Local Brands Exhibition Inspires Innovation

Shirts, crop tops, hoodies, pants and all things brand-based made their debut at the recent Local Brands Exhibition held over two days at the Jan Möhr Sports Field recently.

Hosted by TeamShako, the exhibition drew scores of people who gathered to feast their eyes on more than 10 local designs made by and for Namibians. Under the theme ‘locality is key’, it was an awesome experience to see Namibians coming together, both young and old, to share inspirational stories through their clothing brands. Most of the material appealed to a young urban culture, featuring religious and simplistic designs, while others opted for intricate styles.

SoBisoo!, for example, has already become a household name among the youth. Stemming from owner Sammy Soba Johnson’s name, he did not expect the brand to grow in popularity. “I didn’t start the brand for the money. People just wanted to buy it because it looked and sounded cool,” Johnson said. “Since it was in demand, I started selling the shirts. People called me, and I began distributing it. Although the brand was derived from my name, it’s no longer mine, but the people’s, and I like it that way.”

With shirts costing N$150, long pants at N$270 and jerseys for N$300, SoBisoo! Designs can be found on Facebook for those interested in getting in on the trend.

Breaking through the norm of funky designs, Dorian Anyala and Ismael Nuuyango, came up with God First Bro in shades of red, black, white and grey. Started off at school, the pair wanted to promote a religious lifestyle, and targeted young churchgoing folk with funky Christian attire.

“We came up with the name because in everything we do, we put God first, and not many clothes have religious symbols on them besides necklaces and chains,” Anyala explained. Unlike the other designs, God First Bro is manufactured in South Africa but distributed in Namibia. Women can snatch up tops for N$150 while the guys can opt for shirts worth N$180. With the coldest season of the year coming up, the pair is currently working on their winter gear to swag you out for those chilly youth meetings at church.

And then there was the Dream Team, founded by the ‘frustration of a young man’, Gabriel Malakia, who wanted to show school goers that there is a life after Grade 12.

Through this new movement, vibrant youth who were inspired by his story came together and grew to become a family. The team, now a non-profit organisation, caters to develop educated and focused youth through ‘strategic inspirational and motivational talks and skills development to engage, inspire and empower.’

“We are the youth and we can’t always be looking to the elders for help all the time. We need to learn to help ourselves. People should be inspired, and that is what we do. We inspire,” Anna Showa, member of the Dream Team Namibia, enthusiastically claimed. With the label Waar Pas Dit? under their wing as well, Dream Team believes in motivation and brain enhancing.

Other brands displayed included Collabo, Walker, Dots, Current Situation, Kep Z, I Run My Life and Know Your Words.