Original band of outsiders, scar, has joined MAC Cosmetics as creative contributors to Capsule Projects’ Rock Me Again recycled fashion campaign that will be launched in October.
When scar opened its doors in Long Street, Cape Town in 1997, it was a time when cool, forward-looking young fashion designers started to set the underground cultural scene alight. Designers behind the labels David West, Coppelia, Alfalfa, Stiaan Louw, Once Bitten and Miss MoneyPenny were basically friends of the owners of scar. Giving them a space to showcase their talent seemed like a good idea and it was. Legendary parties followed (at the height of the electroclash scene, scar hosted Berlin-based DJ Miss Kittin at EVOL), that provided a hot, no-rules playground for the city’s young fashion rebels. In 2002, scar opened the hair division. Now based in Kloof Street, Cape Town, clothing is no longer part of scar and the parties are no longer a regular item on the agenda, but the hair salon is going strong. Capsule Projects spoke to business partners Andrew Guilfoyle and Jodi Marigold.
Photography Juan Voges
scar showcased some of the country’s most avant garde fashion designers when it opened in Long Street years ago. Do you miss that era?
scar opened at exactly the right time. It had its hey day and, thinking back - yes we miss it, but it’s also made scar what scar is today - and its very similar. Scar is scar first and foremost. We’ve had clothing, tattooing, make-up, hair, parties… its all under our scar umbrella. That era was something special (so glad that Lesley Aylward was there to document it. I was at a recent exhibition of his and his pics of Long Street/Cape Town from that era are amazing and awesome to revisit). His soon to be published book of pics is such a good representation of that era. I shopped at scar from the age of 17 - it was hands down the only place to bother buying clothes. I was a baby then and used to spend my whole allowance each time I went in. I fell in love with scar so long ago.
What made you decide to close the clothing side and to focus mainly on the hair salon?
Our hair business just grew so crazily… also, by the time we closed the clothing - shops like Misfit and others had opened too and the gap in that market was no longer there. Scar literally opened because the boys saw a need for designers (who were essentially friends) to showcase their work/talent. Once scar was opened, other underground shops opened …and by then we were doing great hair - clothing needs time and focus, others can do that now. We’ll always be doing something new - we like it that way, it keeps us exited.
The scar parties were legendary for their leftfield music, art and fashion take on nightlife culture. Tell us a little about the people who went to them and would you ever throw another party?
We throw them every now and then and the thing that’s great about them is that they always have some of the old crowd at them too… The people who went to them were the people that were our clients and friends then…so …those people are still around, just older (often wiser). The scar crowd is a mixed crowd - the familiar thread is that they are scarred. Everyone is always asking us to throw one, and we do, whenever we get to it. When Jeanne (Draper) was still around she used to run the parties with Andrew - she opened EVOL after a scar party we had there, it was basically a little sister business to scar.
What are your future plans for scar?
These are them. We don’t seem to need any - scar makes its own plans.
How do you relax after a busy week?
By doing as little as possible. Andrew has Cisko his beloved pit bull and I have Kevin my beloved ginger cat.
Jodie, what are your favourite blogs/websites?
I like lettersofnote and that new Cape Town blog: anotherdamnedfoodblog. I might look at those two - anything else, I see by chance. There are a million good ones and many millions of bad ones. I’m not a blog girl.
Andrew, who compiles the music for scar hair salon and could you share with us some of your top tunes, new or old?
We play what we know and love - I have a few clients who bring me music.
Jodi: Andrew has always had amazing music surrounding him, he has a wealth of great old tunes and very skilled at finding very cool new music.
Andrew’s top tunes:
New Order - Love Bizarre Triangle
Radiohead - The Bends (Dedicated to Michael Carr, early scar partner.)
The Cult - Sanctuary
Battles - Atlas
Editors - Spiders
Bangles - Manic Monday
Sisters of Mercy - Lucretia My Reflection
