Naeelah Archiving Socioculture
It is no secret by now that Archive is out to bring the nation the finest in local streetwear. This time around the gang brought in some fire threads from Socioculture. We got a chance to have a chat with Socioculture’s Naeelah and she lets us in on her start in fashion and some great insights on the industry.
What is got you into the space of fashion?
What got me into the fashion space was being born out of a fashion lineage and being raised by a mother who used to work as a seamstress at one of the many clothing manufacturers that existed in Cape Town. She used to take me with her to work when I was little and being in a space like that was something that always intrigued me growing up, so it was a given for me to go the fashion direction and it's what sparked my love for garment construction and fashion.
How did you develop your signature design style?
How I developed my signature design style was my obsession with UK streetstyle. I would always look at what people were wearing to fashion shows or fashion events more than what was being shown on the runway. My personal style and design style have always been very similar. I always loved how men's silhouettes looked on a female.
The name Socioculture is quite impactful, what is the ethos / philosophy behind it?
Socioculture is a love letter to the skills and craftmanship I inherited from my mother growing up. As someone that is heavily influenced by their culture, heritage and the consistent growth within the industry I felt like Socioculture was the perfect name to summarize all of what I find influential to me. Socio- The influence social events and issues have on fashion and the creative scene. Culture- the essence of where your inspiration comes from.
How do you ensure that your creative business is sustainable in this fast- paced industry?
I feel like with being a small local business you produce things at a slower pace and at smaller quantity and I feel like that alone makes any small business sustainable because we aren't constantly producing at the pace of fast fashion retailers. I also feel like we are able to control what goes out and how we contribute to being more sustainable as a smaller business. Another answer is I feel like in order to be sustainable as a business in a fast fashion industry, the quality of your garment, the silhouette, coming out with unique designs and styles, and also building a great clientele and relationship with old and new customers. I've learnt that that's what contributes to the growth and sustainability of a smaller business compared to a fast fashion retailer.
What do you think the tipping point was in terms of solidifying your brand?
I think it was people realising what I could bring to the creative space as a designer and also the motivation you get from them to keep going. This is so important as a young creative. I also think being in a position where you get noticed by bigger brands, retailers and with that being granted the opportunity to contribute to the growth of other up and coming designer's/creatives. My goal is always to grow and help others grow.
How did your collaboration with Archive come about and how impactful is it you your journey creatively and business wise?
The Archive team reached out to me on social media and having them reach out to me was huge. Although it was a step I was afraid to take, because I've never been part of something this big I felt like I needed to take the leap of faith and just go with it. This experience has definitely shaped me as a designer. I definitely grew some thick skin during this process, and I've learnt a lot of new skills to grow my knowledge and how to improve on running my business. Overall, the experience has impacted me positively business wise especially.
What deliberate steps did you take to cultivate your tribe/ audience?
I don't think I took any major steps to be honest. I went into all of this blindly in 2016/2017 and just hoped for the best. I think people either will relate to you and a designer or they won't and for me it has personally taken a while to get their but the little tribe/audience you create along the journey is what fuels you to become better at your craft. You listen to what they want and what they like and then execute it the best way you can.
How does your community influence your work?
My community influences me in a way where you just want to be one of those people that could possibly represent them in a positive way in everything that you do. My biggest supporters and motivators are part of my community, so they spark my growth tremendously as a creative/designer.
What is the biggest misconception about the local fashion industry?
That our products are overpriced. Listen, if people understood the cost of everything we need to execute quality products they would understand. We try to produce quality pieces that can last you for a long time but also do it in a way that is sustainable for us so that we can keep producing fire pieces for as long as we can. What is the biggest highlight and low light thus far? My biggest highlight for myself would be everything I've achieved and yet to achieve this year. Also being able to work with so many amazing people within the industry. This year has been such a massive turning point for me as a designer and I'm so grateful to everyone that contributed to it. I'll never say that I've had any low lights, I call it lessons. It helped shape me and get me to this point. So my "lessons" or "low- lights" were for character building. [LOL]
Here some quick-fire questions for you - Gqom or Yanos?
Yanos
Loafers or sneakers?
Sneakers all day every day.
Plain Tees or Graphic Tees?
Graphic T's for sure.
Drama or Comedy?
Comedy
Night out or night in?
Night in.
Online or in store?
In store for sure.
Favourite Archive store?
Archive Blue Route mall. That's my HOOD!
Do yourself a favour and check out Socioculture online and in select Archive stores.
