Footwear – Soleart Fashion

Sol’eart inspiration – Streets of Bo-Kaap

Sol’eart Fashion — Sun, 18 Sep 2022 12:40:21 +0000

While the residential area of Bo-Kaap is an instagrammable destination that always places at least top 5 in the list of most colourful destinations in the world, it comes with a very bleak past. ack during colonial times in the 17th century, the neighbourhood was home to slaves and political prisoners from India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia and other Dutch East Indies countries. The people who lived there weren’t allowed to own properties and could only paint their rentals white. When slavery was abolished, they were able to finally purchase their own homes and all of them chose to paint them in bright colours as an expression of their newfound freedom

This freedom of expression is what makes the area what it is today and is what inspired us to create our own “Bo Kaap”

Part of the Bo Kaap’s charm is the mix of Cape Dutch and Cape Georgian architectural styles. One of their oldest buildings (now a museum)was originally built in 1768 is the oldest house in the area that still is in its original form. The museum showcases local Islamic culture and heritage.

The area is still standing today because of its Cape Malay community who is very attached to its neighbourhood and defends it passionately. Bo-Kaap contains the greatest density of pre-1850 buildings in South Africa, making it the oldest residential area in the country and in Cape Town.

Thanks to the persistence of its inhabitants, Bo-Kaap is in the process of becoming a UNESCO World Heritage Site so that the neighbourhood is not tampered with and retains its cultural specificities. Today Bo-Kaap is flourishing as a proud and prominently Muslim district with a mixed and vibrant social life and a strong sense of community.

Sol’eart inspiration – David Gerstein

Sol’eart Fashion — Sat, 17 Sep 2022 20:47:07 +0000

At the age of 77, Gerstein works 10 hours days and continues to produce marvelous works that are celebrated all over the world. It’s no surprise that we find him inspiring and based one of our pieces on his style of work!

The “Spring Butterfly” is a pair of colourful mules that is very reminiscent of Gerstein’s pop art 3D sculptural style.

Inspired by Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol, Gerstein began creating 2 dimensional paintings and then developed a 3-dimensional approach to sculpture utilizing laser cut steel. The colors that Gerstein applies to his sculpture are vibrant and lively, creating a kind of animation to his artwork.

What really stands out about David Gerstein is that he strives hard to make his art accessible. While most galleries and museums have rules that allow no touching the art pieces, Gerstein insists on a hands-on approach and firmly believes his work is meant for the public and not for private collectors.

He said “My philosophy is that art should touch life. It shouldn’t be something that you see once a year when you go to a museum.” Currently, his larger than life pieces lay in various countries particularly in South East Asia. These art pieces are accessible to the public and are primarily in hospitals and nursing homes and other public places like universities and stadiums.

Sol’eart inspiration – Frida Kahlo

Sol’eart Fashion — Sat, 17 Sep 2022 20:35:06 +0000

Inspired by celebrated and well renowned artist Frida Kahlo, we created “The Frida” that’s available in a mule with her signature red bold lips and flowers.

Self-portraits hold a very important place in her work. They account for about 55 of the 150 works she painted, thus giving her the title “the Queen of portraits.” By making herself the subject, she expresses her suffering. Painting thus becomes a voice of her pain.

Aside from being known for her art, Frida is a beauty icon and her influence still carries forward in today’s time. With bold red lips, one unibrow (highly accentuated in all of her paintings) and a confident look on her face, no one can remain indifferent to her ultra-individual style. She’s a constant source of inspiration to artists and stylists which is ironic because she was considered to be fairly unfashionable at the time, with her hair parted down the centre, and braided into a tight bun.

Her unique signature style could easily be identified, and often featured throughout her work, paired with imagery of foliage and flowers from her own garden, jewelry made from shells, stone and bones, as well as some of her pets. This was her way of demonstrating the close relationship between humans, animals and nature. Kahlo frequently incorporated plants/flowers/foliage like “elephant-ear” leaves or Viejo (old-man cactus), other cacti and flowers.

As for her obsession with flowers, she is known to have said “I paint flowers so they will not die.”

Currently, there are multiple exhibits that feature her work and her story and very soon, a musical based on her life will be released on Broadway.