In a 2019 report, the popular multimedia messaging app Snap Chat, in partnership with JWT Intelligence, complied a lengthy read that dissected the new generation of creatives. A conclusive point raised in the study that really stood out amongst the words on the digital page was a statement that summed up an undeniable phenomenon within the Gen Z generation being: super creatives. These are a group of individuals who truly possess a flare for creativity that surpasses the masses and tend to be savvy in a myriad of crafts. In the eyes of these multi-disciplinary artists, the notion of “the sky is the limit” impact-fully resonates.
Johannesburg creative Francesco Mbele (20) is a living embodiment of a super creative. If Francesco had to pen his many job titles and experiences in a resume, the words would run on for pages. Mbele is a recent University of the Witwatersrand urban and regional planning graduate and along with that qualification, has gained extensive experience in the creative scene making him an industry polymath. A creative director, fashion designer, DJ, photographer, videographer, party curator, model, consultant, Instagram filter designer, fashion stylist, digital editor, musician, rebel and all round bad mon, Francesco Mbele has his hands in practically every honey pot imaginable — both in front and behind the camera.
My first encounter with Francesco, affectionally called Franadilla on the social media, was at a photoshoot where we had been requested to take a couple of head shots for our modelling portfolios. I couldn’t get over how cool he looked. Nowadays, it’s easy for a lot of people in this crowed city who simply look the part however there was a different energy about Francesco. It truly made me believe that there was a halo of authenticity and genuine “realness” surrounding him. Little did I know that from that day onwards, he would go on to pursue a myriad of creative projects and became a noticeable face within alternative scene at the tender age of 20.
Images Courtesy of MyFriendNed
Mbele’s creative timeline started when he was scouted as a fashion model for MyFriendNed. At this time Francesco would document his life on the popular social media app Instagram and experiment with various visual editing techniques on his personal photos. He went onto jumping from in-front of the camera to behind the lens, taking snapshots of his close friends and social media mutuals collecting both digital and film footage.
2019 was the year the young creative really found his footing, establishing his signature style which consists of an amalgamation of Y2k (year 2000) pop culture references, collage visual art form with a reiterated theme of the art of surveillance. Francesco’s signature style has gardened attention from prominent industry key players such as LVMH laureate Thebe Magugu who commissioned the young talent to direct and film a a behind-the-scenes documentary entitled Universal Elixir in tandem with Magugu’s collection Alchemy for the Autumn/Winter 2021 Paris Fashion Week show.
Universal Elixir, a behind-the-scenes documentary on a short film come fashion show, Banyoloyi a Bosigo (Ultimate Midnight Angels).
During a time when the global pandemic brought operations to a screeching halt, Francesco’s ambition and drive put him in a position where he had been more productive than ever, launching his own blog, fashion label and creative consulting company Franasonic — a delightful play on words on electronic conglomerate Panasonic merged with his name. The website which looks like a time capsule of a typical early 2000’s interface, features flamboyant merchandise and sensual photoshoots with a focus on marginalised representation. A true signifier of Francesco’s desire to create and document what is personal to him.
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A jack of all trades, Francesco Mbele has even gone as far as creating six Instagram filters which have been doted over by many, raking in over a million impressions. The young creative’s influence has not gone unnoticed. Acclamied International fashion publications Vogue, Dazed, and Hypebeast magazine have featured Francesco’s photography on their digital pages. From a corporate stand point, Mbele’s creative edge serves as a proxy for brands to tap into a different market which was illustrated in his collaboration with Bombay Sapphire.
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With-in the alternative creative scene bubbling in the heart of the urban landscape, Francesco Mbele has claimed his territory demonstrating to onlookers that he truly is a force of be reckoned with. Mbele’s unceasingly intense passion of dominating all avenues with in the arts and culture scene proves that he is the personification of a super creative.
