Duma’s approach is all about shaping industry, not virality
Designer ignores backlash against R10k blankets
There are a number of SA designers whose names are on everyone’s lips, with many of their designs selling out and becoming a major success. Whether it’s the cool kids who clamour for Rich Mnisi, the haute-heads who pine for the latest Thebe Magugu threads or the suave fashion lovers of luxury who paint the town black in Inga Atelier bags, there is a designer for everyone.
While virality has been a magical gift for Mnisi and Magugu, along with Gubeka and his Atelier, the same sentiment was not spared for Siyathembe Duma of Matte Nolim when he went viral.
Known for his modern and luxurious take on minimalism, Duma caught the darker side of the web when his prima shawl blanket was advertised for R10,000. With the four available blankets selling out two days later, the designer was left with the stinging backlash of Twitter users.
“We are not ‘made-in-China’ brands [and] we cannot compete with them on any level. The government needs to revive the textiles industry and put the Chinese on hold for clothing if we are trying to create jobs,” says Duma.
While they may have carried a steep price and sold a limited set, Mnisi’s designs and even the dazzling printwork of the MaXhosa garments are roaring successes. Duma believes it’s high time local designers were open about their pricing and educated South Africans about it rather than selling “thumb-sucked prices” from their collections.
“Customers know that I give them exclusive designs that have great quality. So, some save, dream or get loans to own the pieces because it’s not about the price, it’s about what can you get cheaper that has this expensive look,” he says, “then you can convince yourself that it’s worth every rand you don’t have.”
While virality has been rising locally, international designers have used this ploy to win over global audiences, regardless of what they have put up. Well-established luxury brands like Gucci, Louis Vuitton as well as Dolce & Gabbana have landed in hot water multiple times but gained financially in the long run, something Duma welcomes as a wayof selling fashion.
“I think it’s great that even people who don’t generally care about high fashion are begging to engage in the brand. The industry should flourish from here.”
But success is never a desperate attempt for Duma, who has dressedformer Miss Universe Zozi Thunzi for a magazine shoot and had Forbes
USA fly down to interview him. The reserved, silent sartorial assassin lets his work do the talking, work that mirrors his passion for high fashion.
“To most people I am Matte Nolim, but I wake up and strive to be as bold, confident and be an effortless creative genius as he is. My birth name is Siyethemba Duma but noone cares about that since the brand took over my identity,” says the Pietemaritzburg-born designer.
Duma created the Matte Nolim alter ego, much like Beyonce’s Sasha Fierce, as a way of navigating the design world, fearing his name and meek nature would not be enough to survive the expectations that weighed on him. Duma’s work has become among the most wanted, from retail to the runway.
“I’m aware that people don’t need what I make but they want it because it’s different and still wearable. Modern minimalism allows me to achieve this.”