New Pichulik Autumn/Winter 2016 Collection

WORDS Malibongwe Tyilo

Former Black Panther, pioneering feminist and activist Angela Davis and ’70s blaxploitation movie star Pam Grier are just two of the heroines that PICHULIK founder and designer Katherine-Mary Pichulik has chosen to honour with her Autumn/Winter 2016 range, which she has chosen to call Woman.

Says Pichulik, “These women were not just selling the glamour and sex of the seventies. They were activists and scholars.”

Pichulik likens their power to the elemental force of natural wonders like volcanoes and mountains, resulting in a collection forged from remnants of natural forces. Here we have talismans and chokers formed out of lava stone and agate carnelian. Earrings and neckpieces are adorned with lapis lazuli, a stone affiliated with ancient monarchy.

Although she has intentionally made this a smaller collection, the pieces are adaptable, and can be customised to suit the wearer. “The gold-plaited hoops act as the base and come with several parts you can slip onto it. Each season we will introduce new components to play with. I want to move away from the frivolity of pieces that are seasonal and hope that women rather build a collection that can be interchanged to always create a new design,” Pichulik says, explaining her earrings. “I feel that ornamentation can be used to give yourself and others reminders of who you are.”

The new range is accompanied by a lookbook that is inspired by the above-mentioned heroines, as well as legendary South African musician and activist, Letta Mbulu. The shots are accessorised with sassy berets by milliner Crystal Birch, giving the lookbook an undeniable ’70s edge.

The range is available at the Watershed at the V&A Waterfront, at AKJP Collective’s Cape Town store, as well as their Joburg store at WORK | SHOP | NEW | TOWN at Newtown Junction.

Browse the gallery above for a look at this striking collection. For more information, visit pichulik.com.