#65: Tumi (Kilith)
We're joined by fashion design student and multi-disciplinary artist, Tumi of Kilith, who tells us more about her favourite designers like Dilara Findikoglu, deciding to go vegan, and so much more.
Tumi (@bby.kilith), 21, once described as an anomaly, is a multi-disciplinary artist who believes she can basically do anything (she’s kinda right). Stylist, model, fashion designer, creative director, guitarist and comedian (sometimes) are only some of the titles that she identifies with. Some would say she has a voice that sounds similarly to Beyonce but I’m sure that’s just a rumour… or not. This 6 ft artist was born in Cape Town but travelled to Hartswater when she was 4 and then Bloemfontein when she was 10, now from 18 years old her soul has returned back to the motherland.
She’s currently working on her own brand titled Kilith for a 3rd year collection. Be sure to be on the lookout. She is also part of a styling duo @Styl.i.z.ed where they aim to create work that stays true to them as stylists and most importantly project sustainability.
We welcome Tumi to The FRM Newsletter to share what she’s been into recently.
🎧😈 Music
Music feeds my soul and my soul is combined with 10 000 personalities similarly to that guy in Split. Basic white girl, edgy, trap queen, alternative, sexy, those are only some of the genres that I identify with. I also hardly listen to artists’ entire discography, if I do, you must’ve really had me by the balls. I would say in the summer I love to listen to nonsense music about sex, money and murder, my 3 summer moods. In the winter I listen to melancholic music about love, heartbreak and depression, my 3 winter moods. In the spirit of winter my current rotation is
1. ROLE MODEL–Deeply Still in Love With You
2. 070 Shake–History
3. Cannons–Fire for You
4. Cat Power–Sea of Love
My summer rotation went a little differently…
1. Yeat ft. Lil Wayne–Lyfstyle
2. Chi, Deto Black, Mowalola–Lizard People
3. Mowalola, Mechatok, BbySlut, Lancey Foux–Wawa
4. Paris Texas–girls like drugs
🎥🙉 Film
I have a Letterboxd account named “mostlyah8r” because in my alternative life, I am a film critic. Just like my music taste, my watchlist is chaotic. My favourite categories are teenage angst, women who kill, it all happens in a day, edgy and girly pop. These are my MUST watch before you talk to me:
1. Uptown Girls (2003)
2. Kill Your Friends (2015)
3. Lady Bird (2017)
4. Hot Summer Nights (2017)
5. Chungking Express
6. Kids (1995)
7. Little Women (2019)
8. Not Another Teen Movie (2001)
9. American Psycho (2000)
10. Spring Breakers (2012)
Honourable mention: Skins (TV show 2007-2013)
📚🤷♀️ Books
I have a bad habit of not remembering anything that I have ever read in my life. Sadly, I don’t have the time to read nowadays.
So… no comment.
🌿🍅 Food
Because I LOVE to be different and pretentious, I decided to go vegan (what’s more pretentious than that?). This is a recent journey but when I was 15 I went vegan for 3 years, the best 3 years of my life. So why not go back to the love of life? If you’re ever in Stellenbosch I HIGHLY recommend you try ‘Juvenate’, I imagine that’s how good the food at The Last Supper tasted.
🌍🎒 Travel & Lifestyle
I have never been outside of South Africa but I have went into the cracks and nuances of our beautiful country. There’s so much to see, I believe in being a tourist in your own country. I have always enjoyed road trips from Hartswater/Bloemfontein to Cape Town I could never sleep, I wasn’t on my phone, all I did was be in control of the 12 hour playlist, admire the mountains, count all our stops and ponder.
💄👢 Fashion
My relationship with style and fashion has always been my favourite. I always cared about my outfits, so deeply too. If the hues of black didn’t match EXACTLY, I couldn’t be caught dead pairing it together, I’m pedantic like that. My default setting is generally a white tank top, black pants and my Dr. Martens. On my good days I serve cunt, tits out, ass out and a pointed boot.
I also love thrifting, most of my clothes are thrifted. No one rocks dead people’s clothes better than me.
My favourite fashion designers are Alexander McQueen, Vivienne Westwood, Rick Owens, Mowalola and Dilara Findikoglu. My style icons are FKA Twigs, Elyanna Banes Sanchez, Zoe Kravitz, Rihanna and Rowan Blanchard.
🛐🗝 Tips
1. Be an individual
2. Don’t trust men… under any circumstances
3. Don’t take yourself too seriously