A SIT DOWN WITH S.N.I.F.F

Close your eyes for a second, think of urban, fresh and current now open them and start reading. S.N.I.F.F is a local South African street and on-print label. One word comes to mind from first glance when you see these very talented creative's work, Original and these days authenticity is important. We had a chance to talk to Nthabeleng Mokitimi one of the creative's from the label to find out a bit more about their work.

Tell us a bit about SNIFF

S.N.I.F.F is a casual to a formal clothing label. It focuses on an individual style and taste. We design clothes that will make you feel like yo are part of the brand, not just an item that you buy. The clothing label is owned by a group of young enterprising individuals and is distributed mainly in Johannesburg, Pretoria and Durban.

 When did the label officially start

The label was officially opened on the 4^th April 2014.

 Is SNIFF an acronym? If so what does it stand for?

Indeed, it is an acronym and stands for SEEING NATURE IN FINER FASHION. This brings out the essence of what we really stand for as a clothing label.

  How did you and your team get into designing?

We have been making clothes on an ad hoc basis over the past few years. Round about February 2014, the team started thinking about the idea of establishing a clothing brand. At that time, we were really just looking at establishing a niche in a market that would be most suitable for our style and aspirations. I must say that the individual team members have always been into fashion and we thought, hey why not turn our passion into a business venture – and that’s how S.N.I.F.F was born!

  To people who are not familiar with SNIFF how would you describe the style of the cloths you make?

Our managing director, Hloni always calls it “trend”… Essentially what this means is that whether it be casual or formal clothing, any S.N.I.F.F apparel is aimed to “trend” because hey; if one looks around mostly fashion that’s trending comes from urban street wear.

 What other type of clothing do you make, apart from tops?

We make shorts, sweatpants, skirts, sweaters, shirts, t-shirts; basically street urban wear… Our formal clothing is mostly corporate wear and we seek to infuse African tradition with this line.

 How have people responded to the brand? 

I must say that the demand has been overwhelming. We have received a great response within a very short space of time which is a very good sign for the brand.

What's the key element of designing clothes?

I think that the first element is passion. One could be a good designer, but passion extinguishes a great designer from one who is just good. From a technical perspective, the key element to designing is material and pattern as these determine the quality of your clothing and also differentiates it from the rest.

Are you working on any projects lately?

Indeed, we are working on a number of projects, which include a very exciting one with Soweto TV; so watch this space!

 As a creative, what would you say you are trying to show to the world with your brand?

We want to show the world that fashion is not just what you wear, it is a lifestyle. Essentially this means that every day S.N.I.F.F should be a part of you.

 Any designers or brands you look up to locally or internationally?

Hmm, that’s a tough one but I would say “POLO” because it is along the style which we are going for.

 Advice for people who'd want to go into the print clothing game? 

Fashion is not as easy as just going into a store and picking up an item to buy. Hours and hours of hard work and networking are needed. I would say that without passion, dedication and commitment; one will not be able to achieve success in the game.

Article by Mbali Mdledle
Twitter: @mbali_mdledle
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