Page 60 - Forbes - Africa (March 2020)

FORBES AFRICA
UNDER 30 • ZAZI NYANDENI

businessdespiteashortageoffunds.
“IcalleditZaziLuxurybecauseitspeaks
tomoreoftheinsideandoutsideofagarment
andthetechniqueusedwhichisthecoreof
thebusiness.Theinsideisaboutmatching
theoutside;Ishouldliterallybeabletowear
itinsideout,andifnot,it’snot[aZaziLuxury
product].”
HerfirstclientwasSouthAfrican
comedienneTumiMorakereferredbyamutual
friend,andlateractressZenandeMfenyana,but
currently,herclientsarealsodoctors,lawyers
anddrawnfromthecorporateworld.
“Inthebeginning,thebusinesswasfocused
on couture and it developed a bit more into

The inside is about

matching the outside; I

should literally be able
to wear it inside out,

and if not, it’s not [a

Zazi Luxury product].

businesssuchastelevision,dressing
anchors,andwealsohaveready-to-wear
garments.Wearebroadeningthebusiness
tootherboutiquestoo.”
Zazi Luxury recently showcased
at South Africa Fashion Week. This
year, she will be working on a fourth
collection that will be both couture and
basic women’s workwear garments but

featuring the Zazi aesthetic.
Zazi Luxury currently employs seven
young enthusiastic fashionistas; one
of who is Lebohang Ketlele, who has
worked with Nyandeni for two years.
“I am a dressmaker and stylist. I don’t
think I would know the things I know
now if I wasn’t working here, we have
dressed celebrities and that is a great
experience,” attests Ketlele.
Inspired in Paris, but made in Africa,
Zazi seems to have made the cut.

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