Fashion Fails for Him

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Coming Together to Celebrate a New Future

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Before the rise of a united South Africa, the 16th of December was celebrated by most Afrikaners as “Day of the Vow”. On this day, in 1838, the Voortrekkers took on the Zulu nation in a fight for land. With the aid of gunpowder, the 470 Voortrekkers faced an army of over 10 000 Zulus and emerged victorious, thus vowing to commemorate the day for generations to come.

In 1961, however, Umkhonto we Sizwe was formed. The “Spear of the Nation”, as it is translated, was known as the military wing of the African National Congress, and was launched to fight the Apartheid government through aggressive resistance. This was decided after the Sharpville Massacre in 1960 in which several peaceful protestors were indiscriminately shot at by police.

This year, the cabinet encourages all South Africans to honour the day as we promote reconciliation, peace and social cohesion, especially in the turmoil the country is facing at the moment. The theme, “Bridging the divide: Building a common South African nationhood towards a national developmental state” will be celebrated in Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape this year.

The rainbow has come to be the symbol of our nation. At Soviet, we aim to turn the differences of our languages, cultures and histories, into a source of strength and richness.

We wish you a happy, united Day of Reconciliation.

Soviet Wine2Whales Team Hands Over Cheque to Alpha School

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The 3-day MTB race started on 6 November 2015, with over 1300 racers taking part in the 212 km race from the picturesque Lourensford Wine Estate to the beautiful town of Hermanus. Riders had the choice of riding in a personal capacity, or in order to raise awareness for a charity of their choice.

With a personal investment in the school (Achmat Joseph’s son attends the school), the riders welcomed the opportunity to raise funds that would allow the school to develop new projects and get more resources in order to support the children.
Soviet decided to sponsor 6 riders for the race in the bid to raise funds in support of the Alpha School for Autistic Learners. With many months of planning, training and hard work, the riders completed the race on 8 November.


Nerina Kerns, Principal at Alpha School, was excited at the donation made, saying that it was greatly appreciated and that it showed the support from people across South Africa for the cause that she has worked so hard for.

Soviet provided each of the cyclists with a riding kit for the event, including clothing, tees, caps and a “chill zone” area for the riders and supporters. Each rider, in addition to paying for their own entry fees into the race, also donated R1 per kilometer that they completed. An impressive amount of R12 201 in total was collected through charity contributions from the public and organisations. Some donations are still outstanding, but are expected in time for the Holidays.

Soviet would like to take this opportunity to thank you for all the contributions you have made, as well as your support and assistance towards our charity effort.

If you would like to contribute to our on-going efforts, please feel free to make a donation of any size to the Alpha School for Autistic Children in Woodstock. Banking details below.

Alpha School for Autistic Kids
First National Bank
Account Number: 50130041010
Branch Code: 201909

Turning Denim Wishes Into a Soviet Christmas

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It’s time for Christmas, and the presents under the tree are stacking up. While you know your SO has gotten you the perfect gift, your contribution to the mountain of presents is still lacking in presence. Soviet gives you a list of items that your sexy and stylish fashionista will love:

Soviet Atomic Kitten Skinny Jeans in Black: Give your girl some downtown flair with these biker-style jeans that goes with everything she already has. The trendy design has a sleek finish, with pockets and belt loops. The Skinny fit will make her feel sexy, no matter what her size, best worn with Vipers and a punk tee.


Soviet Newport Denim Shirt: If your guy is denim-obsessed, then he’ll be obsessing over your genius if he finds one of these under the tree. The short sleeve is fresh and edgy, especially paired with black skinny jeans and Viper sneakers.


Soviet Amanda Leggings in Black: Build her basics with these all-black, leather-like front and fabric-back leggings. With an elasticised waistband, Soviet’s legging are figure-hugging and perfect with a sheer top and casual boots.


Soviet Derby High-top Sneakers in Blue: If his denim gear needs a little somethin’-somethin’ to spice it up, get him the lace-up front, snap closure and round nose Derby High-top sneakers. With a tan, imitation leather overlay, these sneakers are a street style investment. Its steel blue colour enhances its appeal, while its canvas design, imitation leather uppers and a rubber sole completes the street-smart look.


Soviet Rudd Tee with Pebble Pu Pocket in Navy: If he’s not quite as fashion-forward as you would like him to be, and his idea of dressing up means pulling his jeans all the way up, then Soviet’s Redd Tee with Pebble Pu Pocket will polish up his casual look to a fine man to stare at. With a textured breast pocket, this is not just normal tee. Pair it with cotton shorts and low-top Vipers.


Soviet Viper Hi Sneakers in Gold: You love her from top to toe? Then cover her feet in the golden sneaks that will add the hottest kind of bling to her feet. Pair it with a denim playsuit for extra fun.

Surf, Sun and Soviet

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With temperatures running up to 39°C, some of South Africa’s hottest talent in music and fantastic sponsors to add extra flair to the party, it is no wonder that the Ragers took to the fun with high energy vibes and made the PlettRage festival the time of their lives.


Major sponsors, including 4th Street, Red Bull, Flying Fish and Brutal Fruit, added to the fun with various activation events. The festival was split into day and night activities. Day-time action concentrated at Central Beach, with Ragers cruising around town or lazing on the beach. Night-time jamming held at the VIP Superclub allowed the young adults to let loose and dance to the beats of the younger generation.

Soviet, the exclusive clothing sponsor for the event, spared no cost or effort to ensure that Ragers would have the time of their lives. With branded giveaways, prizes, social media interaction and so much more, Soviet has definitely set the scene for Summer at PlettRage2015. Included in Soviet’s contribution was a beach tent where beach-goers could chill-out to some live music, including The Kiffness, Iscream and the Chocolate Stix and Grimehouse. Soviet highlights also included:

The Soviet Denim #PlettRage2015 Billboard:


Knowing the pain of hot sand beneath your feet, especially when you’re trying to look cool, Soviet opened the festival with a giant Billboard covered in branded slops - your fashion necessity for walking tall on the beach. Ragers could enter the billboard area by interacting with Soviet via Social Media (uploading a photo on Instagram or tweeting about the brand). Once inside, each person could grab a pair of slops and go enjoy the day. 600 Pairs of slops later, and the board proudly revealed a welcoming message to all Ragers.

The Soviet Exchange Mobile Van:


PlettRage2015 consisted of more than just one location, including Central Beach and Rage Village. In order to reach all Ragers, throughout Plettenberg Bay, Soviet employed a branded, classic VW Mini Van (symbolising the age of the company, and the classic status of a good pair of jeans) to drive around the town and to offer a unique experience for Ragers. By playing music, taking photos and Social Media Interaction, Soviet set the vibe all around town.

The Soviet Red Carpet Event:


Treating everybody like first-class celebrities, the trendy denim brand held a Soviet Red Carpet Event. The Soviet Denim Carpet was rolled out at the entrance of the VIP Superclub where Ragers could take part in a photo-op. Fun props were provided to spice up and customise their experience, with photos uploaded to Social Media the very next day. The best photo of the night was awarded with a branded Soviet Voucher.

Soviet Sexy Spotter:


Soviet Sexy Spotters were seen roaming all over the festival. Any Rager spotted in Soviet gear was photographed with the pic uploaded to Social Media the next day. Some Ragers received drinks or clothing vouchers for being spotted.

With so much energy and fun, Soviet will be seen again next year, when the festival will be held at a bigger, better venue. Soviet thanks all Ragers for their participation in the event.

 

Living with HIV/AIDS in South Africa

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1 December 2015 - Today, along with the rest of the world affected by the impartial disease, we commemorate and show support for all those people living with HIV/AIDS, and those who have already died from the Human Immunodeficiency Virus.

HIV (the virus that causes AIDS - Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) is transmitted primarily via unprotected sexual intercourse (including anal and oral sex), contaminated blood transfusions, hypodermic needles, and from mother to child during pregnancy. However, there are many social factors that contribute to the spread of HIV, including poverty, inequality and social instability, high levels of sexually transmitted infections, sexual violence and limited access to quality medical care.

South Africa has come a long way since HIV/AIDS was first recognised by the United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in 1981. Since then, the nation’s fight against the virus has been unyielding in its goal to minimise the atrocious effects it has on those who have contracted the disease.

In 2010, South Africa increased the efficiency of its Antiretroviral Treatment Programmes, with further expansions implemented in January 2015 to bring South Africa up to date with World Health Organisation treatment guidelines.

Although the amount of people with HIV/AIDS has risen from 4.02 million in 2002 to 6.19 million (11.2% of the population) in 2015, the infection rate is declining, especially for those people between the age of 15 and 49.

In 2015, Stats SA estimated that 162 445 people had died from AIDS-related diseases. This translates to 30.5% of the total number of deaths, compared to a staggering 44.6% in 2002. The
life expectancy for people with the disease is also increasing to an average of 62.5 years, an increase of 9.1 years since 2004.

But, more than their health being affected, people with HIV/AIDS have to live with the stigma and denial related to the infection. Fear and despair often causes a delay in testing, causing the virus to spread even further. Many people are abandoned by their families or partners when diagnosed, job and property loss occur, school expulsion and denial of medical services.


World AIDS Day is an opportunity for us to remind people of the seriousness of the disease, and to increase awareness. On this day South Africa aims to educate and inform the general public of HIV/AIDS in order to fight prejudice and discrimination towards those infected.

We support this programme, and in order to show our support, we bring you 5 important facts about HIV/AIDS that you should be aware of:

- HIV infects the immune system, decreasing the body’s ability to fight off infections and other diseases.
- HIV can be transmitted through unprotected sex, transmission of infected blood, sharing infected needles or other sharp instruments, and from a mother to her baby during pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding.
- The best ways to prevent contraction of the virus is through safe sexual activity (using condoms during sex), getting tested for HIV and other STI’s regularly, avoiding sharing needles and syringes and ensuring any blood products you may need is tested for HIV.
- More than 35 million people live with HIV worldwide.
- Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) prevents the HIV virus from multiplying in the body, giving the body’s immune cells the ability to live longer and provide the body with protection from infections.