If you don’t know Bee Diamondhead, she’s one hell of a force. ‘Creative director and fashion stylist’ is how she’s credited — a title I sometimes feel falls short at grasping her influential footprint. She’s had a particularly impactful influence on Africa’s creative scene and the livelihoods of budding, young, Black creatives.

Diamondhead says: “I’m 13 years in the game now and I feel like my true calling is to teach, connect and make sure as many of us Black kids get out there,” a pretty heavy load to bear but an obligation that will hopefully bridge the persisting racial gap in South Africa’s production industry.

“African youth is so intensively creative and talented but we just haven’t been given the grace to live our truth and create freely without boundaries.”

        Image courtesy of Aart Verrips

AMAKA: When I think about your most recent work, your GQ Riky Rick cover comes to mind. Can you take us through the process that led up to that shoot and where you drew your inspiration?

Bee Diamondhead: Riky is an old collaborator, and he has this understanding of fashion and art that a lot of rappers and celebrities don’t naturally possess. So when it comes to creative directing a shoot with him, you have to go above and beyond to encapsulate the superstar that he is. His whole vibe and aesthetic is so fresh and vibrant, and he’s someone who inspires me a lot.

Coming up with a creative concept for him pushed me to create something that I hadn’t created before, then couple that with my collaborator Travys Owen’s post-photography work, which is other-worldly. Travys is a close friend of mine and before this, we hadn’t done a shoot together in over 10 years. He has such an attentive eye for colour and light where you can pull multiple references for him and he’ll push it to the next level.

AMAKA: As you described the process, I got chills because I understand the emotional aspect of it all — just the journey of creating and bringing a vision to life. You mentioned to me earlier that you often experience ‘shoot dreams’…

BD: I’ve always spoken about the shoot dreams that I have. I’ll wake up the next morning or even in the middle of the night and I’ll pick up my phone, text my photographer like Aart (Verrips) or Travys, and search for a visual reference that’s as close to what was in my head. Then I’ll get rails and rails of clothes and the perfect person to embody that vision. I’m particular when choosing models or subjects because everybody comes with a different vibe — you can’t use a cookie-cutter for everything. It just doesn’t work that way.

Image courtesy of Aart Verrips

Image courtesy of Travys Owen

AMAKA: What I admire the most about you is your instinctive persistence to put young, Black talent on and provide them with platforms to showcase their talents. Why is this so important to you?

BD: I spent a lot of time living and working in Cape Town - living and working around white spaces. I came back home to Johannesburg and I can’t remember what shoot I was working on but I looked around me and it just didn’t feel right. I came to realize that we have to consciously make changes in these spaces ourselves — you can’t wait for somebody to do it for you and you especially can’t wait for white people to put you in the room. I have clawed and fought my way to where I am today and it’s still difficult, so I can only imagine how difficult it is for someone who is starting from scratch with zero resources or connections. And I know that Black youth in this industry need a hand more than anybody else because I needed it. So I’m always unapologetic about only hiring Black [people] because there’s a huge gap [in the industry], and if people don’t see it, they’re f****** blind. We all need to be doing our part in slowly trying to bridge that disparity and provide proper opportunity and the right tools to help young Black talent build something for themselves. For me, every Black kid out there is family or a friend of mine, and I’ll use all the nepotism in my soul to get them out there. African youth is so intensively creative and talented but we just haven’t been given the same grace to live our truth and create freely without boundaries.

Image courtesy of Travys Owen

AMAKA: As you’re speaking, I’m having flashbacks of working on commercials four years ago where I encountered far too many spaces that were excessively male-dominated. And a lot of the time, Black women only occupied the roles of ‘assistants’ or the ‘job shadows’. How would you describe the state of South Africa’s production industry now?

BD: I think the biggest and most impactful change so far is that people are starting to do their own thing. Local creatives are no longer relying on the system or allowing it to continue in the manner that it has in the past. We’re actively putting in the work to change the culture and make sure that the next generation of creatives come into a better world that’s inclusive, kinder to people, and cognisant of the toxicity that is the industry. People are on drugs, functioning alcoholics, mental health is at an all-time low and the way things are set up with capitalism, I f****** hate the advertising industry - it’s just not sustainable. It’s great to open up the industry and get more Black people in it, but we have to change the culture from the root cause it’s already rotten. It’s a boys’ club and it still is. Truthfully, I’m very jaded and I want to leave this industry every single day but then we have conversations like this, and I remember that creating is beautiful but we’re just not in a good environment for it. We make strangers smile every day and we inspire people. Without us the world would be so boring so why must we be in environments that make us unhappy? 

AMAKA: What’s the biggest misconception people have about your job?

BD: That it’s glamorous and easy. I’ll tell you this for free, it’s not babes. I’m glamorous, and I make it look easy.

AMAKA: What would you consider your most memorable work to date?

BD: My collaborations with my friend artist Kudzanai Chiurai. It’s not the typical client or advertising work, which makes it so fun and interesting. Otherwise, it’s the work I create when I’m left to my own devices. I shine when I’m left alone.

AMAKA: Your style muses?

BD: Those don't really exist for me. If anything, all my kids are my muses — they’re the people I create for.

AMAKA: Your trademark fashion piece or accessory that you cannot leave the house without?

BD: My left ear has 6 piercings, my right ear has 10 and then I have 3 on my nose, and both my nipples are pierced. Before I leave the house, I make sure that all my fingers have rings on them, and every hole has an earring and my ankles, wrists, and neck are all adorned with something.

Image courtesy of Travys Owen

Image courtesy of Travys Owen

AMAKA: The best purchase you ever made?

BD: Therapy once a week.

AMAKA: A trend you wish society would bury forever?

BD: Skinny jeans.

AMAKA: A styling hack or trick you swear by?

BD: Plan the night before.

AMAKA: Four items you feel are worth splurging on?

BD: A good white shirt, luggage, great black pants and a great sneaker. My current fave sneakers are the Adidas Superstar and Nike Sacai collab — I wear them with everything.

AMAKA: And to close things off, what’s next for King Diamondhead?

BD: Diamondhead Corp - my newly registered company. I want to grow her, do my own s*** and create amazing work for clients on my terms. And on the fashion side of things? I think it’s time for me to work on a jewellery line.