Meet Nineteen99, the emerging New Zealand label telling cultural stories through screen printing

WORDS BY IZZY WIGHT

“The images I create and print onto clothing are designed in a celebratory and empowering way. It’s the way I’d like to see people who look like me portrayed.”

Auckland-based designer Frandson Bahati founded his genderless streetwear label, Nineteen99, at just 19 years old (fittingly). Originally from Burundi, a landlocked country in East Africa, Frandson was encouraged to enrol in art school in New Zealand by his sister Synthia.

“I was able to understand how limitless and beautiful creativity can be,” he says of his time studying. “I played around with different mediums like painting, design, printmaking and sculpture.” It was printmaking – screen printing, to be specific – where he found his creative stride, mentored by his tutor and fellow artist Steve Lovett.

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Working with a combination of upcycled garments, custom digital prints and more traditional art mediums, Nineteen99 is an expression and celebration of Frandson’s cultural identity. Below, he shares the label’s journey so far.

Tell us about you. What’s your creative background?

My name is Frandson, I’m 22 years old. I’m originally from Burundi but was born in New Zealand and have lived here my whole life. I come from a family of creative people – my mother creates clothing made out of traditional textiles, my younger sister Sonielle is a painter and an illustrator and my older sister Synthia is a photographer. Although I’ve always been creative, I haven’t always been very passionate about it.

Growing up, [creative arts] were viewed as something silly and inconsequential, so that became my perspective towards creativity until my late teens. My love for [the creative arts] formed in my final few years of high school when I decided to take on art as a subject. I was able to understand how limitless and beautiful creativity can be. I played around with different mediums like painting, design, printmaking and sculpture.

How would you describe Nineteen99 to someone who’s never seen it before?

I’d say it’s a compilation of art and images I’ve created. [It’s my] thoughts, dreams, emotions, cultural experiences and struggles printed onto clothing. [It’s] a lot of bold, high-contrast prints paired with soft textiles. I also work with a lot of upcycled garments too, I find they’re the most fun to work with… they force me to be a little more creative. You never really know what kind of garment you may find when you’re trying to upcycle.

How did the label get started? Talk us through the process and the challenges.

I applied for design school at the Auckland University of Technology and got denied. I was out of high school, working a soul-sucking job and had no time for creative endeavours. I was looking for a creative outlet and a reason to quit my job. With a big push from my sister Synthia, I decided to try applying for uni again and have a go at putting my designs on clothing.

I started to look into more traditional graphic design and heavy metal T-shirt designs to understand composition a bit more and the compositional differences between designing for clothing and designing for posters, logos etc. I made like 100 designs in 3 months, applied for design and art school and got a couple of sample T-shirts printed. I had a lot of doubts about starting a brand but luckily I have very supportive siblings and cousins who pushed me to take the first step.

I got accepted into both schools and decided to go to art school. It was a difficult decision to make but in hindsight, it was the right one. Art school is where I was introduced to screen printing through Steve Lovett, a very gifted and patient tutor who gradually became my mentor. Steve allowed me to get my brand started through the print studio and was very supportive of my ideas.

What were you trying to achieve from the project at the time? How has this evolved and what are you trying to communicate through the brand now?

At the time I started, I was just trying to make things I wanted to see in a streetwear/fashion setting. Over time, I became more interested in taking old images and making them look modern by manipulating them in Photoshop. I was basically giving new life to forgotten images and stories.

I like to use clothing as an expression and celebration of my cultural identity. The images I create and print onto clothing are designed in a celebratory and empowering way. It’s the way I’d like to see people who look like me portrayed. I take inspiration from a lot of old-school African fashion photography; blending it with current fashion trends and the genres of fashion I’m interested in.

Where did the name come from?

I basically stole the name from the music producer Nineteen85, who’s a part of the music group Dvsn. I just switched the last two numbers to my birth year. When I was still debating whether or not to start the brand, I was trying to think of interesting names but I couldn’t decide on what to choose.

Everything I thought of just sounded embarrassing when I said it out loud. Using my birth year just made more sense because it was simple and memorable. The name now represents the moments that make up my life journey, which is what I put into my work.

What are you most proud of in your work on your label?

It’s hard to decide because I usually don’t like my work after I’ve finished it. If I had to choose, it would be the Imposter Pants. The print was initially meant to be a larger version of the design… I was convinced by my friend Hannah Ireland to just print the design all over the pants.

Printing all over a garment that’s already been sewn together is pretty difficult to do, but I got a lot of help from Hannah who is very crafty. It was a pivotal moment for me because it changed my approach to screen printing.

What do you wish you knew when you started?

Patience. I’m very impatient by nature. I’d get big ideas and want them to happen as quickly as possible. I hadn’t realised that taking time with the smaller steps and trusting in the natural flow of the process creates the best final product. I’ve messed up a lot of pieces by trying to rush everything or just trying to force something out when it wasn’t finished yet. I was putting pressure on myself and feeling pressure from outside influences and people.

I feel like we live in a time where if you aren’t constantly putting something out, you’ll eventually get left behind or forgotten about. At the moment I’m trying to figure a balance between being patient and careful with my work while still producing on a consistent basis. I still haven’t found the right tempo yet but [I’m hoping] I eventually do.

Who do you think is most exciting in the local creative industry right now?

I think the creative scene in South Auckland is producing some of the most original and innovative work… artists like, DNP, Keciano, Southsides, Naik2g, Peter Wing, Southaucklandtrash and many more.

I feel like these people have given birth to a whole feeling visually. I really like the collective aesthetic they’ve been able to create… I look forward to seeing where they take it in the future.

What about the local creative industry needs to change?

It’d be cool if there was more of an appreciation and respect from people for the amount of work that goes into creating something, especially something original. People really only get to see the final product, not the countless hours put in behind the scenes to bring whatever it is to life.

I guess Instagram and the internet create the illusion that being creative is easy and just fun. In reality, there’s a lot of research, trial and error, time and thought that go into creating the best work we possibly can. People end up undervaluing the work because it looks so easy from the outside looking in, which trivialises the whole process.

Dream local collaborators?

I’ve been wanting to collab with two of my favourite local creatives, DNP (deadnakedparty) and Keciano for a while now. I think our styles would complement each other. They have a very good understanding of my approach to my work and I really enjoy and respect their work. We’ve come close to collaborating a couple of times but we live busy lives… I think it’s all about finding the right time.

How can we buy one of your pieces?

On my Instagram, my website is linked in the bio. Or you can just go straight to the actual website if you like. I’ll be dropping some skirts, caps and hoodies very soon so keep an eye out!

Browse the Nineteen99 collection here.