Dressing Jah Prayzaha��How Mubochwa landed deal with star musician

Bruce Ndlovu
After designing the threads contemporary music star Jah Prayzah donned at his Kutonga Kwaro album launch, designer Thembani Mubochwa has taken his relationship with the Soja to the next level, as he is now the official designer of his on and off stage gear.

The partnership of Mubochwa and Prayzah is a marriage between the best in the worlds of fashion and music respectively, with the former having worked with some of the biggest names in the fashion world while Jah Prayzah is largely seen as the man at the top in Zimbabwean music.

The top designer has been engaged by Zimbabwea��s chart topping artiste Jah Prayzah to design his on and off stage attire. Mubochwa is an award winning designer who has spent the greater part of the last decade plying his trade in South Africa.

During that period he worked on costumes for the sets of popular soapies Generations and Muvhango.

His work has led him to work with some of South Africaa��s top musicians and radio DJs, particularly in the gospel arena, most notably with the late South African gospel icon, Sfiso Ncwane.

It is this experience and craft, which Mubochwa hoped to bring back to Zimbabwe when he made his return to the country last year, that convinced Jah Prayzah to employ him to craft his new look.

a�?As Jah Prayzaha��s career continues to go on an upward trajectory it is clear that he is leaving no stone unturned in cementing his brand into a legacy. The move to engage a designer of my calibre is clear testimony that his desire is to make the JP brand international.

a�?Internationally, the norm is that artistes engage various top people to ensure that their image both on and off stage preserves the essence of their brand. These include fashion designers, hair and make-up experts etcetera.

a�?Needless to say that this is a trailblazing collaboration, the hope being that fellow artistes will follow suit and give support to the fast growing Zimbabwean fashion industry,a�? said Mubochwa.

To date, Thembani has worked on Jah Prayzaha��s on stage attire starting with the grey jacket he wore at the Kutonga Kwaro album launch with the chain and sequence detail.

The jacket captured the attention of many. Following that, Mubochwa has made a few more outfits which he says are a modern take on the military look.

He has described it as a trendy new military inspired, slim fit look that still has elements of his trademark military style.

a�?The idea is not to take anything away from his trademark look as that is what makes the brand. He will always remain a�?Soja rinoenda kurea��. The aim is to give it a dash of freshness and bring a new element for fans to enjoy. Thus the new regalia comes in various colours,a�? said Mubochwa.

As to what the future holds for this new collaboration Mubochwa could not elaborate, only promising that the future is bright and exciting and will change the local fashion industry as he hoped to inspire similar collaborations. . .