Real fashion: Boogy-stylin’ on the street

She's not really happy to be the focus of a fashion feature: "I'm not a model, even though a lot of other stylists are their own models."

She's not interested in making herself a brand. What's more important to her is ''giving life to Boogy Maboi. I have a history of being on TV, radio and in styling shoots - but I've always been very much behind the scenes," she says.

Yet even behind the scenes her business has become very successful. Her work for the NikeWomen Week campaign was her biggest contract last year. She's also done work for Nike's iD campaign and was behind the styling for a billboard for Puma.

In her recent work with Woolworths, she was named as one of the retailer's style influencers. I chatted to her about, among other things, defying expectations and cultural appropriation:

How did you get into the styling business and become ''Boogy"?

I got the nickname in high school. I was into hip-hop at the time. I got the name from Lauryn Hill, also known as "L Boogie".

I was in the public eye from the age of eight. I started on M-Net's KTV. My experience from the get-go has been my training within the media. I was expected to go to university, get a job, get married and have 3.5 children. It just wasn't for me. Instead I reverted to experimenting instead of seeking a "normal" life.

Explain your style philosophy.

Many of my clients say they come to me because they want African without "the cheese". For example, without Kente cloth. I do street style without it being obviously so. My previous work for SAB had the tagline "Be Liberado". I wanted to do something London-grunge and was thinking tartans and mohawks. How do you take inspiration like that and make it have an African flair? A black sweater with an Ndebele necklace. Never be obvious.

How do you reconcile the style needs of the client versus those of your own? Are there moments when the customer isn't right?

My focus is not on myself or the pushing of my particular style. This keeps me away from being egotistical as a stylist. The danger of having a signature style is that the client ends up being a signature of your brand. I take briefs from my clients well. I want to make my clients a better version of themselves. Respect the client's aesthetic and find ways to take their aesthetic to new heights.

Young people are pushing local trends but they are also the ones pushing the student movements. Does style have a political role to play or are they mutually exclusive ideas?

You can definitely "talk politically" with your style. Style and fashion are art. We have a lot of different agendas. An example of this can be found in the "poverty porn" trend. It takes high fashion brands and puts them on poor bodies. Not all fashion can be politically correct and this has much to do with how far fashion will go to remain relevant. One editor was even talking about the best trends for refugees.

Cultural appropriation is also another issue in which styles are borrowed from indigenous dress and yet women of colour are generally not featured on their runways. I always try to be very respectful. You have to be aware of what you're doing. Always be mindful and be very careful when playing with people's culture.

We cannot just create without understanding where the look comes from. Always ask questions. Whenever you step outside of your own experience, always consult those who know more.

- bubblegumclub.co.za

• Follow Maboi's work on Instagram and Facebook at styledbyboogy