Galxboy isn't fashion, it's fan fiction
What's the secret to success as a South African fashion brand? Make people feel like they're the 1%.
Everyone just wants to belong. It appears that no one understands that better than Galxboy. Founded in 2008, the South African streetwear brand has accomplished a Herculean task: getting closed-purse South Africans to buy local. Though Galxboy fans don’t just buy - they invest.
A quick search through TikTok and Twitter will reveal a community of enthusiasts comparable to the fanfare you see around mega-successful rappers and Hypebeast labels. That’s not a common reception of South African fashion.
But what’s so special about Galxboy’s offering? Founder and designer, Thatiso Dube’s hero products are bootlegs of Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Celine merchandise. From handbags and bucket hats, to sunglasses and sandals, whatever luxury accessory is in the zeitgeist will probably find itself appropriated with that GXB logo.
The quote, “good artists copy, great artists steal” is often misunderstood as a vote for plagiarism. However, when someone steals they’re taking someone else’s possession and making it their own. Copying is plagiarism, but stealing is taking something that doesn’t belong to you and manipulating, appropriating and adapting it your vision, context and preference. Dapper Dan ‘stole’ the monograms from Louis Vuitton, Fendi and Gucci, but he reimagined them into items you would never find in those stores. Ava Nirui ‘stole’ Gucci, Champion and Dior logos and mashed them up into something almost unrecognisable. Galxboy however? That’s a question I try to answer in my latest YouTube video.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on it all, as always.
You know you love me, xoxo
Khensani <3