Deon Angelo Talks PR and Launching His Brand

He only just found his feet as a fashion designer but Deon Angelo is not letting the industry go a day without noticing the sheer force of his talent and innovation.

From completing a successful internship with South African fashion designer David Tlale to showcasing at Windhoek Fashion Week in 2017, the young designer has been carefully plotting his entry into the Namibian fashion scene with his brand.

To do this, he has been collaborating with other talented creatives to implement a PR strategy that will put even established designers to shame.

“I worked with Nandi Madida on her fashion label which incorporated elements of my design work for her collection which was showcased at New York Fashion Week,” he said of the pan-African fashion collaboration which came about after Madida scouted him off social media. This is a big gig for Angelo, given the magnitude of the exposure that brands receive at New York Fashion Week.

Back home, collaborations with industry giants such as Merja Iileka of TW Studio have helped Angelo present his new brand in an aesthetically pleasing way that makes him stand out from the crowd.

The imagery that is being used to sell the brand ahead of its official launch is powerful and perfectly aligns with his ethos of portraying his heritage through modern visual representation.

He described working with TW Studio as a great experience. “It was amazing, we worked together on the concept and the working relationship is still good between us.”

A lot of people are involved in the process of presenting his work to the market, he said, pointing out the invaluable assistance on the PR front from Tulinawa Melber amongst the people he counts on to take his finished product to the market.

“She comes up with ideas and strategies for the brand’s PR, we also have the guys who do the photoshoots and the pictures. I feel like it’s important to have a team around you because you can’t do everything yourself,” he said.

Melber emphasised the importance of good PR in fashion. “One thing that’s super crucial to any product or venture is that no matter how good it is, may it be clothing designs, perfume or a shoe brand – if no one sees it, it really doesn’t matter how great it is. And for things to be seen, they have to be different or they have to have a voice.” One of the ways to make sure this visibility happens, she said, is through collaborations.

“You could latch onto brands that have a big voice, for example, by doing collaborations. So basically what ups your brand is the connection to that other brand,” she said.

Melber also highlighted the importance of building good networks within the industry and properly using social media to achieve online visibility and clout.

“It’s very much about human capital, who you know and also simple things such as paid marketing on social media,” she said while stressing that at the end of the day, creating brand value is closely tied to exposure.

In terms of Angelo, these tactics are clearly being used to make his brand as visible as it already is in the industry. One of the ways in which this was evident is how the young designer is promoting the upcoming launch of his brand.

Doing something that’s probably never been done before in the Namibian fashion industry, the designer hosted an event to start the ticket sales for the brand launch. This ticket release event, hosted in the heart of the Windhoek CBD, was attended by fashion enthusiasts who were treated to a mini fashion show showcasing just some of the pieces from the latest Deon Angelo collection.

Asked why he chose to start the sales in such an epic way, he said that the intention was to be different and to do something that has not been seen before.

The long awaited launch of the brand will take place on 12 May and is billed to be a day-long festivity where fashion and art will be presented in a one-of-a-kind experience all under one roof at Eagles in Avis.

For VIP ticket holders, the event will start at 12h00, while standard ticket holders will be able to enter at 15h00. The event will be followed by an after-party which will end at 02h00. VIP guests will be treated to a buffet, drinks and backstage access while standard ticket holders will receive welcoming drinks as well as kapana.

“We want people to know that you’re not just paying for a two-hour event but for a whole day of activities. There’s also going to be a lot of other artists showcasing their work, such as visual artists,” said Melber.