Screw Power Lists. Here’s a pick ‘n’ mix selection of some young people who are actually doing things. In this #EyesOn2016 series, they tell us what’s going to blow up in 2016.
Mboko is a 19-year-old creative director from Botswana. She’s launched creative agency Glotto with make-up artist Sadie Simanyan. Here’s the latest on their halterneck collection, Yucca.
Tell us about Yucca Collection and Glotto. What are they and how did they come about?
The Yucca Collection is a minimalist collection of various halter tops and tank dresses which consists of colour schemes inspired greatly by the deep hues of the of the sub-Saharan sands and earthy tones of the Savannah Sands.
The minimalist collection which is named after the architectural desert plant, the Yucca, aims at achieving the same visual delight that the plant provides to its landscape on various women around Africa.
These schemes that are also largely inspired by landscapes found in our native country of Botswana.
The bare, simplicity of these garments in terms of silhouette is widely contrasted with the variation of colour that most pieces are available in. These schemes that are also largely inspired by landscapes found in our native country of Botswana such as the Okavango Delta, Makgadikgadi salt pans and the sand dunes of the Kgalagadi Desert are meant not only to compliment all skin tones around Africa but as also show how we naturally fuse with the colours of our fauna and flora. Our colour range includes different hues of olive and military green, different shades of nude, beige and brown as well as robust colours such as a deep orange and burgundy.
The Yucca Collection is reminiscent of the hunter-gatherer spirit of the first descendants in Botswana, the Khoi San tribe. They are one that attributes self-assurance, bravery and a close relationship with its surrounding environment. They are one that displays the unorthodox nature that the African woman has to challenge any form of unknown predators, shown through the some prominent colour schemes and yet still retain an acquitted demeanour and simplicity, shows through our modest silhouettes of our garments.
We aim to simply display our current interests: not only fashion but aspects of it such as art direction, beauty and design.
Glotto is a creative platform created by the creative duo of creative director and stylist Mboko Basiami and make-up artist and stylist Sadie Simanyana. We aim to simply display our current interests: not only fashion but aspects of it such as art direction, beauty, design and all that we feel is relevant in the African youth creatively. Glotto is a root word from Glottology, which is the database of the worlds unknown languages that also includes the Bantu language.
A language that was a parent, a founder, to most existing languages around Africa. We feel it is very peculiar that it is a part of the worlds unknown languages and to us, we feel was strikingly metaphorical of how unknown and unleashed the creative talent and potential of the African youth as a whole is.
What are you going to remember 2015 for?
2015 will definitely be remembered for the launch of not only Glotto to the world, but the Yucca Collection too. Also just receiving such supportive feedback from the various creatives around Africa, it kind sets a reassuring feeling that this venture and is definitely more than just a hobby. It is a lifestyle, a lifestyle I’m excited to see grow even more in Africa
What do you think is going to blow up in 2016?
Glotto is going to blow up in 2016 🙂
What’s keeping you busy in 2016?
There’s definitely a lot that will be keeping us busy. For one, uni life as Sadie and I are both undergraduates so we’re always trying to balance that. But the public will definitely be seeing the launch of two more ranges from the Yucca Collection. The launch of the Glotto website and just a steady, constant spread of Glotto reaching way more than just Southern Africa. Seeing it branching off to other regions of our continent.
We have a lot of editorial spreads in our archives that we would also love to share with the public. Glotto is not only a design house but rather a creative one; so more collaborations with local bloggers and industry shakers is also something that we will be working on. More than excited for 2016. More than excited!
Find Glotto on Instagram @_glotto
Follow Mboko on Twitter @MbokoBoomin
Want to join in? Tell us on Twitter #EyesOn2016