#56: Jade de Klerk

This week we are joined by multidisciplinary fashion creative, Jade de Klerk, who tells us more about home cooked meals, writing letters over texts, whiskey sours! And more.

Growing up in a small town with very limited creative outlets, Jade de Klerk’s family as well as imagination were her main sources of inspiration. Despite the absence of art classes at their first high school, her self-taught artist mom and DIY-savvy parents as well as grandparents, fueled her appreciation for creativity. Jade’s stylish grandmothers most certainly played a big role in her love for fashion, sharing their vintage jewellery and clothes, sparking her love for dressing up.

Though she never saw herself as overly feminine, looking good always made Jade feel good. Over the years, she’s leaned more into her feminine side. It’s safe to say that since the ripe age of four, she’s dreamt of being a successful fashion designer, and that dream is still alive as she work towards it.

Considering herself a creative polymath, Jade has dabbled in various creative pursuits, with fashion being a consistent favourite. From painting and sculpting, to styling and photography, her skills of course also extend to designing, pattern making and garment construction along with some basic knowledge of graphic design. She’s had different roles in the industry, from assistant to freelancer and briefly in corporate fashion, before finding her place with an incredible local brand.

Although Jade hasn’t started her own thing yet, the dream of having her own brand has been in the works since she graduated. Juggling two other jobs has slowed down the process, and there's certainly a slight fear of failure too, but she sees it as part of the learning journey. Despite the challenges, Jade is excited about the prospect of sharing her creations with the world.

We welcome Jade to The FRM Newsletter to share what she’s been into recently!

💃💨 Move your body!

I cannot stress this one enough, it doesn’t even have to be intense exercise, sometimes all you need to do is dance in your kitchen. Movement and dancing are powerful means of releasing stagnant emotions. Engaging in physical movement can have several positive effects on your emotional, as well as physical, well-being. It can reduce stress, anxiety, and depression by promoting the release of endorphins, which are natural mood lifters.

🎶🎧 Create playlists based on moods not genres

It is always so hard for me to explain to people what kind of music I like because I like almost everything. It really just depends on the day and my mood, I have close to 70 different playlists that I have curated according to this. Here are some of my moody music recs at the moment:

(PS: I don’t always choose the mood of the song based on lyrics it’s more about the feeling of the sound)

Not a mood, I just want to DANCE:

Learn To Forget – Adam Swim

Yimithemba – Lemon & Herb, Umzula Phaqa

Bruises – Kelela

When I’m Happy (for the giddy bathroom mirror dancing):

Traphouse Jazz – Okvsho

Two Nights – Joy Crookes

Funny Thing – Thundercat

When I want to feel like THAT B*TCH:

Maneater – Nelly Furtado

No Shade – Myst Milano

Freaky T – Tia Corine

When I’m Feeling Melancholic:

Worldstar Money (Interlude) – Joji

Antidote – Orion Sun

Under The Magnolia Tree – Pale Jay

When I’m Angry (I like walking with purpose through the city when I am mad to these):

Arrival – The  Alchemist

School – Pip Blom

Too Much Money – Automatic

👩‍🍳🍝 Home Cooked Meals

I definitely take pride in my cooking, I even started a page on Instagram to post some of my recipes/eats called @misoadorabowl. If you don’t know how to cook, I highly recommend getting some recipe books or following recipes online and just learning the basics of it, and eventually your skill will grow to learn good flavour pairings and techniques. It is really hard for me to cook every night as I work so much but when I do I go all out, the rest of the time I try to piece together nutritious meal prep kits along with the occasional take-out night. I still think to this day that if I didn’t choose the path of Fashion, I would have certainly gone down the route of going to Culinary School.

🖤👗 All Black Clothing

Those that know me or even those that follow me on social media definitely associate me with always wearing all black. I like to play with texture, cut and layering more than colour. I feel that black is just everything you need to be stylish; it’s timeless, versatile, season-less, elegant and just so effortlessly chic. I remember questioning why my mom wore so much black when I was younger only for me to follow in her footsteps in my adult years.

🤗 Go to Therapy/Get a Journal

As someone who struggles with waves of high highs and low lows, I highly recommend finding an outlet to release your emotions and thoughts–not just through dance but through words, whether it be writing them or speaking them.

Benefits of Therapy:

Emotional Support

Coping Strategies

Improved Relationships

Self-Discovery

Goal Setting

Benefits of Journaling:

Emotional Release

Clarity and Insight

Stress Reduction

Problem Solving

Self-Reflection

🎬💎 My All-Time Favourite Movie

"It's Kind of a Funny Story" is a film I will always hold close to my heart. Again touching on mental health, this was the first film I saw in my younger years that explored it and it really helped me through understanding the challenges of depression and the importance of seeking help. The significance of the movie lies in its ability to depict mental health struggles with empathy and humour, highlighting the need for understanding, support, and the recognition that it's okay to ask for help when facing emotional difficulties. The film encourages conversations about mental health, breaks down stigmas, and emphasises the significance of human connection in overcoming personal struggles.

📵✍ F*ck Texts, Write Letters

I am a huge advocate for writing letters and a huge lover of receiving them. Why do you ask? I believe letters offer a personal touch that–in my opinion–no other aisle of communication can offer which allows for a deeper connection between the sender and the receiver. Writing allows for more thoughtful and considered expression of feelings, not to mention the emotional catharsis as well as enhanced communication.

🍔🍟 Linko and Junior

When I don’t have the energy or time to cook and I feel like a treat, I can almost guarantee that I am ordering in from either Linko (Observatory) or Junior. The ultimate comfort meals from each one of them are; Linko–The “Crispy Beef Fillet Strips” paired with a serving of fried noodles and Junior–The “Double Trouble” beef burger with a side of fries and Junior sauce (I like to use the sauce for the burger too) 10/10.

✂👱‍♀️ Cut your hair

To all the people contemplating whether they should keep their hair long or cut it short. JUST CUT IT. The best thing I ever did was cut my hair and I kept it in a French bob for years, even now in my “growing out” stages I have had so much fun with shag mullets, wolf cuts, wispy bangs and layers. I used to have hair that reached my lower back and there’s not a day that has gone by that I have missed it. Find yourself a good hairdresser that knows your hair and your texture and you won’t regret it.

🥃 Whiskey Sours

My go-to drink order will always be Whiskey Sour, each sip is a delicious fusion of rich whiskey and tangy citrus. The first one I ever had was made by my old house mate Josh and I have loved them ever since. I think the flavours remind me of my childhood obsession with sour candy.