Tshepo Mohlala has created a denim brand that has gotten nods from renowned businesspeople and celebrities. In his latest move, he has partnered with DJ Shimza to bring hope to people.
Tshepho Mohlala’s story is one that resonates with many black people. He’s from ekasi (township) – Tsakane in Ekurhuleni- to be exact. He also had to drop out of school because of financial challenges and he had to use the resources at his disposal to make a name for himself. At 23, in 2015, he got a taste of showcasing at the South African Fashion Week when he worked with two of his friends. At the event, they were dubbed the new kings of denim. In November 2015, he launched his denim brand and started with 100 jeans. It took me six months to sell them. The rest, as they say, is history.
It’s brave that he named his denim after his name, which people have loved and supported. It’s also inspirational that he is the only black guy who is on the forefront of denim making and the first black African who called his jeans after his name.
READ MORE: Tshepo Jeans Is Adding A Women’s Collection To Its Denim Brand
Tshepo opened his store at Hyde Park Corner, in Johannesburg, in 2020, during the height of Covid-19. Asked how his business survived, he said: “It’s God’s grace that we are still open and running. I have great partners and loyal customers who buy every range we make.”
About his collaboration with DJ Shimza, he said he’s always wanted to work with a musician since fashion and music are universal languages. Since he knew the DJ, who’s also from the east rand, in Thembisa, who is renowned and globally recognised, it made sense to work with him. “I am inspired by his work ethic, being able to break barriers and humility. I felt there could be a story we could both tell. Since my name means hope and Shimza’s other name is Kholofelo, which also means hope, we decided to call our collection hope. The acronym for this collection is Hold On Pain Ends. There is a story behind this term. Our message is where you come from doesn’t matter, but your destination. It’s more than printing on an item of clothing.”
Shimza added: “Unfortunately, pain is something we’ve all had to endure in our lives with the curve balls life throws at us. But if we hold on and work harder, we come out stronger. Tshepo and I have had this in the works for quite some time. The message has always been there. It’s something we speak about and live by. Now we have a way of bringing that to our supporters through high-quality merchandise. We live the message, now we wear it too.”
This duo is planning on doing a pop-up in Amsterdam towards the end of the year.
To buy this collection and more denim ranges, vist www.tshepo.shop and his store in Hyde Corner and Victoria Yards, in Johannesburg.
Photo: Instagram
