NICOLA COOPERTREND RESEARCHER/ANALYSTSPEAKER/FACILITATOR

2016/2017

BIOGRAPHYAs a keen academic and analyst, self-confessed “fashion geek”, teacher, speaker and brand consultant, Nicola Cooper is a formidable presence on Africa’s fashion and lifestyle landscapes. She is at once on the cutting-edge and anachronistic - her observations acutely tuned to the present moment, while she is also inextricably linked to past eras and movements, and her gaze is ever-set on a shifting future. As a trend analyst, she melds her observations of time and patterns with her expertise, and ever-expanding research, to chart trends and behaviour on the hyperlocal and international scale. 

EDUCATION Nicola holds Bachelor of Arts and Honours degrees in Visual Arts, and a diploma in Business and Outcome-Based Facilitation. She is currently completing the final year of her Masters degree in Fine Art, specialising in local youth and subcultural studies.

Her reach in the academic sphere runs deep, also through her work with market-leader LISOF, for which she’s lectured in the areas of trend analysis, fashion media and historical fashion studies. She has also carved a niche as a corporate specialist.

Current Studies Also include a short course in Statistical Thinking for Data Science and Analysis from Colombia University Online & an Accredited course with Wellesley University online in Global Sociology.

INDUSTRYIn an industry that so often attracts opportunists who are drawn to the illusion of glamour, Nicola stands firm in her personal convictions and academic roots – insisting that study, impeccable research, time and experience, and an instinctual knack for the field will set experts like herself away from the pack.

For this reason, she is frequently sought out by large-scale corporate clients to consult on their brands, and has worked with the likes of MTV/MTV Base, Randa/ Equator Accessories, The Foshini Group, The Busby Group, Truval, Multichoice Business and Intelligence Department (For all four music channels Msanzi, Channel O, KykNet & MK) and Procter & Gamble with clients such as Olay, Ariel and Pantene.

AFRICANISTAs a proud Africanist, certainly in terms of the fashion and cultural spheres, Nicola is at the fore of new thinking on the continent. She is strong-willed, analytical, logical and creative, and thrives on opportunities to push new boundaries of thought. She travels extensively for her consultations and research, which she conducts with individual-, group- and corporate-clients.

A familiar face in South African media, she regularly appears on TV and radio lifestyle entertainment programmes, sharing her unique insights. She also works with documentarians on content around youth culture in Africa, and serves as a mentor to dynamic young groups like Khumbula, The Sartists and young entrepreneurs such as ‘Yehudi the Jew’ and Phendu Kuta.

CURRENTLYNicola continues her work in the fashion, lifestyle and pop culture space as a preferred supplier to Flux Trends, trendwatching.com and she offers additional services through the brand, Nicola Cooper & Associates.

Her expertise offer unique insights into the African market, particularly in the act of ‘Glocalisation’, a form of analysis that includes interpreting international trends for a local market, local-for-local and local-for-international markets. She offers an innovative take on trend analysis and a knowledgeable and cutting-edge perspective on a multitude of trends, product, complexities, and creative conceptual problem solving for your business.

ADDITIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS• Speaker at the S/S 2016 A/W 2016/2017 SA Menswear Fashion Week • Contributor to Cliff Central’s show ‘The Fashion Lab –the business of Fashion’

• Contributing writer to ‘The Fashion Handbook’ 2015/16

• Actively contributing to the VIAD Research Department of the University of Johannesburg

• Judge at the AFI Fastrack Awards for AFI Mercedes Benz Fashion Week 2015

• Judge in South African Fashion Week Renault New Talent Awards 2014/15

• Contributing researcher and consultant to Wild Spaghetti Films

• Contributor to the ‘The Black Dandy’ documentary screened on Canal in France on the 25th of March 2015 & in South Africa October 2015

• Continue to appear as an ‘expert’ on numerous television and radio shows

• Continue to write, quoted and published and quoted in a variety of printed media

ADDITIONAL ACHIEVEMENTSHYPER SAMPLING IDENTITIES, JOZI STYLESThe Visual Identities in Art and Design Research Centre (VIAD), in association with Life-style and Trend Analyst, Nicola Cooper, VIAD Post-Doctoral Fellow Daniela Goeller, and the FADA Gallery, presents:

HYPERSAMPLING IDENTITIES, JOZI STYLE An exhibition of photographs, videos, garments, films, archival materials and installations focusing on emergent and established performances of fashion(able) and fashion(ed) identities by South African subcultural groups the Swenkas, Pantsulas, Isikothane and Sbhujwas; design collectives DearRibane113, Khumbula, the Sartists, the Smarteez; as well as cultural practitioners and photographers: Anthony Billa, Tyrone Bradley, Andile Buka, Christian Courrèges, Don Dada, Harness Hamese, TJ Lemon, Mack Magagane, Justin McGee, Macdee, Jamal Nxedlana, Dr Pachanga, Chris Saunders, Jürgen Schadeberg, Alexia Webster and Simon & Mary. These vibrant, dynamic, youth-ori-entated forms of production currently taking place in the urban Afropolitan environs of Jozi express a range of ever-emergent and ever-changing transna-tional, transhistorical, transcultural, Afro-urban and Afrofuturist black masculine identities.

Also including work by UK-based design duo, Art Comes First (Sam Lambert & Shaka Maidoh).

Images courtesy of Baileys African History Archive (BAHA); content support from the Warren Siebrits Collection; and City Outfitters.  WITH OPENING NIGHT PERFORMANCES BY THE SWENKAS, SOULISTIC FUSION TRIO AND INTELLECTUALS PANTSULA FADA Gallery, Bunting Rd. Campus, University of Johannesburg

Exhibition duration: 21 September – 6 October 2015

CURRENT MENTORSHIPSPHENDU KUTA & THE ‘UNLABELLED’ CORE TEAM

Phendu Kuta is the Founder, Editor, Creative Director and Stylist of Unlabelled, an online magazine reflecting the microcosm of urban youth culture in an authentic manner.

Defusing the concept of the African Aesthetic and African Identities.

PHENDU KUTA

THE ‘UNLABELLED’CORE TEAM

CURRENT MENTORSHIPSKHUMBULA INCLUDING HARNESS HAMESE & LOU ‘THE VINTAGE GURUKhumbula is an ensemble of 5 young creatives from the Alexander Township in Johannesburg, who believe to be the continuation of past sartorial that have existed and made a fashionable impact in their times.

KHUMBULA

LOU‘THE VINTAGE GURU’

TESTIMONIALSFOR NICOLA COOPER

DION CHANGFOUNDER & OWNER FLUX TRENDSNicola Cooper has previously worked for Flux Trends, spearheading a Fashion and Pop culture division, and continues to be our freelance supplier of choice when the appropriate project is given to the company.

Nicola not only has vast knowledge in the field of trends analysis, having lectured trends at LISOF fashion college, but is able to use proven methodology to analyse and predict a trend trajectory. But while her strengths lie in the academic field, she matches that knowledge with grass roots connections with the influencers and drivers of pop culture in South Africa.

The importance of using trends as business strategy – the Flux Trends mantra – is only now being recognised as a crucial business tool. Nicola’s passion for trends, as well as her passion for knowledge transferral, will add an important layer to building a more credible and competitive fashion industry for South Africa.”

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LOLA PEDRO AFRICAN REGIONAL DIRECTOR TRENDWATCHING.COM

Nicola Cooper, Senior Trend Analyst (based in South Africa) has been on Trendwatching.com’s radar since our first South African visit in 2012. From the following year, Nicola became one of our selected local expert Trend Analysts and preferred supplier for South African clients, due to her strong academic foundation and an unparalleled  knowledge of Lifestyle, Youth and Pop cultural trends in Africa. Nicola’s cutting edge trend talks, impeccable research methods, and an instinctual knack for the field continue to set professionals like herself away from the pack.

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LYNTON RICEDESIGN MANAGER - CASUAL WOOLWORTHS, MENSWEAR WOOLWORTHS

I would highly recommend Nicola Cooper as a Trend analyst after I was recently privileged to attend one of her seminars. She, through knowledge, networking and glocalisation, brings the world trends to Africa and South Africa.

She makes them understandable and easy to interpret in a South African environment through association with innovators and influencers and how they dress and how the South African customer sees them rather than looking to the northern hemisphere for guidance. The detail she delivers gives the audience the confidence to move forward with the trend and be 100% happy that that trend will work and become local very easily. I look forward to working with her in the future.

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LEON BUHRMD EQUATOR ACCESSORIES

The response by Nicola Cooper to our brief can only be described as ‘we were blown away’. I didn’t really know what to expect, but the content was superior to that which we receive from similar service providers in New York and London. In turn we used the presentation and information for our customers who all congratulated us on “one of the best presentations they had ever seen” (in the specific platform we used it for). I can only say, “Wow Nicola, and thanks. World class”.

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STEVE WIDEGGERDIVISIONAL DIRECTOR MENSWEAR - TRUWORTHS

On behalf the Truworths Menswear Buying division we  would like to thank you  for presenting the EQUATOR / RANDA trends for Summer 15.

The presentation was very focused and detailed  in terms of the overriding trends for the season, Nicola Cooper from Flux trends was extremely  knowledgeable of the local market and it was extremely interesting to see how the local market  reacts to as well as creates trends.

Overall a very strong  seasonal overview and direction for the season from Equator, the buyers are still talking about it.

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MARETHA UECKERMANNSA FASHION WEEK SAFW

Over the past 4 years I have had the pleasure of working with Nicola on various SA Fashion Week Collaborations. During her time at LISOF she was always very keen to go the extra mile for her students to provide them an opportunity to get the right exposure during Fashion Week.

She has been on various judging panels for our annual competitions and her input has always been invaluable to the judging process with her fast knowledge of fashion. In the time I have worked with her I’ve learned that she not only is a South African Style icon, but that she truly supports the local fashion industry.  And of course love seeing her in the front rows during fashion week.

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DEAN POZNIAKENTREPRENEUR/CREATIVE DIRECTOR/MANUFACTURERSIMON AND MARY (1935 - 2014)As a young South African trying to build my own brand in the fashion industry Nicola has shown me the importance of academia when it comes to trends. She has her ears plugged to the ground 24/7 and the knowledge which allows her to utilise the information she gathers.

Not only does Nicola come equipped with the skill set but she also understands youth culture at its core and makes time to mentor any young talent which comes her way. The world certainly needs more people like her.

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ERICA DE GREEFINTERNATIONALLY RENOWNED & PUBLISHED FASHION THEORIST/ACADEMIC PHD STUDENT IN AFRICAN STUDIES, UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN

After many years of teaching fashion, I was delighted when Nicola Cooper joined me in 2010 at LISOF, Johannesburg, contributing her incredible passion to courses such as fashion media, fashion history, and, in particular, trend analysis.

Few individuals have participated in the thinking, speaking and writing about South African fashion with such a focus on local narratives, like Nicola has, whether looking historically, creatively or socially, to assess, critique, share and predict trends that lie ahead, all the while considering the global context.

Nicola has managed to successfully bring together what seemed like separate worlds, the local and the global, from fashion to lifestyles and Pop Culture.

Nicola joined Dion Chang of Flux Trends as a natural extension of her ongoing trend research and interests in business, culture, fashion and the future.

Nicola has helped develop a local fashion scene that identifies and claims an African fashion understanding of contemporary, local aesthetics and she has promoted creative leadership through informing and inspiring entrepreneurial individuals, new start-ups and big business.

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ART MATARUSEPRODUCER/FILM MAKER - WILD SPAGHETTI

“Working with Nicola is something quite special. Her passion and compassion towards the work of young entrepreneurial visionaries is refreshing.

It’s exciting to know that there is someone out there looking out for global shapers of our future and making sure that their works and views are noticed”.

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SANDISO NGUBANEWRITER/TREND ANALYST/CO-EDITOR THATSKATTIE.COMThere are trend analysts and forecasters who sit on Tumblr, browsing all day in the hope of capturing the zeitgeist. Their passport stamps are their pride. Ask them what is happening on their doorstep and they have no clue.

Then there are forecasters who sit on Tumblr, browsing all day, but also read TIME in addition to Bona and DRUM, and everything in between. They, too, love to travel because one must, but they also immerse themselves in the culture of the day, here at home. These are forecasters who understand that ‘knowing’ requires an understanding of the fundamental state of things and that is not possible if we don’t understand the context.

Nicola Cooper is the latter and we need more of her because without her kind, we can keep harping on about ‘Africa’s time is now’ but totally miss that boat as we continue to look to the rest of the world for what’s new, not realising that they have long been mining for that ‘new’ by looking at us.

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GRANT DAVIDSONMARKETING ARCHITECT - WOOLWORTHS/FMCG

I have been fortunate enough to know Nicola in both a professional and personal capacity for a number of years and she is certainly one of the few trends expert that I can count on one hand whom I would turn to for strategic input for any of my retail, financial services or FMCG clients.

Coming up in the industry we only had icons like Faith Popcorn, Lidewij Edelkoort and Tyler Brûlé to take guidance from in an international context but never anyone who was able to translate these global ideas into credible and actionable local insights.

Other trailblazers may have come before her but thank goodness that Nicola doesn’t just have her finger on pulse of Mzansi’s culture – she is the heart that beats it!

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SUZAAN HEYNSFASHION DESIGNER - SUZAAN HEYNS’She says what she feels, and takes the trend back to where it started - from a grass-roots level - where it becomes a small conscious movement, and then how it translates into mainstream media. She validates everything with music, subcultural and fashion references..“ “

PAPAMA RAMOGASECREATIVE DIRECTOR - LUMINANCE & FASHION DIRECTOR - DESTINY MAGAZINESublime, informative and engaging. It’s just incredible how everything is absolutely connected, nothing is insignificant, inspiration is everywhere.““

JULIETTE MUIRENTREPRENEUR/OWNER/DIRECTOR – HARRY & JULES CLOTHING PTY LTDUnderstanding and conceptualising trends is no easy task especially when the fashion trends you are presenting have to be focused and relevant to your customer. South Africa has a diverse culture which is both very traditional and at the same time cutting edge modern. Capturing the essence of our culture is what Nicola Cooper does so well.

Breaking down what is relevant and streamlining these ideas into product which is commercially workable while still maintaining an international link is what sets her apart from other trend analysts. I look forward to working with Nicola Cooper on future developments. She is an invaluable asset in a very competitive industry.

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JANE SCHREIBERCEO - SCHREIBER MEDIA & THE FASHION HANDBOOKBefore I even met Nicola her reputation preceded her and she had long been someone I had admired and respected. After attending my first trend talk of hers I understood why. Seldom had I listened to someone with as much in depth knowledge and innate understanding of her topic as Nicola. Clearly, she lived and breathed being a trend analyst and anyone that listened to her came away with a deeper understanding of fashion. In particular, her love and support for South African fashion is clearly evident, and contagious! She has written feature stories for the SA Fashion Handbook on numerous occasions and has added incalculably to the slow journalism and high level of reporting we aim to achieve. The Handbook would not carry the same weight and integrity without her contributions.

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MARGUERITE VAN WYKSENIOR JOURNALIST - SARIENICOLA COOPER is as hot as her blazing red hair. I had the opportunity of listening to a seminar by her at the LICOF Fashion and Retail Institute in Capetown in 2015. That was a first. But at the event I made a firm decision that it would not be the last encounter between us. Nicola assisted me since then with a carefully crafted (and meticulous) set of answers for two articles (on deadline!): TERUG NA DIE AARDE (SARIE JANUARY 2016) as well as STERK IS DIE NUWE MOOI (TOUGH IS THE NEW PRETTY) for our May issue (2016 – not yet published)). She has the capacity to break down trends to palatable bite-size bits –easy to understand. User friendly. And this shows that she has a firm grasp of her audience and subject matter. It is as simple as that: you cannot explain or introduce new trend if you do not understand their context, history and future value. She speaks with great passion and knowledge about a vast array of trends -- lifestyle, fashion and consumer happenings that are current. Nicola is an asset to the trend industry, destined to still reach grand heights.

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BRYAN RAMKILAWANCEO - CAPE TOWN FASHION COUNCILNicola has run trend seminars for the CTFC and the feed back from our members attend-ing were but amazing. I would definitely be using Nicola in our future plans and she comes highly recommended by the CTFC.““

LIZ OGUMBO-REGISFORDFASHION LAB“Nicola Copper has been contributing on the Fashion Lab Radio Show for about 10 months and has really set the pace around mindsets focusing on growing their fashion businesses across the continent. It is unquestionable that Nicola Cooper’s trend reports play a big role in helping us push our businesses to the next level as we are running our fashion businesses in a New World with new trends changing so often, hence influencing how we trade. Nicola’s reports have not only been able to inform us on what trends to look forward but has more importantly helped guide the fashion designers/brands like myself to really determine the factors likely to affect how we create, design, market & sell/distribute our products today. To hear and understand how people, not just in Africa but around the globe are feeling economically, socially and politically through Nicola’s reports. These global observations will influence how you do business in a major way because you will get to understand where the world is going and tap into that. Her trend reports set the pace while still keeping the listeners informed and challenged to do things with “trend” in mind.

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18 Protea Street - Johannesburg(+27) 83 390 3623nicola@nicolacooper.co.zaTwitter/Instagram: @NicolaCoopwww.facebook.com/nicolacoopertrends

THANK YOU