Top city designer rebrands

Highflying Bulawayo fashion designer Nkululeko Ncube of the Rebelious Klothing label has rebranded to Ara Kani.

Highflying Bulawayo fashion designer Nkululeko Ncube of the Rebelious Klothing label has rebranded to Ara Kani. NONHLANHLA SIBANDA OWN CORRESPONDENT

Ncube who debuted in style at last year’s Clothing Indaba Bulawayo told Southern Eye Lifestyle that his label “rebels against conventions and barriers set by society”.

“Ara Kani means rebellion from conventions, creative freedom, and it is a name of the spirit of the maverick, the free and the bohemian,” he said.

“The name is actually made up using elements of my name in Ndebele from the words ‘rebelious and freedom.

“The name itself is flexible incorporating people from all backgrounds and making it easier to pronounce. It sounds familiar, but at the same time it isn’t.

“As a designer, one has to think beyond what they see.

“One day the brand might want to venture into other areas of fashion besides clothing, hence it should be allowed to grow freely and have a life of its own.

“Ara Kani makes it easier for the creative works to even stand and have the name represent them alongside other world famous labels.

“Rebelious from the Rebelious Klothing, had some edge to it, but needed to have some class too.

“Klothing put the creativity in a box of only clothing products.

“One day, the brand would want to grow into other areas, hence rebranding was necessary at this particular point in time.”

Ncube has grown to become one of the most sought-after male designers in the country.

His works have been showcased at the Bulawayo Family Fair, Fashion Fusion, Love Meets Fashion in Victoria Falls and Hwange and Studio 13 Fashion Show, among other shows.

His recent engagement was at the Durban Fashion Fair where his collection Ara Kani was introduced.

To help launch the rebranded label, Ara Kani will be showcasing in Cape Town this month at the Keeping Angels Safe Charity fashion show.

This event aims at collecting funds for charity and is supported by Cover Model Management.

The showcase is facilitated by Azzura.com, an online store and Hunnar Management Agency.

The biggest collection of Ara Kani will be premiered at the launch of the Matabeleland Fashion Week on November 1 at the Heath Streak Academy, Bulawayo.