Ready, Set, Grind (Ep. 2): 'The Fashion Of Passion' by Rey Mungai

Hey guys! It's time for the next episode of my weekly blog series 'Read, Set, Grind' and this week I wanted to share my views on what role passion  has in the business of fashion. Nowadays more and more people are following their hearts and doing  what they feel makes them happy as opposed to a few years ago when anything other than a typical 9-5 was frowned upon. I'm not saying that we are out of the woods already on that but we can say we are making very good progress. For me personally I believe that anything that makes you happy with life is what you should pursue... life is too short to waste it on things that don't really add significant value to your life. Unless significant value to your life is working at a job you hate just because the money is good which is the definition of happiness to some people (To each his own).
For those of you who have a fashion based brand or are looking onto starting one or just venturing into the field, this post is for you *insert singing voice*. Instead of just talking about what roles passion plays in this business I'm going to do some short case studies of brands that, off of passion, built a successful brand. One of these brands is Kokon to Zai which is famously known as simply KTZ (worn by mega stars from Rihanna, Kanye, A$AP Rocky & 2 Chainz just to mention  few) and Brooke Roberts which is among the top five most creative brands I have ever come across.

1. Brooke Roberts - SHOP: brookeroberts.net/collections/all

Established in 2009, Brooke Roberts is a London-based fashion label inspired by science and founded by radiographer and knitwear designer, Brooke Roberts. Using digital knitting techniques, Brooke and her team translate digital medical scans into knitwear using cutting-edge programming and industrial knitting technology. A pioneer in the exploding sector of London's Fashion/Tech movement, Brooke is at the forefront of combining science, technology and fashion in her designs and recently gave a TED talk explaining how she fuses radiography and knitwear design in her clothing. Brooke Roberts' clients are dynamic, forward-thinking individuals who are curious and seek to learn something new every day.

What captures me most about this brand is how she turned something as random as radiography and knitwear to build a clothing line. These two are both her passion and that's obviously what drives her to create and create more.

2. Kokon to Zai - SHOP: kokontozai.com

KTZ or as it is famously known; Kokon to Zai is a sick collaboration between Koji Maruyama, Sasko Bevoski and Marjan Pejoski (who is in charge of the design process). From whatever angle you want to look at this brand, it's an amazing brand. From the killer designs to material treatments; not only does KTZ stand out on the runway but also  in street fashion it has inspired a myriad of designers including myself. Let's be honest, your mum would not be impressed if she saw you rocking some KTZ apparel... mostly due to the design inspiration that is brightly displayed on around 90% of their releases if not more. From Ouija Boards to pentagrams, Marjan always sparks a conversation among everyone who sees his designs and this is what pulled me most to KTZ. His passion has always been to create something different that stands out and gives an identity to the 'misfits' and being one of them I LOVE IT. 

In Kenya no brand has really delved into the dark waters that are black fashion and its not because they don't want to. To me, I think it's because most designers in Kenya are way too worried about how they will be perceived by the society. Come on guys, take a risk. Stand out.

I'm all for being true to your roots but once we all start designing Ankara and Kitenge inspired pieces, it gets really old really fast and that will not get us to the global platform that all of us want Kenya to get to. Besides, as we are busy not wanting to grow into cuts inspired by other cultures, designers from other cultures are creating pieces inspired by our culture. From Louis Vuitton in 2012 to most recently Junya Watanabe's african themed collection (which you can check out on my blog right here: www.dailyrey.wordpress.com)

Most people out here would rather put their dreams on hold than do something that is considered unconventional and that's not what success and happiness is about. Be yourself, that's the only way you'll find true  happiness and success. Just as Karun once said, if you love something and you are determined to do it, it will work out (well, these are not her exact words but you get the point, right?).

The fashion of passion is a really simple matter to grasp, do what you feel and think is right for you. That's all.

From that you build something that will make you proud and leave a mark. I know it's really cliche but it rings true, follow your dreams bud. 

I really hope that this post will help all of you fashionpreneurs on your journeys and I can't wait to share more insights into this world according to my point of view. If you have questions, comments etc you can drop them in the comment box and you can also reach me on the following avenues:

Instagram: @reymungai

Blog: www.dailyrey.wordpress.com

Twitter: @dailyreymag

Fashionpreneur kenya 

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Cheers,

Rey