WAFFLESNCREAM is the Nigerian brand that started out as Nigeria’s first skateboarding company but has expanded into merchandise and a host of other cultural eventing. S.W.A.N.K Jozi started as a side hustle for some ambitious teenagers selling merch out of their school backpacks and has evolved into an urban streetwear retailer with their own store in Braamfontein. The two have joined forces for the waf. S.W.A.N.K pop up, happening this Friday in Juta Street in Braamfontein.
The Creative Director of the inclusive WAFFLESNCREAM lifestyle brand, Jomi Marcus-Bello, has been in SA for a week, connecting with brands and networks in the south of the continent. His love of skateboarding started in Leeds, he continued exploring it in Zambia, and eventually brought his love of the culture to West Africa, founding Nigeria’s first hub for skate culture and extreme sports in Lagos in 2012. The physical store came in 2017, with limited edition t-shirts and goods, and then capsule collections designed by the skate crew. “We wanted to put our stories, our fabrics and our life into it, rather than just doing what the West was doing.”
S.W.A.N.K Jozi has elevated from the hobby of a few enthusiastic teenagers, to a nine-year-old brand with a flagship store in Braamfontein. They “translate local stories and global influences to create a street culture community through the canvas of streetwear.” Their collections have included a Fantasy Jersey collab that features a new reinterpreted and inspired long sleeve football jersey to evoke nostalgia of the 1996 Jersey that was worn by Bafana Bafana, a collection inspired by local caution/electricity iconography, and a host of streetwear staples.
The south meets the west in this pop up of streetwear like-minds. You can find them on Friday the 19th August at 70 Juta Street in Braamfontein from midday to 10PM. They are also collaborating with the area’s breakfast and lunch spot, Open Slice, for some bites and vibes.
