Karabo Poppy X Woolworths Heritage Collection Shot By Celeste Jacobs and Savannah Feeke-Fortune

INTERVIEWED BY Michaela Stehr IMAGES Celeste Jacobs and Savannah Feeke-Fortune

A cool new collaboration by Karabo Poppy X Woolworths celebrates heritage and our diversely rich South African Roots. We chat to Photographer Celeste Jacobs and Creative Director Savannah Feeke-Fortune about the design process behind their striking shoot for the range.

Tell us a bit of background about yourselves.

Savannah: I was raised in the Cape but I currently reside in Joburg. An interesting by-product of the last few years is people’s willingness to collaborate cross-country, so as much as I am here in Gauteng, I feel no distance or dissonance with creatives elsewhere – even across our borders. I recently set up my Friends and Family agency. This is not an exercise in cronyism or nepotism, but there is something to be said in working with people I trust – and there is no one I trust more than my friends and family within the creative sector. There is an innate shorthand that also expedites projects and tasks that is priceless. 

Celeste: I’m a Kimberley-born, Cape Town-based editor, writer and photographer, with a background in psychology. My images celebrate nostalgia and embrace sentimentality while pursuing spaces that evoke a sense of calm in a fast-paced world. I’m a self-taught photographer who specialises in 35mm and medium film.

Tell us about what the collection is all about?

Savannah: Karabo ‘Poppy’ articulated it best, when she spoke about the visual aesthetic that is so unique to Africa, and how the collection conveys this through its own aesthetic of constant innovation and hybridity. It’s about celebration and preservation in a keenly South African way. 

What was the brief for the shoot?

Savannah: To show that home is where the heart is – physical environment can be barren and without any of our preferred comforts, but the presence of those we love is really all we need to change a space from strange to structured.

Celeste: Essentially to capture the Karabo Poppy x Woolworths collection. I knew we wanted to capture the images in a way that speaks to Karabo’s collection and that heroes the feelings that family and a sense of belonging evoke. We did this in a subtly surreal way – creating a home in a natural, but stark environment – but filling it with what actually matters and what actually binds us together.

How do you feel you encapsulated Heritage through your shoot?

Savannah: As a coloured woman, Heritage Month is usually tinged with a sense of the bittersweet. I am acutely aware always that it’s a fine line between cultural appreciation and celebration, and appropriation. It is an intentional commitment to giving flight to others without setting down patronising parameters based on our own internalised prejudices. From the moment the designs were briefed into Karabo, I ruminated on what would be a universal South African message that could speak to all of us. The images my subconscious flung at me were all immersed in the sense of home – a pink door, a blue comb, the faces of those I love dearly. Ultimately, those informed the shoot and became the foundation for the entire theme.

Celeste: I think when you work with an artist whose work is so much of a celebration of our continent and the people of our continent, combined with the sense of unity that the collection represents and the energy on set, that feeling comes through. It’s there in moments that feel tender between loved ones, the intention behind the work and the courage that goes along with that.

Did you have any other ideas before you decided on this one?

Savannah: Sometimes life is a lighthouse – without even realising it, your inspiration comes without any kind of concerted thought or effort. This is one of those times. The first idea was the only idea, and also turned out to be the best one. 

What was it like working with such an esteemed SA designer and brand?

Savannah: I feel blessed that Karabo chose me as her manager and constant companion. I am able to bear witness to the unqualified love and care with which she approaches every partnership, and I bask in the associated sunshine that comes from this positivity. What made it even more wonderful wasn’t simply the fact that we were collaborating with an industry giant like Woolworths, but that their team matched our enthusiasm at every juncture. It was a true collaboration in every sense of the word.

Celeste: An absolute honour. Karabo is just so incredible and somebody whose work I’ve always admired and respected. Woolies is also just such an iconic brand. The collaboration between two powerhouses and at that scale is something to behold. I felt the magnitude of it for sure! I also really value the trust that comes from shooting film – particularly now in the commercial sense – I can’t show you the shots while I’m taking them. The trust in that process meant the world to me.

What was your favourite part of the shoot?

Savannah: That the shoot was framed within family, and that I took part in it with my actual family. How amazing to work with a team of meticulous, inspiring people, and to be awed by the knowledge that this is my family. I am overjoyed to participate in an experience that shows the world just how many amazing people we each know – and I now have a phenomenal photo shoot with my incredible mom to show off! 

Celeste: The entire process was truly special – I think seeing it brought to life and following through on the intentions set made each aspect so meaningful. Everyone involved in making it happen also just added to the experience and elevated the project with their skills – super thankful to have been a part of such an amazing team.

Do you have a favourite shot?

Savannah: I have two: 

I love the dichotomy of the photo of my mom, where she is standing with the pink door and the misplaced chair and lamp. There is something extremely stylised about it, but at the same time, the familiarity of the deep connection to my mom gives it a normal and natural feel. It echoes the concept of the matriarch – a familial role that exemplifies both structure and sanctuary, offering a place of safety but within discipline.

The second is the picture of Karabo and Zara. You know the trend of writing your younger self a letter, with words of wisdom and advice learnt after years of experience. With this picture, I tried to make that conversation more reciprocal. I styled Zara’s hair based on how Karabo wore hers as a child of a similar age, so the photo is almost Karabo with her younger self – the Karabo of now is protective of the innocent child she once was, and Zara as her younger self brings a playfulness and pride of her older self to the photo. 

Celeste: I loved the shots of Karabo, her brother Lebo and her Dad. I could feel the genuine love and respect they have for each other throughout the day – it was really beautiful to witness.

What advice do you have for any up-and-coming young photographers wanting to get into the game?

Celeste: Everyone has their own approach – but I think even if you go slower, start small or need to pause for a bit – put one foot in front of the other. Don’t be afraid to pursue something if it matters to you – just take a route that makes sense at the time. Also, don’t be an island. There’s so much value that comes from a sense of community and collaboration. Find people who share a similar vision or values – and enjoy the process together.

Future plans?

Savannah: I want to continue to pour myself into projects that fill my cup. I want friends and family to continue to be a place that feels familiar and like home. This means creating a space that is mutable enough to invite innovation without losing the sense of refuge that we have established.

Celeste: In a nutshell – to keep writing, shooting, loving and resting with intention. 

Credits

Models: @karabo_poppy, Mr Moletsane, Lebo Moletsane, Wilma Feeke, Zara Jacobs, Mackenzie Chamberlain | Collaborating Artist: @karabo_poppy | Agency: @friendsandfamilyagency_ | Creative Director: @savannah.feeke.fortune | Photographer: @_celestejacobs | Producer: @a.typical.millennial | Stylist: @durand.tania5 | Hair and Makeup: @unswayedbeauty