With the fashion industry dominated by ladies and many labels targeted at women, men have at times opined that they feel left out of this lucrative industry. This poor representation of men in the local fashion industry has motivated former hip hop artist Thobo Kerekang to start his own fashion label. Thobo, who made waves in the local music industry as a member of that famous hip hop group Magosi, has dropped the mic and picked up the scissors.
He recently launched his own fashion label called ‘KeNo’s Designs’ which focuses only on men’s wear.
KeNo’s Designs is a partnership between Thobo and Donald Nnoto. It started operating a month back and so far things are looking good.
Thobo explained that their label specializes in custom suits that are tailored to the tastes of their male clients. Their target market is the working males who prefer formal suits especially for work and corporate events.
“We feel that part of the market is currently neglected. As guys, we believe today’s man is very aware of his image and attire. Image matters because it will earn you respect. So we aim to make other men look good, stand out from the crowd and make a lasting impression wherever they go,” he said.
Thobo explained that their designs are meant to make the client feel good, relaxed and comfortable. He added that their tag line is ‘custom cut’; by which they aim to not only tailor suits, but tailor them with the customer’s input and as per the customer’s needs.
“The customers tell us exactly what they want and we just spice up with our magic to make the design wow! Because we all contribute to the final product, everyone will walk away happy,” he said.
Even though he started off as a musician, Thobo has always wanted to have his own designer label. That’s why he has always been conscious about his appearance because he strongly believes that if one looks good then they will definitely have a good day. Thobo and Donald have been friends for many years and they shared a common passion for fashion.
“We have been friends for a long time now. Because we shared the same vision about men’s clothing we decided to put heads together and give birth to this amazing fashion label,” said Donald.
The duo have employed some of the best tailors to help design the suits.
“We knew that we had to work with these guys after they made killer suits for us. Their suits really turned heads and we are sure they are the best in the country. They have never disappointed us when it comes to making suits,” said Donald.
The duo plan to start off KeNo Designs as a strictly men’s wear label and later expand their offering to cater for women.
“We also plan to showcase our products in various fashion platforms in the country and outside so as to attract a lot of customers. If women show interest in what we do, we will definitely cater for them too,” he said.
