Australian retailer Cotton On has teamed up with one of South Africa’s most popular illustrators, Karabo Poppy Moletsane, to design a range of graphic print male and female T-shirts.
We chatted to 23-year-old Moletsane about the inspiration behind her designs for the Cotton On TBar range.
Tell us about yourself and your designer background?I am 23 years old, born in Vereeniging and now based in Pretoria. I have a degree in visual communication from The Open Window Institute.
How would you describe your style/design?Afropolitan - my art is largely influenced by the mixed cultural identity of South Africa combined with a global perspective. My style is highly decorative, colourful and at times quirky.
What inspires you to create?I find myself drawn to the African Aesthetic - all that makes African countries so visually appealing –the colours, culture and potential. I am inspired by fashion, city sub-cultures, hand-painted signage and urban entrepreneurs.
Tell us more about the designs behind the Cotton On TBar range?‘Self-expression’ quickly became the umbrella theme for the conceptualisation of the TBar shirt designs and illustrations. Graphic tees provide everyone and anyone with a voice to express them creatively through fashion.
The ‘self-expression’ illustrations focus on individuality - from making statements with hair to the incredible creativity associated with barber shops.
I have always been fascinated by the relationship between fashion and art and see the humble tee as an amazing medium for communicating a message. I love that Cotton On celebrates both fashion and art. I am absolutely ecstatic about the collaboration with such a well-known - and loved - international fashion brand.
