Talking Fashion with Taf The Taylor

Local fashion designer, Taf The Taylor, a.k.a. Tafadzwa Moyo, left designers from all over the globe who converged in Cape Town, South Africa amazed by his works when he showcased at the recently-ended South African Menswear Week (SAMW).

“It has always been my dream to be part of this ever growing platform,” said Taf The Taylor who was returning to the platform for the second time after showcasing at the February edition. “SAMW has been an eye opener in so many ways and as it is growing, being a part of it with my brand, Kidd Hunta, we have grown as well. My brand has gone beyond borders because of this platform. It has been a booster to what the brand is aiming to be.”

Explaining how different this edition was from the February one and local fashion shows he said, “Every season comes with new faces of designers, who also bring their inspirations and inspire the rest of us who have been part of Menswear week since inception.

“SAMW Week is that it gives a platform for African men to set trends that are relevant to them and also influence the global market to understand our tastes.

“Most of our local fashion shows lack the “way forward” approach to them. There is need to have buyers and retailers that will attend the events and also present an opportunity for ones brand to be stocked in outlets after being showcased. SAMW week carries the highest degree of professionalism and offers massive growth, taking fashion seriously as a business. Very few of our local fashion platforms offer that growth to designers.”

Though the fashion business might be booming in other African countries, such as Nigeria and Ghana the same cannot be said for Zimbabwe. Yes, we have amazing designers showcasing at prestigious shows but when you look for their clothes back home it’s difficult to access them.

On whether this industry pays Taf said, “Every business always pays if you are supplying quality products. The business of fashion does pay, one needs to invest their time in perfecting their skills to have outstanding products and I am in the process of reaching that point. I have been working hard at it, will keep at it, and I believe I will get there one day.

“I target the average person on the streets, at home, in the office and at school, who wants to look and feel good.

“I believe with enough support from the community, we have the capacity to have our fashion brands grow and penetrate the international markets. We need our local retailers and outlets to stock our designs and allow us to reach greater numbers, in terms of market.

“The issue of bulk production has more to do with capacity, which then comes back to the support we require as Zimbabwean designers. Going back to our brand Kidd Hunta, we do have the capacity and quality to meet the demand of our local and global markets. You will see our products on shelves in the near future.”

Taf also highlighted some of the challenges they are facing in the local fashion industry saying, “Our major hindrances are on the issues of qualitative products and just the support around us. Yes, we might have loyal clients, but a financial injection into the entire industry will surely contribute to its growth. We need access to proper machinery to be able to also meet the international standards. Most designers are also not business savvy, hence there is need to capacitate them in that area.”