With the 2010 FIFA World Cup kick-off only 27 days away, things are heating up in Cape Town and our streets are already beginning to fill up with overseas fans eager to swipe some plastic and hand over notes all in a united love for the South Africa’s generous exchange rate.  Diversity is waiting to be discovered, each corner promising new smells, sounds and tastes in abundance.

Immersed in this momentous energy, I got thinking about Mooks; about “hipsters and hustlers” and about the mean streets that I walk upon daily. Reading the history of Mooks, I imagine the milieu of Chapel Street in Melbourne – the place where Mooks all began way back in 1991. I’m left thinking of all the mean streets around the world… from New York to Japan to Berlin… in all the cities that Mooks has spread to since its inception almost 20 years ago. Back then, I was only 6 yrs old involved in a busy schedule of childhood shenanigans of sprinklers and tree-houses, wanting to stay up all night and games of kissing catches during first grade break. 19 years later and I’m now a little Mookster myself, just as sneaky ‘n cheeky as the kids who started it all.

And Cape Town is definitely representing Mooks in its entirety. Our similarities to Australia are many – lengthy summers, braais (BBQ’s), beer and a subculture of surfers. Australia might have one step up on us with their drive-through bottle stores and Cheesecake chain stores… but back in SA we got them meaner streets. The sh*t that goes down on our streets is real, edgy, surprising and full of energy. Feeling alive with each step you take, our streets are a breeding ground for creative diversity, passion and innovation.

And, with all this epiphany in the mix I think it’s time to share some of what’s going down on this side and the great strides Mooks is making in Cape Town, sharing a bit of what we’ve been up to and what’s to come.

First off, any mention of Mooks needs to include Bonafide – the premium street store in Cape Town and the main stockists of Mooks. Wessel Prinsloo and Joanne Seabrook have been pushing the Mooks brand forward with great tenacity since the opening of Bonafide in 2007 and have recently collaborated with new marketing company Chilli Marketing, run by two young, prolific entrepreneurs Jennifer Kling and Keri Tomblin.

Kicking off the first endeavour earlier this year, the team of four decided to expand… getting a little meaner and a little more Mooks. Taking on a few more individuals, the original four grew to include a few young brand ambassadors. A small team of DJ’s, social Networking masters and the weekly Mooks reporter are really taking the Mooks persona into the streets, representing all that is Mooks. 

Social networking has been the primary platform to push things forward, starting the facebook group ‘Get Your Mooks on SA’, which is all about celebrating individuality and giving creatives a platform to connect with other like-minded creatives. In short, this is a virtual platform that explores how locals are ‘getting their Mook on’, whether it be in fashion, art, music or merely mingling at the parties, it’s all about what’s happening in the underground of Mooks.

What’s up for the next month? Aside from the normal crazy happenings, there will be a battle of the beats competition for young up and coming DJ’s. This event is geared towards supporting the local music industry and empowering young DJ’s by hosting a battle of the beats competition in association with AVTI (audio visual technology institute).

Cape Town is inhabited by a creative underground that are living the life of a Mook on some of the meanest streets in the world… and just to put you all at ease, we’ve got an A-class team this side who are here to keep Mooks as surprising and alive as the streets in our city.  Things are happening in South Africa… the world has noticed, and as long as things keep happening and the streets stay mean, there will always be space for Mooks.






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