Throw it back this Halloween

October is a month of stepping out of your comfort zone and doing things a little bit differently. Whether it’s celebrating Halloween or switching up your style, we’ve got you covered.

Afro vintage collector, stylist and owner of iVintage Yakho is Lukhanyiso Kona. A lawyer by day and fashionista by night, she gave us some insight into the culture and some throwback tips for Halloween this year.

“I’m actually not a Halloween fan but growing up in the townships, we had Guy Fawkes day and what we would do is dress up as someone older or switch roles, you know that sort of thing. “I think that South Africa still needs to get into the culture of Halloween and with that it will allow the exploration of clothing through costume dressing.”

Her throwback ideas were inspired by Mzansi and one of her favourite sitcoms The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Think Rebecca Malope, Brenda Fassie and jazz. Her trusty stylist and store frontman, Bafana Khumalo, puts the outfits together.

Kona added, it would be fun for people to get into Halloween, look at the trends and go back in time.

“We have seen these days that a lot of kids are exploring the 90s in a big way. Halloween can be a celebration that explores different eras and different times.”

Situated in Newtown at the Work Shop, the brand celebrated its 10-year anniversary this year.

“When I moved to Joburg, I thought there’s a funky style that was happening around here, so I decided to start a business. “This started as a pop shop and I would go to different artisanal markets and then I realised there’s a huge market so two years ago we moved into this store in Newtown and it’s only been up from there.”

With a great response and a booming client base, Lukhanyiso describes Newtown as a cultural hub of Joburg.

“We’ve got the theatre, we have Museum Africa, everything is here. “So a lot of people who come into the store are people that have a vibe with an eclectic style. So I think it works really well with the space.”

Her love for vintage clothing and the old world started in her teens.

“My love for fashion literally started out of my mother’s wardrobe. “She had this A-line leather skirt and I used to think that it’s a one-of-a-kind piece, it was very weird, and then someone stole the skirt! “I still have a lot of the clothes from my mom’s closet, before her passing in 2010 she had already selected some things for me. “In the 90s when I was around seven years old, my mom had a pleated skirt and I was like, ‘Wow, this is ugly why would she wear that?’ Today that skirt is one of my favourite pieces.”

According to Lukhanyiso, her mom always said, ‘Don’t laugh at something now because it may just make a comeback’, and that’s what she did with iVintage Yakho. Her side hustle became her main hustle. Her parents had a very old sense of style, from collecting vintage cars to vintage furniture. Lukhanyiso followed suit and, well, the rest is history.

“iVintage Yakho embraces all that. We have created a vintage lifestyle while incorporating retro and modern elements. “The whole point behind the name is that it means ‘You’re vintage’ so what we want to create is you do it your way, there are no strict rules.”

Her personal style is a mix of modern and vintage.

“I mostly wear vintage clothing, but I mix it up. I’ll never go fully modern but it depends on the day and occasion. “People are now thinking outside the box and there are no boundaries. Sustainability is also key and should be maintained.”

From The Eastern Cape to lecture halls and the city, Lukhanyiso is living her passion fashionably.

Check out some vintage outfit ideas for Halloween below: