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Tafadzwa Zimoyo Senior Arts Reporter
Fashion designer Philani Mukwakwami has said it is time for Zimbabweans to be proud of their identity through fashion.
Mukwakwami, who is based in South Africa, said this yesterday in an interview after launching his new collection of the Zimbabwe bird branded socks.
The 31-year-old said he was starting off with the socks that have already flooded the market and social media, and have been warmly received.
Mukwakwami was inspired by the sense of belonging to come up with the brand.
“I would like to think I have always been an entrepreneur at heart, something I learnt from my mother and I have also had my finger on fashion’s pulse without knowing it,.
“When you grow up not affording the finer things (clothes) it seems you tend to have a keener fashion sense than the haves. So, it takes reading about current trends and following celebrities who have a say in the world of fashion.
“I think going into fashion was something that if someone had told me would happen a few years ago, I would have vehemently disagreed.”
Asked why he was starting with socks, Mukwakwami said he was a fan of footwear and of late many designers and stylist were ignoring that segment.
“I think everyone should have nice socks,” he said.
“Socks are a fashion accessory that many people, including myself, take for granted, yet we are aware of them when we find our feet in a pair that is of poor quality.
“It was an idea that came to me a few months ago after a friend of mine and I had a lengthy conversation about the absence of a business in the socks space in Zimbabwe.
“From the first day, we made it known that we have socks for sale, we have made a sale or two a day. So it then ignited something in me to grow the business and reach. As Sockcess Co, we have always had an eye for detail, hence we incorporated the Zimbabwean bird. The socks range from casual, sport to executive.”
Mukwakwami, who described himself as an introvert who expresses himself through fashion, said it was high time men tapped into the fashion world and appreciated new brands.
“Being someone who is keen on being an established businessman, I’m not surprised that I have jumped into the fashion industry.
“I chose the Zimbabwe bird for various reasons — patriotism, nostalgia — insider knowledge in the sense that Zimbabweans love buying quality products that feature something Zimbabwean.”
Mukwakwami said the brand’s intention was to be defined by success.
“Obviously, I think the primary intention is to be successful and for me, success isn’t defined by profits,” he said.
“I think success for Sockcess Co as a brand is to achieve longevity, achieve high customer satisfaction, and above all become a household name in Zimbabwe and abroad.
“My vision is to sell as many socks to as many people as possible.”
Mukwakwami has many role models when it comes to fashion.
“I think it would remiss of me to not mention Mikael Söderlindh and Viktor Tell, the co-founders of Happy Socks, the pioneers of this industry as we know it now,” he said.
“Turning a sock company into a business worth US$84 million is something very few can achieve.
“They managed to take the sock to another stratosphere from a design aspect and all of us in that space are piggybacking on that.”
Online Reporter