#6: Thenjiwe Nxumalo-Parsley (JONGA)

This week we are joined by London-based creative, Thenjiwe Nxumalo-Parsley, who shares some delicious cross-bordered recs involving Broke Wear tees, 'amagwinya', everything Thandiswa Mazwai, and more.

Thenjiwe Nxumalo-Parsley is a multi-layered creative polymath, operating primarily as a fashion designer, disc jockey and multidisciplinary artist. She runs her own Afro-maximalist & genderless brand ‘JONGA’ and is a Capetownian currently based in London.

We welcome her to The FRM Newsletter to share what she’s been into recently :)

🚨📮 Broke Wear, 'Cash for Broke' Tee

Lmao major shoutout to my brother for copping this shirt for me in Cape Town and bringing it to the UK, damn! I had been admiring this brand for a while and stupidly only thought intensely about buying a tee once I had already moved to London. Nonetheless, whenever I am walking around in this city wearing this tee, I feel hella comfortable and fly – especially knowing very few people in this city own the brand (which is a shame because UK brands could never do it like Broke Wear do).

📕💡 Kabelo Sello Duiker’s, The Quiet Violence of Dreams

Weirdly, the last time I (re)read this book was at the beginning of lockdown but I feel as though the spirit of this novel has been resonating strongly recently. At the time of writing this recs list, the author, Duiker's birthday had just passed – basically a couple of days ago. He would have been 48 years old. Anyway, this book guided me through so much as a young queer body in South Africa. Without giving too much away, it is a story set in Cape Town in the late/mid-90s, exploring a black queer experience of sexuality, sensuality, trauma and survival. Aghhh this book makes me cry. every. time. It is a true documentation of history and existence that we never learn about in our history classes or recognise as a part of the archive.

👩🏾‍🦱💅🏾 Braiding your own hair

It’s lowkey not that big of a thing for most but I just figured out the creative power (and financial upsides) of doing your own braids! That being said… Xpression fibre always!

🎼❤️‍🔥 Everything Thandiswa Mazwai

Her discography. Bongo Maffin. Her style. Her iconic status. What else is there to add?! This woman is so regal!

😙✌🏽 Crossbody Phone cases

This one is kinda very Soccer Mom/ Basic of me but my whole life changed when I got this frikken phone case with an adjustable string! I never drop my phone nor do I have to worry about pick-pocketing when it is chilling around my neck or my arm like a bag. Game fucking changer!

🌺💖 (Putting all my music recs into one otherwise this list would go on to infinity)

ALEAST WE HAVE THIS – Ama Lou. I have this EP on repeat when I take the train, so fire!

Love You Good – Rochelle Jordan. Literally if the sounds of Kelela and Sade combined into one, with a little hint of drum and bass!

Free Xone – Janet Jackson. One of the best songs of the Millenia.

🌸🌺 Gerbera Daisies

My new favourite flower because they keep on showing up all over the place! 

P.S. Openly accepting any offers from viable candidates to spoil me with flowers, especially gerbera’s xxx

👅🇿🇦 Amagwinya

A favourite go-to that I miss so much not living in SA. Lmao this one is more a desperate request for magwinya recipes because I am struggling outchea. I have made (and horrifically burnt) so many it is disgraceful. Please send recipes yo!

🍿🔟 Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) dir. Daniel Kwan and Daniel Schienert

Do exactly what I did. Just go watch this movie without knowing anything about the plot or cast at all. Prepare to have your mind blown. It’s brilliant, thank me later xoxo