Rendani Nemakhavhani textiles and zine teach us to be ghetto and fabulous all at the same damn time
Nataal loves Rendani Nemakhavhani’s bright and brilliant illustrations that celebrate women and Blackness. The Joburg-based art director and graphic designer looks within to create strong, sexy and joyful characters reflective of her alter ego, Pr$dnt Honey. And now with her new project, Ghetto Fabulous, she takes her visual storytelling into even more kick-ass territory by turning her illustrations into a collection of printed satin textiles. In doing so, she is making her work functional and more accessible as well as making a statement about the essence of swag.
“Ghetto Fabulous is a body of work that speaks to the relationship that Black people have with fabric and aims to present my illustrations in a way that feels familiar and less intimidating,” Nemakhavhani explains. “Stretch satin is a textile that feels and looks luxurious. It can function as a Babushka, a durag, a boob-tube, a doek, even a piece of art that you let live in a frame. Its function is to elevate your aesthetics. It’s meant to be used.”
Designs feature some of her most recognisable works that riff on everything from traditional hairstyles to Nike logos and local currency. And bringing these cloths further to life, the artist has also created a zine depicting her muse swathed in these powerful prints as she leans against her fast car looking good, feeling delicious and being all kinds of free.
“The complex narrative around luxury and what that means in the context of Blackness makes sense for the person that I am. I don’t fall within the one percent, but I can look like it,” Nemakhavhani continues. “In trying to account for where this part of me comes from I remember Sunday mornings in Chiawelo. Going to church was mandatory. Dressing up for it, even more so. In preparation for Christmas and New Year’s gatherings with the family, our folks make sure we’re dressed to the nines. This is our tradition. We have so little, yet we are so much. And thus, we are ghetto fabulous.”
“This is a language I’ve learned and have understood outside of the context of wealth. It is spoken fluently by my mother, who learnt it from her mother, who learnt it from her mother and on and on. It’s as though our genetics are extended by the way in which we present ourselves. I love it here.”
Each textile is a limited run of 30 pieces and costs R850.00 each. Pre-order via prsdnthoney@gmail.com
Creative direction and illustrations Rendani Nemakhavhani
Photography Lebogang Tlhako
Styling Rendani Nemakhavhani and Lerato Mbangeni
Words Helen Jennings
Published on 01/09/2021