Short Cuts w/ Grace Letsoalo
A Hive Creative Entrepreneur Spotlight
A few days ago, this is what pre-to-post production duo Kombonation had to say about adapting to the lockdown.
For this week’s short piece, we had a quick chat with creative stylist, designer and entrepreneur – Grace Makopa Letsoalo – to hear about her craft and how she’s been serving it under lockdown.
For the Culture
Together with Mathapelo and Masetshaba Rapulane, Grace is the founder of For The Culture; a startup that uses its creative abilities and influence to help other businesses reach audiences in the local street culture.
In simpler terms, For The Culture is the plug for other businesses to connect with the streets.
With such a diverse audience to interact with, it’s difficult to find a box that accurately defines @fort7400’s activities. Their exhibitions include fashion shows, educational talks, model castings, creative activations and all types of “‘experiences”.
With Masetshaba as the head of casting & logistics, and Mathapelo handling marketing & finance, For The Culture created the perfect opportunity for Grace to express her creative passions.
“Finding out you’re a creative is a really spiritual and very personal thing. You keep it close to your heart.”
A Culture on Lock
While every creative hustler in Braam will tell you how well they know the streets, one has to appreciate the influence and success the trio have managed to achieve in such a short period. The organization was originally a movement that lived within the culture, before even becoming a business. This particular closeness to the streets has made it extra difficult to operate with a looting pandemic on the loose.
With many of their most popular activations happening in social and outdoor settings, Grace touched on how difficult the lockdown has been to their hustle.
“I’ve never tried to be in an isolated space where it’s just me – I’ve always gone outside and used all my senses to come up with these brilliant ideas..”
Goodness, Gracious...
Since this was (primarily) a social call, we jotted down some of the things Grace has turned to for entertainment, support and inspiration in the era of social distancing:
- Watching some of Thebe Magugu’s exhibitions
- Reading about Fela Kuti
- Listening to Summertime Sadness by Lana Del Rey
- Baking some muffins
“Together For The Win means coming together to create magic… to share with the world.”
With their dedication to the audience they serve, the value they aim to bring and their philosophy of collaborating with the culture; the ladies @fort4700 embody the spirit of grinding together for the win.
Watch Grace’s TFTW feature (below) to see a bit of her creative process and the inspiration behind the fashion.
From our side, Awuthi siyoqala lamaMuffin…
Written by: Lungelo Hlela (I am Multeemedia) // Images taken by: @dayphotolife
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Lungelo Samkelo Hlela has won (Loerie, Bookmark & Creative Circle) awards for his work as a digital copywriter. With “nothing to share”; he has been a contributing writer on our blog since 2018.
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