He always loved fashion and the idea of doing something different and looking different.
While finishing his BCom Accounting studies he had the urge to express himself in fashion that he'd created rather than fashion that he'd bought.
And that is the genesis of Imprint ZA.
Founder and creative director Mzukisi Mbane is now one of the household names in the local fashion industry, known for his unique take on striking African patterns and prints.
It all started when he was playing around with his mom’s old sewing machine, he tells Drum. He never thought his flair for design would make him this well regarded.
The accountant in him had to come out, he adds, because he was intent on running his creative business as a business. The brand was started in Cape Town, from his home. All the decisions he made when starting his brand helped him move out from home and get his studio and machinery. He'd later take the brand to Johannesburg and overseas.
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“The biggest challenge for me was access to funding. I think that’s one thing most creative entrepreneurs struggle with. There wasn’t anyone who came and put money into what I do, even though it was very clear that there was space for the brand to live in the fashion space and there was business demand. And I think my perseverance, belief in myself, and just the drive to see it through helped me a lot in overcoming this.”
“I saw myself wanting to create clothes that told the story of who I am. Very fascinated by the African prints, the story behind and where we fit in that story. Imprint was born, to create African prints that were created by Africans, owned by us, and told our stories from our perspective. The brand’s ethos being to leave a mark, inspired me to always push for newness, innovation, and bold ways to express myself.”
In 2015 when he started Imprint ZA, he was chosen to be one of the Design Indaba Emerging Creatives and, for him, that is the moment he started seeing what he did as a business with a potential to be something big and he is also a fan of collaborations.
“Shortly after that I got to showcase my first collection at SA Menswear Fashion Week, a week later I was showing my other collection at the Mercedes Benz Cape Town Fashion Week, immediately after that I got invited to showcase that collection in Ghana at Mercedes Benz Ghana Fashion week, while in Ghana I was invited to come showcase in Nigeria.”
He says all his collections have deep meaning and a story attached to them, they all are very memorable. But the collaboration he did with Glenfiddich and social media influencer Elsa Majimbo remains iconic. And it helped his brand be seen as a brand that creates iconic, timeless fashion moments that will be remembered for a long time.
It is almost a decade since he started his fashion and his story is evident that when one is determined, persisted, and working hard on their brand they yield good results. He is celebrating yet another collaboration with fast food franchise Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC). Mzukisi created a capsule range for the franchise’s first-ever concept store.
Speaking to Drum, he says when he was approached by KFC to collaborate with them, his answer was a definite yes, he didn’t have to think hard about it. He says the range came easy the Imprint print identity and the colours complimented KFC’s look and feel.
“The brand allowed me to express myself fully because KFC is a vibrant, authentic, and expressive brand. And also, it helped that they trusted me creatively with this. Looking at the fact that KFC is bold and innovative, the collaboration with Imprint just made sense as that’s what Imprint is known for.”
His approach was looking at the franchise as a brand, thinking about the clientele they want to appeal to with the capsule collection, and then designing the collection from that perspective.
“The inspiration for the range came from both ends, KFC trusted me to keep things original to what Imprint stands for and is known for. I drew on inspiration from the Imprint house prints as well as KFC's original colours (red, white, black) to craft the unique capsule collection. That’s how we were able to achieve something quite fresh but remain true to what both brands stand for. And more than anything it was just beautiful to work with such a leading brand but still be trusted creatively.”
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The pieces are very versatile, and easily fit into a diverse group of people’s daily lives making it very easy for them to incorporate into their existing personal style. He says with regards to feeling he hopes that fashion lovers wear the clothes with pride, knowing they are part of a beautiful collaboration between two brands that truly stands for the concept of celebrating our heritage, telling our shared African stories, and investing in youth talent.
“The whole collection is 100% local. The design, production, and distribution celebrate the concept of keeping it local and investing in the country’s economy. I hope the collection speaks to the youth market. Both KFC and Imprint are engrained in youth culture and this range reflects that - we understand the youth and we care about the youth. We wanted to make designer fashion accessible.”
Mzukisi says the future of Imprint ZA is more collaborations, that’s how they play their part in helping South African Fashion evolve. He says South African fashion designers are talented and driven, but they still lack adequate financial support.
“The major reason why most of us struggle to remain competitive locally and on the global scale is financial aid and access. Collaborations with big brands help us be seen, help us be valued and assist us financially. I’ve travelled the world and all that does is it just shows how ready the world is for South African fashion. We just need support.”
