Maps Maponyane is undoubtedly one of the most stylish men in South Africa - but have you ever wondered how he came to have such an eye for fine threads? This week, the new restaurant owner decided to take a moment to let us in on his fashion journey and where it all began.
Unsurprisingly, two of the biggest fashion influences in his life were people he grew up observing: his dad and his grandfather. Taking to Instagram on Wednesday, Maps told his followers how his granddad was not only a style icon in his day and age, but a big part of the reason why he dresses the way he does today before sharing some amusing stories about his father's dress sense.
The post was actually about the legacy of Pierre Cardin in South Africa, but the stories he shared were so personal that many of his followers gushed in his comments after learning more about his fashion inspirations. Maps began by speaking in high terms about his grandfather:
"I grew up looking up to my grandfather's style, he was the slickest man I knew. He had that effortless Sophia Town dapper-cool that he oozed, never needing a Sunday to be clothed in his best. I use to always look forward to the day I could be big enough to wear his clothes, and could emulate his ease of township sophistication and flare. Many of my favourite clothes and shoes of his (the most special) were Pierre Cardin, and when he stopped wearing them, I would modify them in the way I liked and make them a part of my style."
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Maps also paid homage to his father's sense while also admitting that he and his brother had a habit for stealing some of their dad's Piere Cardin Merch. He continued his story:
"I did the same with my dad, who inherited my grandfather's taste, but with my brother and I around something always went missing, and if it was any of his Pierre Cardin, he knew it was one of us... For a while I've wondered what ever happened to the brand of the people that made high fashion accessible and still represented great taste and quality. I'm proud to have gone full circle, and officially be the ambassador of @pierrecardinza and help this legacy live on."
It looks as if the model had great influences while growing up and it comes as no surprise that he is the well-dressed figure that he has become today. He has been recognised as a "best dressed" by Cosmo, GQ and many other top South African publications since. Now imagine if he has a son one day...
