thrifter based in Johannesburg who I met in 2017. We have stayed in touch since then and always had hopes of collaborating on a photoshoot and are overjoyed to be sharing this editorial with The Sassy Show. Costa and I had the pleasure of living in Cape Town for just over a year and while we were there, in April of 2021, Vanessa came down to the mother city. We brought her to the enchanting Blue Priest Store to pick a selection of PatternNation clothing to style herself with. Journeying down to the beach, we discovered many beautiful places to shoot our clothing packed with Vanessa’s dynamic and fiery personality.

Vanessa is someone who expresses herself through her style; wearing PatternNation looks so natural on her because in her daily life she is constantly experimenting with clothing, colour, and patterns

Going with the flow of the day we shot five different looks on Vanessa and she slayed each fit. This shoot evokes powerful energy, confidence and vibrancy because that is what Vanessa is all about. She is a creative force whose individuality radiates through everything she wears, creates and produces.

I met Vanessa at the August House, an artist studio warehouse building in Johannesburg and since then our connection as creatives has been growing. Vanessa is someone who expresses herself through her style; wearing PatternNation looks so natural on her because in her daily life she is constantly experimenting with clothing, colour and patterns. Vanessa’s practice includes creating stunning self portraits playing with textiles, colours and natural elements. She embraces her body as a vessel to create stunning images as a model & muse. Her impeccable taste shines through in her styling, film and directing work and in life her unique personality radiates.

Let's hear from Vanessa about her experience of this photoshoot and what colour and pattern mean to her.

What inspires you to express yourself through styling and fashion?

A need to share the feel good and be happy energy. When you look great, you feel great and I would like everyone to feel good, even if it’s just for the time the garment is on

How do colour and pattern play a role in your life?

Colour is light in my life man, colour just brings in a mood and pattern creates a story. So when styling and directing these are important elements to play around with. Even in everyday life.

Colour is light in my life... [it] brings in a mood, and pattern creates a story

Do you have a power colour and how do you draw on it in your life?

I could say it’s Green and Blue. When I need a boost of energy I like to colour my hair Green sometimes Blue which gradually becomes Turquoise and later green.

What are your impressions of Muizenberg?

Its a colourful yet clean, small and sweet place. The Priesthood collectives’ push for creativity and freedom is inspiring. And the view is amazing, the mountains and the ocean view is so romantic.

How was the experience of working with PatternNation on this shoot?

Super fun, we were chilled in the cold. They work in a creative free environment, with a 'let’s stick to the time' also 'we can try that idea out' attitude. So it’s fun to create with them.

What attracts you to their clothing creations?

The colours. Wow. The brand is vibrant with colours and different patterns that will have your brain jamming for days.

I had the chance to talk to Vanessa in depth on the Sassy Sisters podcast and we got into the juicy details of how we met, who she is as an artist, what she believes in. We discussed how she expresses her sensuality and more while listening to some dope tunes she selected. If you want to get to know more about this dynamic, bold and beautiful creative listen to our conversation coming out later this month, follow Vanessa on social media, and support The Sassy Show as they are constantly putting on fantastic humans.