The first issue of my second year as editor of SMag celebrates two of my greatest obsessions — newness and fashion-industry icon Felipe Mazibuko.

No two artists capture that spirit of modernity and oddity better than the faces of our Celebration issue, Hope Mbhele and Musa Keys. When the year began they were relatively unknown, but they are closing 2022 on a high, with their names on everyone’s lips.

In order to bridge the gap between the old and new and so produce something ultra-modern, we called on the creative direction of Mazibuko for their shoots. Neither of our cover stars was even born when the style guru — who has over 32 years in the industry — was already setting his path in the ever-changing world of fashion.

He has become a creative force to be reckoned with thanks to his unique styling for brands such as Amanda Laird Cherry, Marianne Fassler, and Loxion Kulca, as well as his sharp fashion commentary that makes the subject supremely relatable.

Mazibuko, always embracing his freckles, was born in Pimville, with the cosmopolitan and multi-cultural mix of Soweto informing his creative gaze. His personal style (the number of times I’ve tried to layer like him!) is just as glorious.

First stepping into the industry in 1991, Mazibuko marvels at how, in those days, he was always the only Black face on the team.

The fashion and magazine worlds have, of course, evolved since then and more doors have opened for Black people. But Mazibuko makes a spicy remark, quipping that today only a few are actually creative. “Fashion has been treated like a brothel,” he criticises.

It’s a ballsy statement (I expected nothing less) and my intrigue is piqued as I ask him to elaborate.

“A lot of wannabes are killing the industry with mediocrity and fashion illiteracy,” he fires back.

When Mazibuko puts this into context, I agree with him —  on many occasions I have seen what he’s so boldly referring to. In his view, many feel that being stylish automatically qualifies them to curate outfits.

I can attest to this based on the number of times I’ve been asked to start my own label because my Instagram page is popping. He believes that understanding, research, and knowledge of the local fashion industry are needed to do what he does so well. He has also identified a select number of great upcoming young talents.

Next, we bond over our fixation with newness. Mazibuko has not done magazine styling in years. He says that, today, fewer exciting publications are active and offering the creative freedom for which he yearns.

He adds that he jumped on the opportunity to finally work with SMag because it meant “tapping into new ground, with my old energy and old creative freedom… injecting older wisdom and direction”.

I’m taken by surprise when he admits that, at first, he was nervous to work with rising stars such as Mbhele and Keys. This meant he had to bring his A game, so he started pulling items from designers two weeks ahead.

A week before the shoot, I walked into the SMag storage room and tripped over soft tulle. Immediately, I recognised the pastel-hued veils — a day before they had been on the runway at Amanda Laird Cherry during SA Fashion Week. Close-by is a clothing rail with the entire collection. That’s when I know Mazibuko is not here to play.

He later breaks it down for me — when working with celebrities rather than models, he always goes the extra mile. If he’s given a brief of two garments, he sources 20 looks, since he never knows what the mood is going to be on set.

When we’re finally on set, Mbhele is first, looking radiant in every creation; the camera loves her. Mazibuko reveals that he wanted to give her something memorable that she could frame and put up on a wall.

Keys is trickier to shoot when he arrives in the afternoon, as he wants to style himself. When I call him a “nightmare”, Mazibuko corrects me. He sees it differently and says he appreciates that Keys has a distinct style and energy, but what’s missing is an understanding of fashion.

Mazibuko refers to it as “cut-and-paste syndrome”, where a celebrity has their own ideas, especially if they don’t usually work with a stylist, whose role is to sit them down and go through concepts.

In his experience, many stars rely on Google instead of sitting through Fashion Week to understand current aesthetics. But he seems to enjoy the challenge — important to note, I’ve witnessed this many times and often the stylist is not as gracious. He smoothly negotiates with Keys, relaxing into it and playing along.

Having worked with the likes of Miriam Makeba, Brenda Fassie, and Lebo Mathosa, Mazibuko has been baptised by the best.

He then offers me some advice — when working with celebrities, one should always come last. He says every artist has their own way of being 100% giving and 100% a nightmare. “You have to be pushy, but not aggressive. You have to be very gentle because you are dealing with egos.”

These days he only works regularly with one artist: Thandiswa Mazwai. They have established a strong rapport that liberates him to create unimaginable iconography. Interestingly, I learn that a motif in Mazibuko’s work is the absences of earrings — the only exception is tribal earrings, but costume jewellery is a no-no. His reasoning? He believes earrings date pictures.

Mazibuko in recent years battled prostate cancer, which progressed to testicular but is now in remission.

In July, he had another medical setback after having a minor heart attack. He’s in recovery, but the downside is that he’s on chronic medication.

He says the best advice he has received from his cardiologist and neurologist has been to cut back on work and take care of his health. Focusing on his mental health and heart has helped him cope in the most difficult stage of his life.