Area 3 is a concept store that offers top-tier Adidas merchandise, focusing on footwear and apparel. More than that, Area 3 focuses on creating a street culture that is underpinned by creativity and storytelling. Area 3 CPT ’17 is a co-creation space underpinned by design, supported by a real-time approach and powered by the youth of South Africa. Young creatives were invited to reinterpret, reimagine and reinvent their own Adidas Original product stories.

Area 3 CPT ’17 opened up its doors to budding and hungry creatives who have the ideas but needed a platform to bring those ideas to life. The young creatives were provided with a full studio set up, lighting, Adidas products, and creative and styling support. Creative directors of the programme, photographer Imraan Christian and stylist Gabrielle Kannemeyer, provided mentorship and guidance to the young creatives. Imraan and Gabrielle worked with the creatives in the space, helping them from the initial phases of conceptualization to execution and post production.

Photographer: Koketso Buthelezi

The programme was opened to models, stylists, photographers and all-round creatives. All participants were introduced to the studio space and were encouraged to be unconventional in their creations and to work collaboratively. Not only were the creatives provided with a space to make magic, but they were also given the opportunity to attend talks and workshops exploring creative disciplines.

The plan for the Area 3 CPT ’17 studio was to create four shoots per week, featuring the products allocated to each month. June was Campus, July was NMD and August was EQT. The young creatives created a narrative using the Adidas sneakers. Each artist had a unique story to tell and what was fascinating is how seamlessly the Adidas products were incorporated into each artists’ story.

The Creators

As Area 3 CPT ’17 comes to an end, let’s take a look at some of the young creators who took part in the programme.

Dune Tilley

“My concept for the shoot took inspiration from photographers like Terry Richardson and Chris Shonting. I wanted my photographs to bleed of lo-fi youth culture sporting street wear; invoking themes of authenticity. I really like the “imperfections” left in the frame and working with direct harsh lighting.”

Alexandra Truter

“Through my shoot, I want to heal the disconnection between the acceptance of the body and societies expectations. By stepping away from conventional beauty and focusing on raw details, we are able to tell a story of one’s personal life and highlight individuality amongst a society of copycats.”

Thandi Gula-Ndebele

“This series is about our immortal nature, the way we constantly change, grow and evolve by shedding skin.  In becoming our most authentic selves, we let go of what no longer rings true to us and center ourselves in our deepest truths. We die many deaths and shed different skins to be reborn in the unravelling of our most authentic selves. Of the varied and ever-expanding ways I have come to learn myself as a person of colour, I have found self, freedom and healing in de-conditioning myself, by unlearning imposed beliefs and colonial ideologies that do not resonate with me, I have shed countless skins.”

Joshua Pascoe

“This project has been very special to me and an opportunity for expression I’ve never experienced before. This was made to say thank you to our parents, our family and our people. the ones who forgot about their dreams just so that they could provide for us to live ours. I am the creation of my people, full of struggle but not the pain. I have never been prouder to walk the streets of my home and I have never been prouder to be a person of colour.”

Area 3 CPT ’17 created the perfect platform for young creatives to explore and engage with the intersection of youth culture, art and fashion. The narratives created reflect the creativity of these young artists and we get to see what is on their minds. Area 3 CPT ’17 has done a great job of making the creative community accessible and inclusive. We look forward to seeing more work from these young creatives.


To view other creators who took part in Area 3 CPT ’17, visit http://www.area3.co.za/cpt17/.

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