


Natural Hair Blowout – How to Prevent Hair Damage
Contrary to popular belief, heat on African hair or any type of hair for that matter, does not have to mean hair damage. Although it is true that when your hair is damaged by heat, it can only be treated and not repaired. There are ways to prevent hair damage. Too much heat to the hair can break the primary structure of a protein and protein cross-links. This will also cause the hair to be brittle and weak. But there are also benefits of blowing out your natural hair without hair damage. Tips to blowing out your natural hair: Use a heat protectant – This is probably the most important, if you can get your hands on one with silicones the better. This will help keep moisture in your hair when it gets in contact with the heat. Use the correct blow dryer – Cheap blow dryers usually have very high heat and are not adjustable. Therefore making it easy to damage the hair. Ionic hair dryers are the best, according to experts. The ionic technology reduces the surface tension on your strands, which results in a sleeker style with less frizz. You’ll find it also encourages retention of your hair’s natural moisture – Barbie Carpenter. Wattage (How many watts your hairdryer has) is also important, not too low that it takes forever to dry the hair but also not too high that it overheats, 1800watts is safe. Plan ahead – Consider what style you are trying to achieve to avoid do-overs which means more heat. Take your time – Set sufficient time aside to do your hair. You...
Interview with Thokozani Mbatha
Thokozani Mbatha, a Kwa Zulu-Natal boy who’s made a big name for himself in the South African fashion industry showcased at Soweto Fashion Week this past weekend. We were impressed by his collection and of course, fell in love with his hairstyle so we asked him a few questions about his love for fashion. When was your brand established? My brand was established in 2008. Tell us a bit more about the brand ‘Lloyd Hotsense’. The brand Lloyd Hotsense is a daring brand that takes fashion to another level. It’s not afraid to take fashion risks. Your real name is Thokozani Mbatha. Is ‘Lloyd Hotsense’ also your name? How would you explain this? Lloyd is my western name. Lloyd was the name I had in my ID book but I’d never used it. Then the idea came to make it my brand name. How did you get into fashion design? It came about through my modelling and acting, as well as from my love of being different from other people. What inspired you to get into fashion design? The people around me inspired me. They always loved and complimented how I styled and recreated my clothes. Tell us a bit more about your experience at Soweto Fashion Week. It was a great experience to showcase at Soweto Fashion Week. Being a guy from a small town in KZN (Escort), and to show my work at a world-renown township, it was breathtaking for me to see that a lot of people know my work. Which other big events have you showcased at? I have showcased at Mpumalanga fashion week. I’m...
Interview with Ngugi Vere
The Inecto team was out at Soweto Fashion Week and got a chance to chat to its Creative Director, Ngugi Vere who chatted about his role at Soweto Fashion Week and a little bit more about his journey in fashion and hair colour. Who is Ngugi? Ngugi Vere, aka Velly, is a young creative entrepreneur from Zimbabwe who has a creative flair in fashion, acting and design. Two things that describe me are God and Fashion. Basically, I’m not me without God. Tell us more about your background and love for fashion? I have no fashion education but my love for fashion started at the age of 5. Choosing my own clothes when I went shopping with my late mum, I would style myself for school. Since primary school, everyone has said I’m the best dressed anywhere, at any time. I moved from Zimbabwe to SA in search of greener pastures. These didn’t come as green as expected as I was jobless for two to three years. Where did your fashion career begin? During my time in SA when I was hunting for greener pastures, I met a man called Max Moyo, who is a motivational speaker and now my life coach. We did a purpose assessment and we discovered I’m passionate about fashion and creativity, but we didn’t know what I should be since I had no fashion educational background. Well, I tried to get an internship from local fashion gurus but none of them was willing to hire me. So I started teaching myself through the internet and began my own creative shoots and blogging. One day...