BANELE CHRISTOPHER’S DESTINY…

It was at The Craft restaurant’s Freak shakes tasting (Oh shake they are now called) and there he was, a Burberry Prorsum ad. A sleeveless blue knee length blazer, white tee, faded ripped jeans and white sneakers. His unique visual could make Banele Christopher pass as a model, not your typical model but a model none the less, probably one who would be signed at Shashi Naidoo’s unconventional modelling agency Alushi Models. Close up he is more startling, I have never seen such wise eyes set on such a youthful face I am a stylist at both Destiny and Destiny Man magazine he says as he introduces himself, as if used to being mistaken for a 15 year old “I am still studying BA strategic communications, doing my 3rd year.  I actually saw the post on LinkedIn and applied and made a presentation of my CV that got them interested in me I guess. Went through an interview process and got the job same day actually.”

 

Being a magazine buff I just had to ask about how a magazine comes up with a wardrobe and what his work entitles “being a stylist for a magazine, I attending brief meetings with the Lifestyle and Fashion director, deciding what looks you need for particular shoot and start researching which stores to source from. The sourcing starts when the email is sent to the store or the PR Company, when they approve they give you budget on how much to spend at the store or the number of items you are allowed to source. The clothes are not insured so it's my full responsibility to take care of the clothes and make sure that they're in the condition that they were in when I took them.
So if the is a stain on the clothes while at the store, I need to make sure they note it down. And I need to ensure that all the clothes have tags because they won't be taken back by the store if they don't. I then go to stores the day before the shoot, the day of the shoot I come up with a few style options which the producer of the shoot gets to decide which looks to go for. The clothes are returned the next day. The crazy part is sourcing and returning, walking around the mall trying to source 10 stores before 13:00 because most stores don't allow sourcing after then.“

Isn’t he the coolest, the very colourful shoot was specifically for the Shades Of Cool Blog.

Working for both publications (Destiny and Destiny Man) has been a fun and amazing learning experience for me more than anything. I get to meet some amazing inspirational people, people who are doing amazing things and started from nothing and are now running multimillion Rand companies like Carolina Herera for instance. I have made friends with some of the amazing models I've worked with, and I have created contacts with influential people which I think is the most important thing in the industry. I am learning about being a stylist everyday and it's more than dressing models. I also get to write for the magazines too, I wrote an article on Tshepo the Jean maker, I always support local and young designers and he is such a humble guy his brand is definitely going far.

"Beginning the year looking at my Work! January issue of @destiny.man"

“My journey began in high school when a friend and I started a personal styling company called Bee-U-Teeful fashions (I left in 2014, my partner now runs it) From there I never looked back, planning amazing things for 2016 which I cannot discuss but I want to be the next Rachel Zoe or a fashion influencer. I haven't styled a lot of celebrities, but I have worked and styled a lot of powerful people; CEOs and people who have built empires.”  Lol I just had to ask for a sneak peak of what he is planning “ I can't say yet, Lol but let's say am planning to grow myself and bring fashion to people like it has never being brought before in SA.” “The fashion industry is still growing especially is South Africa, overseas they're taking it quiet serious. With a lot of reality shows and stuff (I just have a weakness for all the Australian fashion bloggers especially Margaret Zhang) seeing brands in South Africa investing in fashion projects is truly amazing.”

The highlights of my career include getting to meet my boss Khanyi Dhlomo, a woman I look up to, and being given an opportunity to style an entire all white shoot by myself as I was shadowing my boss who is the lifestyle and fashion director Papama Ramogase. Styling that fashion shoot was amazing, dealing with the photographer, model and creative direction. The was also a shoot in Soweto with two dancers, who were amazing, easy and fun to work with, it was in an old building and it was a challenge getting perfect shots so I had to get my hands dirty, taking away the glitz and glamour of being fashion stylist, you can check out the January issue of Destiny man. 

Banele is also giving modelling a try.

Talking all things fashion with @MentorFeed

I can’t think of a better question to ask a stylist than about his wardrobe “I am a simple guy, I like to think my style is simple and clean but I also have a versatile kinda fashion sense, were it depends on my mood and where am going. Sometimes I want to rock torn denim to be street style, next day keep it clean in a suit. I shop everywhere, as long as I get what I want and obviously I look for quality and timeless items. I usually don't follow trends, I don't shop according to trends even for work I usually don’t use them when I style. I get inspiration from international street fashion, run way and what bloggers are writing about. I am really not into trends I want to see art, I want to see beautiful classic art pieces. That what makes fashion fun and interesting.” I love fashion talk and asking people about what they are currently  “My favourite fashion moments include Jaden Smith being the face of Louis Vitton spring collection, The Balmain H&M collection, Rihanna’s sneaker collection with Puma, David Tlale at New York fashion week really makes South Africans proud and Rich Mnisi is always inspirational” 

The second impression that you get from Banele is that he just stepped into the spotlight- you wait for it to fade but it doesn’t. I have a feeling that in the not so distant future, people will be asking for autographed pictures. 

Images supplied by Banele Christopher

Follow Banele on instagram: @banele_christopher and on Twitter: @Banele_C