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Kundai Marunya Lifestyle Writer
Each generation imagines itself to have invented a new dimension when it comes to fashion, with new trends being set and ground breaking designs being shared.
If anything, designs have a way of coming back; with a bit of a twitch and a new name, but one who has lived long enough to see them return will always identify the trends.
Instead of waiting for the imminent return, the Skeyi and Strobo (SS) Fabrik Party ignited the re-imagination of fashion.
The name Skeyi and Strobo is borrowed from traditional oxen yoke, essential tools used in rural Zimbabwe in ploughing the fields.
Its etymology can be traced to the South African Dutch words skei (shoulder yoke for cattle) and strop (twisted string made from softened cowhide).
The name fits well with the power of collaboration, thus one cannot function without the other and together, the elements can be used in crucial work that has fed generations.
Walking into one of SS Fabrik Party events, one would think they have travelled back in time, alas to redefined apparel.
This has been the hook for many young fashion enthusiasts who in the end have made up a community of pacesetters in all this fashion.
It’s evident that fashion has long held power in expression and is relevant in building and feeding communities as other essential parts of tradition.
SS Fabrik Party co-founder Ulenni Okandlovu said their movement is all about uniting like-minded people.
“The idea was to create a platform where creatives in the subcultures can collaborate, co-create and spotlight our own work within our communities of like minds and forward thinkers without pressure from mainstream platforms,” he said.
The concept born in 2016 as pop up photo shoots was launched as a public event in 2020, growing tremendously both in attendance and in designs.
The growth has seen the creation of an SS community that consists of creatives be they designers, photographers, runway models, musicians, stage designers and retailers, among others.
Okandlovu said they meet to share.
“What we do is create, collaborate, have product shoots, fashion showcasing, trading of products, networking, workshops, panel discussions and skills sharing,” he said.
“SS Fabrik Party is growing faster from around 28 participants when we started out to reaching around 1000 participants and guests like-minded guests”.
The growth has however not been without its own challenges. One of the major challenges, according to Okandlovu, has been space to create from.
“There are less spaces and infrastructure for young people to create from”, he said.
“We are always pushing the bar up high to convince the city fathers, business and property owners to see the value that the youth and creatives have to offer in making our cities better”.
Even with the challenges that also include a strained local economy and the high influx of cheap imports, SS Fabrik Party has goals to become one of the biggest creative platforms on the continent.
“We want to be one of the biggest platforms, event/festival in the region and on the continent,” he said.
“Our other biggest goal is to create a sustainable creative ecosystem for artists and creative”. Okandlovu notes that the local fashion industry is still in its infancy but if well-resourced has potential for growth.
“Zimbabwean fashion industry is still growing”, he said.
“The young people coming in now will take it far if they are given the right resources and platforms”.
Limited resources have pushed young designers to recycle second hand clothes that are finding their way to the local market through the country’s porous borders besides their ban.
This has seen some amazing and unique designs reimagined from old clothes.
“The other fascinating thing about Zimbabwe is that we are on the right direction through thrift and use of second hand clothes. A lot of young brands are recycling and upcycling,” said Okandlovu.
He also noted the importance of media in building a sustainable clothing industry, beyond the traditional retail outlets and massive imports.
“The media can play a huge role to spotlight our local fashion versus the western media that showcases international brands, which usually hits the local markets as cheap imitations being sold in most of the local boutiques”.
SS Fabrik Party collaborates with notable creatives including Calligraphy, Baobab Media, Vigorous Youth, Urban Militant, and food and beverage company Koovah.
One of its standout features is the recently opened store pop-up at Chisi Walk, responsible for curating local underground street wear.
Recently launched at First Floor Gallery Harare, the shop featured SS pieces and local brands Rozebowl, Bisamu, Shitty Art Clothing, J Sabelo, Eth, ICATHA, Re-Culture and Nombi Styleth.
In addition to the store pop-up, SS Fabrik Party also hosts the fashion runway, hip-hop cyphers and musical performances.
Okandlovu is a multidimensional artist who is also part of the vibrant music duo Bantu Spaceship.
Online Reporter