#16: Iman Lewis & Ziyaad Samsodien
This week we are joined by our favourite CPT couple, Iman & Ziyaad, who tell us more about The Wiseguys Guide to being a Made-Man, saying NO to Shein, Japanese literature, and more!
Ziyaad is a designer, illustrator, store manager, zine publisher and boyfriend amongst many other things! Iman is a learning designer and writer who finds her interests in social and cultural critique – always ready to bake a loaf of something and take a cat nap. And together – they are a Cape Town-based couple who enjoy fashion, trying new local spots, a good old walk and being in each other’s company.
We welcome them both to The FRM Newsletter to share what they’ve been into recently!
🤢❌ Please stop
Z: Stop wearing skinny jeans and entering every Shelflife raffle, I’m begging you.
I: Supporting Shein. Everyone knows I could talk about this forever and even though this conversation deserves nuance, it will forever be f*ck Shein. If you wanna look cute, support local! U (You) is one of my favourite slow fashion brands.
😎📖 The WiseGuy’s Guide + Japanese lit
Z: I don't actually read that much but I do like lots of picture books. I’ve even made my own called The Wiseguys Guide to being a Made-Man and you should definitely grab a copy. If you’re in Cape Town, you can find them for sale at One Park.
I: Books by Asian and African women. My crutch is Japanese lit. The dreamlike quality is pervasive and soothing. If you want to dip your toes in a pool of unconventionality, start with the works of Banana Yoshimoto.
🍔 🍄 LA Farms + The Loading Bay
Z: The wagyu burger from LA Farms at the Oranjezicht Farmers Market is the best burger I’ve ever had and I’m willing to die on that hill.
I: For the best brekkie, go to the Loading Bay in Cape Town and have the king oyster mushroom ragout, and order a cardamom bun on the side - you’ll thank me later.
👨👩👧👦🏡 The Simpsons + Terrace House
Z: Since getting Disney+ I’ve been watching the Simpsons from S1. I’m currently on season 9 and it's definitely worth watching, especially seasons 3-8.
I: I’m a Taurus so I hate change and love comfort. I binge-watched all the seasons of Terrace House at the beginning of lockdown and became so obsessed. I’m just gonna be rewatching it forever.
♟👩🏻🍳 Chess + baking
Z: After playing on chess.com for months, Iman decided to get me a chess set as a gift and all I really want is for more people to play against so I can actually use it. I will probably beat you but please take up chess as a hobby
I: I too, am a lockdown-induced baker. My toxic trait is believing I can do absolutely everything, so I started baking. I love it and everything I bake is so good (albeit, a bit rustic). I love baking Japanese milk bread and lemon poppy seed loaves.
🎧 Brazilian funk & jazz + brown noise
Z: Been listening to a lot of Brazilian funk and jazz while I draw at night. It makes me feel happy and I’m sure it will make you feel the same.
I: New music scares me. I am always listening to brown and white noise - iykyk! Otherwise, you can catch me 6 feet deep before ever missing an episode of my favourite podcast Pillow Talk - hosted by Alia Zaita and Yoni Ekoto.
🦆📚 Nice spots
Z: Come visit me at work at Duck Duck Goose which is located at 120 Bree Street. You can buy us coffee and/or bagels while you shop for some of the best clothes from South African designers :)
I: Independent and second-hand bookstores. If you like me and need to romanticise your life at every corner, visit Kalk Bay Books. A good second-hand online store is ontheroadbooks.co.za – the selection can be *chef’s kiss* at times.
💐✍🏼🩴 Our favourite gifts
Z: The best gift Iman got me was wild flowers for Valentines Day in 2019. I still have them in my room.
I: When I turned 20, Ziyaad got me 20 gifts. Amongst them were 3 prints he illustrated of moodboards I had made and really liked. It’s the best thing. He also got me my first pair of Birkenstocks.
Z: Children’s illustration books have some of the best art I’ve ever seen. The Day the Crayons Quit (Oliver Jeffers) and the Bookshop Cat (Cindy Wume) are two of my favourites.
I: Activism is one of my favourite embodiments of art. Advocating for climate justice, human rights, a slower life, a better life. Céline Semaan and Yuki Sakugawa are inspirational in this quest.
Z: The 2 minute rule. If you think it will take 2 minutes or less to complete a task then do it immediately.
I: Functional mushrooms. All I am is a sleepy girl with lots of work and dreams. But I keep falling asleep, so I started taking functional mushrooms to help with the brain fog and fatigue. This sounds like an ad, but I promise it’s not. I recommend the goodmind shrooms.