Bloem’s growing T-shirt revolution

The right fit …Creative designers, inspired by the local entertainment scene, create unusual clothing with a distinct lingo and design.

With the entertainment industry in Bloemfontein constantly evolving, there are always new entrepreneurial initiatives surfacing. One such initiative is locally produced t-shirts with vivid references to the local entertainment industry.

These brands are increasingly being spotted at popular nightlife establishments and give the wearer instant street cred.

Bloem Van Ten is the brainchild of upcoming Bloemfontein rapper Nycha, whose song Bareng was recently playlisted on YFM. The brand is among the most visible in Bloemfontein.

The designs used on the shirt are simple yet striking and have seen the young designer land a distribution deal with a hip boutique in Mimosa Mall.

“It is been a very long road. I started the brand by myself. Playing with designs and just selling the t-shirts. It blew up and I had to get a few of my friends to join in the fun. It’s been very exciting and we are now working on new designs. We produce all sorts of clothing including shirts, hoodies, vests, and caps.”

Nycha believes it helps to have a solid distribution channel for your merchandise if you wish to make selling your brand a profitable venture.

“You do not make much money if you are selling from the back of your car. There is income you receiving, but you end up spending it on producing more shirts. You need to have a huge number of units sold in a month to be profitable. Like any other business, you need to be hungry for growth.”

“Bloem Van Ten is the brainchild of upcoming Bloemfontein rapper Nycha”

Blaq Ridge and Toot&Boot is another clothing range that promises to establish itself as a high quality brand in the province. Founded by Ikageng Sekhabisa and Lehlohonolo Nkate two months ago, the brand already has a strong presence.

The brand has scooped South African rapper Morale as its ambassador.

He will endorse it in his upcoming music video.

“We think that because of the infancy in our product ranges, there is still a huge room for improvement. But from the response we have got thus far, it is clear that people are embracing the brand and products we have launched in Thaba Nchu.

It goes without saying that in this area Bloemfontein is the largest market,” said founding member Nkate.
Gav Coop was also recently established in Bloemfontein. The label has its own unique identity and celebrates being “Young, willing, and able”.

“Our t-shirts are different from what you would typically see on the local scene. We have in-house graphic designers who put a lot of effort into creating quality shirts. The shirts are priced very reasonably. We are still working on the big launch party and will be letting the public know about it very soon.”

Jelly Rock, which was established in 2008, is an urban clothing label that is well known for its colourful, funky, and creative
designer shirts.

“Gav Coop was also recently established in Bloemfontein. The label has its own unique identity and celebrates being “Young, willing, and able”.

“Our aim has always been about creating a lifestyle brand that stretches beyond just clothing. We have produced caps and t-shirts and wish to branch out into jewellery at a much later stage,” said the founder of the brand, Tyson Molemela.

Royal Priesthood, formed in 2009 by Mneli Mgoqu, is another locally produced brand that has taken the city by storm.

According to Mgoqu, the idea behind the brand was to have a vibrant clothing label that celebrates royalty.

“Our brand is for everyone. We are locally produced and have different kinds of merchandise from shirts to hoodies, all with our exciting trademark.” Mgoqu believes the reason many clothing brands do not reach maturity is partially due to the limited vision of the founders.

“They are restricting themselves by producing shirts that cater only for a small target market. There is a broader perspective that is missed. Royal Priesthood can be worn by any ethnic or age group and the message behind the shirt is bigger than the brand.”

There are, however, still some reservations about the t-shirt culture in Bloemfontein. Some fashionistas refuse to buy t-shirts that everyone else is wearing, while others disapprove of the quality of the material used. There have also been concerns regarding the accessibility of these brands with only a limited number of local stores willing to gamble on distribution deals.

Shimi Tau from Bloemfontein owns his very own locally produced t-shirt and believes t-shirt artists need to start marketing their brands better.

“I think most of the local shirts are quite cool; I just feel they need to start marketing them better than they are doing at the moment.”

Student Tenda Sukumani also believes the product the good but that the marketing is lacking. “The t-shirt business is quite a good business, locally produced brands need to pride themselves in quality and position themselves in a nice way. A name is also important, a cool name goes a long way.”