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Tafadzwa Chibukwa, Chronicle Reporter
Thembela Ngwenya (23) from Bulawayo’s Kingsdale suburb is living proof that indeed the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
Ngwenya’s father, a versatile designer, was much sought after for his hand when it came to creating unique masterpieces and Thembela is following in his footsteps.
Thembela’s father worked as a designer for a company that manufactured shoes and bags among other products but the company unfortunately closed in 2008.
This prompted Thembela’s father to establish his own business and he then decided to teach the then eight- year- old Thembela the craft.
In an interview Thembela said he fell in love with designing because of the encouragement from his father.
He said his father seemed to enjoy his work and this motivated him.
“It all started when I was young. I would observe my father doing what he loved. He always seemed quite excited to do his job and eventually I also got interested and asked him to teach me the skills,” said Thembela.
He said from the knowledge he got from his father, he decided to venture into fashion designing and in 2019 he established his own brand, JBeq.
“I love fashion hence the decision to start my own clothing brand which is now a source of income for me,” said Thembela.
He said coming up with a name for the brand was a big challenge as he wanted to appeal to both the young and old people.
“I first named the brand JWalqer but realised it was not that catchy so I changed the name to JBeq which I believe appeals to all age groups,” he said.
Thembela sells t-shirts, jeans, hats and jerseys among other fashion products.
He buys clothes from local suppliers and brands them with his label, or changes the entire design of the product depending on the client’s taste.
Thembela said his products are exclusive and are created from orders made online.
“I decided to introduce my own unique brand which is fast finding its own market among the young and old people. Since fashion is all about exclusivity and everyone has their own taste, I produce according to specific orders from my customers,” he said.
Thembela said to enhance his skills he enrolled at the Bulawayo Polytechnic to study drafting and designing.
‘Many people are approaching me after meeting my customers wearing my products. My target is to open many shops all over the city selling my products,” he said. –@Sagepapie14
Online Reporter
Londile Moyo