The Atelier

Many would mistake Didier Presse's style of dressing as unassuming, but those who know to look a little closer to find gems can identify the cool in his casually functional picks. We weren't all too surprised to learn that Presse worked in fashion for 15 years while he was still living in France — he cheekily confessed that he was much more likely to make a show of his fashion sense back then. Brands such as Kenzo and Lacoste were lucky to have his careful eye on the construction of some menswear garments (and he was just as lucky to have his hands on several samples). Staying true to his French roots, Presse explains that he prefers to stray away from the heavily branded, flashy items that are trendy these days and rather opts to find high-quality, great fitting clothes. To nail his look, Presse shops second hand and treats himself to a great pair of denim trousers and items from IFUKU now and again. 

The Bioscope

Russell Grant at The Bioscope has an admirable collection of graphic t-shirts, sweaters and hoodies and the narratives behind them will make you even more intrigued. Although The Bioscope is an independent cinema, it also houses the Limited Edish store that sells most items that you would find Grant wearing (he is the person behind the label). He explained that the idea was to create the kind of t-shirts he likes —  pieces with meaning and a story. Grant's approach to garments is to stay rich on quality, minimalistic on branding, and keep things unique. It's safe to say that you won't find Grant in a twinning moment with just any other Joburger — only the cool ones who've been lucky to get their hands on some of his artistic pieces. 

IFUKU

You will not miss the ever-so-suave Rodney Mudzengerere when visiting the 44 Stanley fan favourite, IFUKU (every single person we spoke to during our visit made sure we were aware of their favouritism). His structured Japanese street style-inspired pieces are obviously the envy of many men and women alike, however Mudzengerere, who considers himself an awkward person, isn't truly convinced that this is a fact. To give you an idea of his infectious energy, Mudzengerere simply couldn't help but laugh when we pointed out that he was a fashion favourite among the 44 Stanley community. He uncovered that he usually only dresses for himself and how he's feeling on the day, not putting much thought into his everyday outfits (besides going back and forth on what shoes to wear). We think that's just a sign of great personal taste. Nonetheless, whether he is trying to or not, Mudzengerere certainly does impress with his outfits. Finding someone who can confidently say their favourite clothing piece is from British designer Nigel Cabourn's Lybro collection isn't an everyday occurrence. We wish our awkward looked that good, but hey, only Mudzengerere could pull it off so effortlessly. 

Land of Kin

James Nzina's towering, model-like presence and fly fashion sense are hard to overlook when shopping at Land of Kin, even though he perceives himself as a man with a somewhat simple personal style. When we asked what he meant by that — confused because his pants were some of the best we'd seen all day — he explained that he doesn't really pick items according to what would look good, but what would fit his current situation (and what’s readily available in his closet). He even reiterated that he has a clothing rail to help him see his clean clothes easily for more efficient dressing. We guess the fashion sense just comes so easily to Nzina, since he doesn't even realise that the layman's favourite garment wouldn't be a chic pair of corduroy pants from Land of Kin (90% of what he wears is from the store, by the way). Plus, what kind of non-fashionista would admit that they are more of a boots and espadrilles guy instead of a sneaker lover?

Moma

Moma's Thabiso Modise will make you reconsider your wardrobe choices in a beat. The man has a flawless sense of style, thanks to years of working in fashion and retail. Although Modise has the perk of dressing from his menswear boutique, he acknowledges that there are garments that he wouldn't have thought to stock, but loves in many other stores. If you are wondering how Modise manages to look so put together, we have his secret to success. A colour coordinated closet is the key to Modise's runway ready look and picking outfits according to what inspires you on the day, of course. While doing some digging to sneakily find ways to adopt Thabiso's style, we learned that he is a fan of Scotch and Soda, Bayman in Instanbul is a favourite and doesn't do denim except from Denham in Hyde Park.  Also, his favourite clothing item right now is a navy blue textured polo shirt from Moma, which was fun to learn because we'd been eyeing the item on the rack the entire time!

ROWDY