Deon Mathias Continues Making Big Moves in Namibia and Beyond

Always on the move and doing the next best thing to elevate his brand, fashion designer Deon Mathias has had a hectic couple of months of showcases, collaborations and inter-continental projects.

From battling it out as a contestant on the ‘;Made In Africa’; reality television show to being a big part of the recent Africa Fashion Exchange organised by the KwaZulu Natal Fashion Council and the South African Department of Arts and Education, he was also honoured to close off the Arts Summit of Southern Africa which took place in Windhoek in August.

On closing off the summit, he said: “It was such an honour to be asked by the Namibia Arts Council to showcase at the recent summit held in Windhoek. The Arts Council has always been my artistic family and has helped me in so many ways”.

Of all these exciting projects, though, the young designer said that Africa Fashion Exchange was one of his favourites.

Attending as a speaker and a showcasing designer, Mathiassaid the opportunity was uplifting especially because he wasn’;t invited as an intern or upcoming designer. “The experience was remarkable. It was the first time being invited as a full household brand and not as an intern or sharing slots with other upcoming designers.”

Mathias was invited to be on a panel by Tim Morris, a world-renowned public speaker. The panel discussed the importance of social media, with Mathias specifically highlighting his own brand’;s Instagram and all it took to get it off the ground, as well as incorporating a social media team into one’;s marketing plan.

While he’;s on the move with all these projects and showcasing at various events in Windhoek, the official launch of his DeonAngelo brand has been delayed.

“I have not physically been home to plan it, therefore we set a new date, which we will announce in due course. It will be a celebration of all the places I have showcased – Milan, Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban.”

Spending so much time in South Africa over the last couple of years has opened Mathias up, not only to new opportunities but to the differences between the fashion industries.

“The differences are certainly aesthetics and style. South Africans, over a certain amount of time, have been creating their own fashion sense due to their rich culture and, in contrast, I believe we are still trying to find ourselves, what we we like. What is Namibian fashion? What we like and who we are, and that certainly goes beyond fashion,” he said.

Mathias is currently working on a collection for yet another showcase outside the country, and is excited to once again represent Namibia outside its borders. “This will be so exciting not only for the brand but the Namibian fashion industry as a whole. We have broken so many barriers since our inception and I personally believe this will be the icing on the cake,” he exclaimed excitedly.

Through his meteoric rise to fame, Mathias’; fan base has been growing. He thanks his supporters for the consistent show of appreciation for his work. “The support from locals has been immense, especially on Instagram where we are very visual about the brand. We receive emails and DMs almost every day about the work we put out. It’;s always priceless seeing locals react for the first time to our garments.”

With the hectic year slowly coming to an end and yet another exciting one beckoning, Mathias is excited to continue his journey as a designer. This year, he said, he has not only enjoyed the perks of the various doors opened to him, but has learnt quite a lot along the way. “I learnt the importance of timing as well as concentration and being as innovative as possible,” he said.