Red Mos Is Mzansi’s Millennial Fashion Fundi

We can all agree that social media has brought us way closer to the fashion industry which, at one point, seemed quite far-fetched and overtly exclusive.

Of the many new age fashion media creatives, the emergence of fashion content producer, Tshego “Red Mos” Mosiane has managed to pull us closer into the overall conversation. Her carefully curated content has broadened the way in which we communicate with the industry.

Red (22) who has been largely self-taught, had short stints at top fashion schools like LISOF and the North West School of Design. “I didn’t go past first year at either of those institutions. Like a lot of South African families, tertiary education was getting too expensive and my family couldn’t keep me in school without going into crippling debt. I realised that there’s more than one way to achieve anything and dropped out at 18,” she says.

In this day and age, education is not limited to the four walls of the classroom. This Mafikeng-born fashionista opted for freelance gigs, internships and collaborations as a way of furthering her fashion education.

Here is why you should love Red as much as we do:

The Red Review

Whether it was a local or international red carpet, tweeps lived for Red’s hot takes about what celebrities decided to show up in. This soon became the staple of her brand as people grew to love her for her twitter fashion threads. She has decided to switch it up and convert these to video instead.

Watch the teaser for one of her most recent red carpet reviews:

anyway guys i’m gonna stop doing threads and start doing these. here’s a sneak peak. live tomorrow afternoon maybe. subscribe klaar here: https://t.co/UYh9PgNlfW pic.twitter.com/aHu8e3lkKS

— ‘Red’ Mosiane (@Red__Mos) October 24, 2018

Get Ready With Red

One of her recent additions is her new Instagram TV series titled Get Ready With Me (#GRWM), where she walks her followers through how she puts together different looks for different occasions. A major plus is how cost-effective and accessible these items are as they are largely thrifted. Watch here as she gets ready for a cocktail brunch.

She Is A Stylist In Her Own Right

When pop star, Sho Madjozi dropped the music video for her Swahili single Huku, fans were left incredibly stunned by the looks which came out from it. Red had a hand in the artist’s overall appearance as she worked as a co-stylist on that production. Although she has not done much in this specific sphere of fashion, she nailed this one. Have a look for yourself in the music video below.

She Is A Decorated Filmmaker

Red also runs a full-service production company which conceptualises and produces fashion and lifestyle content. Not only have her films been picked up by various international film festivals, she also bagged two nominations at this year’s Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF). Speaking on what sets her films apart, she hails her collaborations with other creatives. “All the work I have showcased internationally were born from collaborations. Actual collaborations through each step of production and not just an executed brief. This makes our work authentic. Albeit still visibly amateur and indie, I think that people outside of Africa are looking [for] more authentic stories from Africa, by Africans,” says the young director. Here is one of her shows which was nominated in ZIFF’s, “Best Web Series” category below.

She Is Kind Of A Big Deal

While you will definitely find intriguing fashion articles on the magazine section of her website, she has also contributed for giant publications like BET Africa, Superbalist, the United States’ The Fashion Law, Marie Claire and the SA Fashion Handbook to name a few. Despite the progress that she has made in the creative industry, Red is always very candid about the hardships she experiences in her efforts to build up her career. “There’s a very low ceiling for young people in any career in South Africa but we still prevail. It’s time to raise that ceiling to allow young people to contribute past internship positions and learn from those with more experience. I have been more fortunate than most,” she says.

Commenting on the current state of the local fashion industry, Red is of the view that holistically, things are a mess as it has failed to properly transition with the times. “We need a huge systematic overhaul where people [are] capable of creating work fit for the fashion world today, that aren’t a regurgitation of what’s been trending on Instagram for 18 months.”

You can definitely expect more from her on REconnectED in terms of directing. “I mean, I’m an award nominated director at 22 so I’m not doing too [badly]. So it wouldn’t hurt to explore more, right? Not to mention the very wide gap in the ratio between male and women director’s in the country. I love being on a set and seeing more women in every role. Plus, I think that director’s in SA need to spice things up. Everything looks the same and not in a good way. I hope to be in the next generation of director’s [who] continue trying to [change] just that.”

Images By: Tseliso Monaheng