#moztyle

[mskatawala]

the afrotwins are Absolut Maputo

This shoot came up completily out of the blue, I was still looking for a model or just someone to shoot this shirts with, and these two girl Daniela and Filipa, would not leave my mind, mostly because of twitter and facebook, and they've been on their grind so hard, that pretty much everyone wants in on them. So i did what was right, I talked to Filipa and we decided to shoot the shirts. I always get the biggest creative block when it comes to thinking about a 'place' to do a shoot ( mostly because i litteraly could shoot anywhere and i dont feel like there has to be a set location). And this time it wasnt any different, I was sitting there trying to think of a really cool place to go and shoot the new ABSOLUT MAPUTO design top+tshirt for Moztyle, so i took out my hand-dany BlackBerry and chatted up my friend DSN, who's a total creative GENIUS , and he was all "why dont you go to Mercado Central", and it felt so right when he said that, and i was like "Genius!". The next morning, i went to pick them up, and I was sorta kinda nervous, because there had been so much anticipation built up, and obviously when you got to meet someone for the first time, it's always like that. But the ice didnt have time to sit long enough to make things unconfortable, the girls are very easy going and chilled it hardle felt like we had just met. "So, where are you going to change?" I asked, and I already new the answer to this, but i wasnt going to be the one to say it. So they both looked at each other and said "Uh, here, in the car." And as I parked the car outside the Mercado Central, a flock of guys just surrounded us, some to offer their 'security' services, others to sell their stuff, and most just to see what was going on. It's not every day you get to see a fly ass chick rocking a huge afro, make that TWO fly ass chick rocking a huge afro. After we get past the first group of guys, the pace for rest of the shoot was pretty much set. We got friendly stares, curious stares, disaproving stares,we heard comments like "That's not your real hair!" to "That hair is from the internet" and something like, "Gimme a lil piece of your hair" from all types of people walking by. Needless to say the AFROTWINS do not go by unnoticed. So i asked " Do you ever, get tired of being looked at all the time? Does that ever make you unconfortable?" "Not really." Answered Filipa (she's the slightly blond one)," we're pretty much used to it, and have learnt to live with it. " and I mean, who doesnt love attention? Through the shoot I found out that they're studying through correspondence with their Swedish school, and at the same time working with a friend of theirs in the Hip-hop group called Magnezia, which has been keeping them pretty busy. We talk a walk around that Baixa area, and I just shot everything as it happened, and the session was eezy-breezy, since our town in filled with insipiration. And the interaction between my subject and the public was almost surreal. Absolut Maputo

[mskatawala]

blog schmlog

I have such a strange relationship with this blog, yes relationship. Sometimes (usually when I have written something on it that I am particularly pleased with) I feel proud of it, and resolve to write more things on it I can be pleased with, more often. But most of the time I am irritated by it; it nags away at me and makes me feel guilty every time I think of something interesting that I should maybe write about, but can't be bothered. I neglect it dreadfully, especially of late, and then feel terrible, and envious of all the other who have the dedication to tend their blogs like they're carefully nurturing lovely gardens. My garden (blog) has become sadly overgrown (ignored). I have been having a ‘think’ about this today, over some cookies and a cup of tea, and I think part of the reason I struggle with staying on top of blogging is that I'm not sure exactly what kind of a blog this is meant to be. I put bits of stories on it sometimes, but it is not really a writing blog. I put photos on it sometimes, but it is not a photo blog. I occasionally comment on news and events and things, but it is definitely not a journalistic blog. Which really only leaves me with one option - it is a 'personal blog', which is like a sort of online diary, and I think maybe I struggle with it because…- because I feel a bit silly writing about the everyday stuff, like people might think I'm an egomaniac, and worse than that, an egomaniac with nothing to say. I had a chat about this, and about my general 'blog envy', with a friend, and felt a bit better. I was talking about taking photos and putting them on here, photos of such unremarkable things as the inside and outside of my house. I realised ( is that spelled with a z?) that one of the reasons I do stuff like this is that I, as a reader, am fascinated by the minutiae of other people's lives. I am positively enthralled when I stumble across a post where someone describes the little events of their weekend, or puts up photos of things like their new tea cosy or their writing desk. So I suppose I, from time to time, post stuff like this because it's the kind of thing I like to look at myself. And maybe I've always worried that this kind of thing isn't 'worthy' enough, but actually maybe it is, because if I like to look at things like this, surely other people do too. Maybe this kind of blogging doesn't make me an egomaniac, after all. And nobody has to read it, if they don't want to. Now with that said, here's some pictures of the Moztyle pins I received. If you want one, just say so, and I'll make it happen.

[mskatawala]

COMING SOON!

  I got my Malibu inspired design Moztyle beach bag today! It serves as a beach bag, but to me it will proally (that's right proaly) be my everything bag.

  I like how the cloth is so soft, and you can pretty much carry anything in it. And I love the neutral/nude color, that way i can mix and match with anything.

  This bag pretty much leaves everything to your creativity, i mean, you can use it as a bread bag, or gocery bag, whatever, be creative and get yours!