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Lifestyle Writer
His creative edge and imagination, have made him a rare charm in fashion circles.
A humble and yet gifted fashionista of his generation, he has made a distinction through his ethical designs. And, like the proverbial prophet who doesn’t have honour in his homeland, the fashion world has endorsed him as a star.
Currently, he is trending with his clothing brand named Mbatya, which can be loosely translated to clothes.
His story is hard to ignore as he continues to change the narrative of fashion design and lifestyle. In short, this sums up Arthur Baradzanwa Mataruse’s journey which started in Zimbabwe and got special recognition in South Africa.
Many of his admirers argue that he is not plying his trade on home turf due to his international links.
Mataruse shared his journey in an interview with The Herald on Saturday Lifestyle.
“I was born and raised in Harare Zimbabwe. I spent my early adulthood and adult formative years in Cape Tow, South Africa where I worked in video production and dabbled in wardrobe styling.
“Living in Cape Town for over a decade, I encountered people from many parts of Africa and the world. A lot of these people had a dress style specific to their country and culture, this made me curious about what it means to dress in a Zimbabwean way. The seed was planted there,” says Mataruse.
A creative genius who can exploit every situation to come up with new ideas, Mataruse’s Mbatya label was coined out of nothing.
“Mbatya was born during the Covid-19 lockdowns, out of necessity. I needed to make money and I was also bored.
“The name Mbatya came about from a stance of simplicity. It produces pretty basic styles of clothing.
“So it made sense to keep the name simple as well. I’m based in Harare and at the moment I have a pop-up stall at Katikitiki Space in Newlands. People can also find us and contact us on our Instagram page for now.
“The plan is to grow and have a permanent space at some point.” Unpacking his portfolio, Mataruse has plenty to offer for fashion enthusiasts.
“We make kaftan tops and bulky shirts that are unisex, those are our more popular items.
“We also print our internally designed fabrics that tell modern Zimbabwean narratives and sell those so that people can use them to their liking.
“Some people then prefer that we produce a garment for our pattern catalogue. The clothes we make and the fabrics we print are made from Zimbabwean cotton. We also source locally produced fabrics for the clothes we make from local pattern makers who print on Zimbabwean cotton.”
Like any other fashion designer, Mataruse has a wish list of celebrities he wishes to dress.
“I would like to dress Danai Gurira in something summery and light for a brunch event.”
Like most of his peers, he owes his breakthrough to his parents.
“My parents are my role models. They fought in the liberation struggle. I can’t imagine the kind of courage it took to go to war, the kind of endurance it takes to survive such conditions, or the kind of strength and willpower it took to see the struggle through.”
He, however, concedes that the fashion world has its challenges.
“I’m still new and this means I’m learning a lot about me. So it’s not a case of challenges, but lessons. These are many, and I’m here for the ride.”
However, having access to online groups like Fashion Council Zimbabwe and various industry groups as well as other friendly advisors, makes problem-solving easier.
“There are people willing to share information and help out if they have experienced something similar.”
Mataruse reckons the local fashion industry is in good shape as compared to other countries.
“We are in an exciting time in terms of the products that are available from local designers and manufacturers. There’s a lot of beautiful stuff out there, with influences from all over the globe as well as local influence.
“I’m very excited about being a part of this wave and looking forward to seeing the fashion/clothing industry contribute significantly to the country’s formal employment sector,” he said.
On his biggest achievement so far Mataruse believes he is almost there.
“This is tough, I will mention two if that’s okay, being brave enough to start the journey of Mbatya is the first one.
“The second one is being awarded a mobility grant by Culture Fund’s CreativeACTIONs2 programme.
”This is just a major endorsement of the work I’m doing as well as the vision forward. The grant will empower me to showcase three fabrics from Mbatya’s Machira collection at the Afrika-Festival Stuttgart from July 12-14.
“My next move is to grow. I am in a position of collating the lessons from my current journey and feedback from clients, well-wishers, and advisers. Consolidating and contemplating on that will point out how I’ll move.”
Online Reporter