PVO LABEL TAKES CLOTHING SCENE BY STORM
A NEW label, PVO, has hit the capital and drawn the attention of fashion enthusiasts locally and even in various parts of the world.
H-Metro’s Nyasha Kada (NK) caught up with UK-based founder of the label, Tendai “Claybird” Mashiri (TM) for a one-on-one interview. Read more…
NK: Briefly tell us about PVO? TM: The PVO brand was birthed in 2018 when I came up with the idea to develop merchandise with the tag line “Positive Vibes Only” after seeing it emblazoned boldly on a yacht.
In 2018/9 the first samples of PVO apparel were made to test the market and after receiving positive and constructive criticism and reviewing and refining the product, the first batch for sale was released in early 2020.
NK: How has been the journey so far and how is the business coping with the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic?
TM: The journey so far has been nothing short of amazing. Having launched right in the middle of a deadly pandemic, we managed to outperform our own sales expectations. The love and support we have received for this brand has been unbelievable.
Demand was outpacing supply at one point so a learning point we got from that is knowing how to manage our supply chain to make sure our customers always get the products they want.
We are also a consultative brand which means we love to receive and act on feedback from our customers as we strive to continuously improve our brand and it’s positioning in the market.
NK: The label has also got attention from various parts of the world, how have you reacted to that?
TM: Currently, PVO apparel is available in the entire UK, the USA, Australia and New Zealand and of course Zimbabwe.
This is only the current situation our goal is to be able to deliver PVO merchandise all over the world.
NK: How has it been received? TM: The label has been received astonishingly well, beyond our own expectations.
This is due largely to our vast networks across the world as well as support from some key influencers.
PVO customers are truly supportive of the brand and we have a very high returning customer ratio.
NK: How was it losing your biggest ambassador, the late Ginimbi?
TM: This is quite a sad topic for us as a brand because our biggest brand ambassador was Ginimbi, who as you know, sadly passed away in November 2020.
However, we still do have a number of brand ambassadors and influencers who support the brand and we are working on establishing even more relationships with key influencers around the world to help push the brand.
NK: Any plans to release something in honour of the late Ginimbi?
TM: Yes, we’re working on releasing a line in his honour. It’s in the pipeline.
NK: What are your plans in the near future?
TM: As you know, creativity does not sleep — so our plans for the future include expanding our product range to include tracksuits, active wear, kids wear and more to the current product line. Also, like aforementioned, we are working on globalising our supply chain so we can be able to deliver PVO threads to anyone who wants them around the world. This is all in support of our one key overarching goal — to keep satisfying our customers.
NK: Thank you for your time and all the best.
TM: You are welcome.