UNI FORM combines the contemporary with the familiar, drawing references from its location, Johannesburg, South Africa and translating that into ultra contemporary silhouettes. UNI FORM’s ultimate goal is to transcend outdated notions of what Africa has to offer, rather push its design economy to that of any major fashion capital.
We were honoured to have recently worked on a campaign with UNI FORM’s founder, Luke Radloff, for Krone Night Nectar Noir, a shoot that included many coupes of Noir, pastries galore and midnight swimming pools…
We caught up with Luke over a glass of Krone Vintage-only Cap Classique to find out more about his innovative approach to design and what lies ahead for this talented tailor.
UNI FORM is my ode to Johannesburg and my offering to the city as an international style capital. We explore the true street style of Johannesburg which is rooted in workwear, hence the name UNI FORM and we translate that into trans seasonal collections.We focus on slow fashion and made to order garments that are handmade as this is more responsible given the many ecological crises we face.
We call our work ‘emotional tailoring’ which speaks to the emotional toll it takes to create luxury pieces where we are in the world. It also speaks to the emotional connection we have to clothing and how we express ourselves through what we wear and how clothing can have a profound impact on our emotional wellbeing.
I grew up in East London in the Eastern Cape and at school was more known for acting and drama accolades, but found my way into fashion after realising I could use it as a way of communicating and performing.
Thank you! I was recently awarded the first ever ‘Azzedine Alaïa Foundation x Orveda’ prize which is an absolute honour as Mr Alaïa is considered one of the greatest couturiers and designers in history! The prize consists of a residency at the foundation archives in Paris, where I will study the personal collections of Mr Alaïa and also his collection of major 20th century couture pieces, of which he had amassed over 20 thousand pieces, making him a pioneer of fashion archiving and preservation. After which I will present a new collection at Paris Fashion Week inspired by my time in the archive.
Working with Bee Diamondhead and Danica Lepen, we asked ourselves, what does UNI FORM look like at night? UNI FORM is typically very relaxed and we wanted to dress it up and have a little fun, nodding to the Night Nectar Noir.
All of it was really exciting and memorable, but I think shooting Nkuley in the swimming pool, in a sequined pant while it was raining at around midnight was the most memorable! Nkuley is definitely a rockstar and that moment proved it!
The colour of the bottle, this rich, deep purple that is very satisfying.
I am always evolving and growing and continue to develop my ethos.
It can be difficult to find moments of creativity when you’re running an independent business, but I like to find inspiration in my direct environment, the architecture, the people, art and music.
I hope to build UNI FORM into a circular business that utilises 100 per cent local materials and share that with the world.
credits:
Featuring
@lindiwedim and @nkuleymasemola
Video director: @cgaimari
Creative: @danicalepen
Style: @bee_diamondhead and @uniformza
Set: @ilana_swanepoel with @mmmiesh
Glam: @aletviljoenhairmakeup
DOP: @mr_danwalsh
Video colorist: Eléonore Durand
Location: @belmondmountnelsonhotel and @the_red_room_cw
