Cape Town - American hip hop recording artist Kanye West is known for his controversial lyrics. But what sets him apart from other hip hop stars is his adventurous fashion choices.
West is seen as the epitome of “lifestyle swag”. From covering his face with a diamond studded mask to cleavage-revealing tank tops, he enjoys bringing the shock factor.
It’s that flamboyant personality and dapper fashion sense that inspires local designer Mzukisi Mbane’s bold and colourful designs.
Mbane’s fashion brand, “Swagger Diariez”, celebrates individuality with edgy unique designs.
“For me swagger is defined by being original and confident when you move. And a diary is defined as a recording of one’s inner thoughts and emotions. Putting the two together, I design for someone who likes to be different, stand out in a crowd and who is also comfortable with celebrating his quirky style,” says Mbane.
Mbane of Khayelitsha started exploring fashion designing during his final year in BCom (Accounting) at the University of the Western Cape in 2010.
“That year I kind of felt lost and was just going with the flow. At the end of the year my results looked like nothing I was used to, as I usually excelled in my studies… That’s when I knew I had to take a break,” he says.
He then started exploring fashion designing, using his mother’s old Singer sewing machine.
“Slowly, my passion for making clothes, that I had pushed to the side, returned. I’ve always been that guy, even on campus, I was one of the first to wear skinny jeans, I always pushed the envelope,” says Mbane.
Recalling the first garment he made, a crop top for his niece who was 12 years old at the time, he says: “It was not the usual crop top. It was a different shape and she loved it.
“From then on it was a trial and error situation as I didn’t know how to translate what I had in mind into patterns. I just kept pushing myself,” says the 25-year old.
“It was easier to make ladies wear and I gained experience with a lot of shapes. It’s easy to cut out a pattern for a dress or a shirt. Making menswear was a challenge and a lot of work so I stuck to women’s wear at first,” he says.
It’s been more than three years since Mbane’s first client used his services and he has since expanded his range to include sandals, bags and belts. He has a bespoke line and a retail range, in mixed modern and African prints.
“I push for different, something people are not yet comfortable with, geometric cuts and shapes. And I have an advantage in that I come from a township where we take international trends and translate it our way to reflect our colourful cultures,” says Mbane.
Mbane will showcase his range at next year’s Design Indaba.
Cape Argus