'Seeing Double' Tells A Street Style Story In Johannesburg

Nikki Zakkas is a rising Johannesburg-based photographer who recently caught our eye (via We-Are-Awesome) with her colorful street style editorial for South Africa's recently launched Unlabelled Magazine. The shoot stars Soweto-born fashion gurus (and sisters) Tumi and Itumeleng Nko in a series of photos in Joburg CBD. "My work is really about combing my two studied interests fashion and photography," she wrote Okayafrica. With her Seeing Double photos, Zakkas says she intends for the images to act as facilitators for expressing local urban identity. "I hope to tell an interesting and honest fashion story through my photographs," she told us. Below, Zakkas shares more on the story behind Seeing Double.

"I created these images for an up and coming online magazine www.unlabelledmagazine.com. The shoot illustrates how two different positions, or expressions can change the dynamic of a photograph when they are played against each other. The founder of the Unlabelled Magazine, Phendu Kuta, is looking to provide a platform through which to showcase local youth culture and so the creative direction of this shoot was to reflect style as it is seen on the streets of Johannesburg (in this instance colourful, sportswear inspired items, all locally designed, were sourced). Tumi and Itumeleng Nko were selected because they are representative of the neighbourhood societies and subcultures drawn on by the magazine for inspiration. The girls, who I found out about through internet hype around their personal style, are popular, particularly in Dobsonville (a township in greater Soweto) where they are from, for their unique and expressive way of dressing."

H/T We-Are-Awesome