Part 2/2 the dark side
‘Vamos brincar!’ — ‘Let’s play!’
Vamos Brincar marks a departure from my previous work. Johannesburg has always been my safe space as a queer being and a creative — a city where I learned to observe before I learned to participate. Like many queer people, I spent much of my early life trying to understand my existence, finding refuge and self-expression through fashion.
This project was born from conversations with my creative friends, where we asked ourselves: What is the first memory of our creativity? My mind returned to childhood — magazine cut-outs, scrapbooks, make-believe worlds, and the simple joy of play. As children, there were no obstacles in our creations; we made something out of nothing, driven purely by imagination and instinct.
I became curious about what it would feel like to return to that space of freedom — to play again with my friends, each bringing their own unique skill set into a shared creative playground. So we did exactly that. We created a world where our inner six-year-olds could lead, allowing intuition, curiosity, and joy to shape the process without limitation.
Vamos Brincar celebrates creative innocence, chosen family, and the magic that emerges when we allow ourselves to play freely again. It is an invitation to reconnect with the fearless imagination we once had — and to remember that creation, at its purest, is play.
Creative director: Yuri Pailman
@creative_by_yuri
Art direction: Kevin Radebe
@kevinradebe
Fashion story: Mpumi Nhlapo
@mpumi_nhlapo @gadathouse
Styling: Yuri Pailman
@creative_by_yuri
Hairstylist: Dineo
@dg.skosana @bad.her.day
MUA: Skyeeee
@skyyyyyyyyyyeee
Models:
@myfriendned @molemomahaia @kat.thekiso @liu.bassie @yuripailman 
