The Namibian fashion industry continues to rise, making room for more creatives to break their shells and create magic. Monochrome has been on the look out for what is new and fresh.
Meet Simeone Johannes, a 22 year old born and bred in Windhoek. He is raised alongside his brother and two sisters by both parents. Completed High School at Concordia College and then moved on to study towards a BA Degree in Public Relations and Fashion Studies (Hon) at the University of Namibia. We had the chance to find out what kept Simeone motivated during his Fashion Studies and how he intends to keep up with his brand.
What sparked your interest in fashion? When did you know you wanted a career in it?
Well, growing up, I’ve always known that I wanted to work in the creative industry, but I never really thought I’d pursue a career in fashion. I only realized my passion for it in my my final year of high school, but then again, I initially applied for Media Studies and Journalism. Lucky for me, when I went for registration, I learned that I could actually study both Media and Fashion at the same time (double major). Pursuing a double major was definitely one of my best decisions ever, and even though I struggled tremendously, I somewhat managed to balance both fields of study and now I’m graduating.
Talk to us about your fashion studies journey?
Now, if you ask anyone who has or is still studying Fashion, they’ll tell you that it’s not a walk in the park. Fashion Studies requires a lot of passion, dedication, hard work, sleepless nights, nights of tears and just constant thoughts of throwing in the towel. To be quite frank, my journey was double the stress, because I was feeling a lot of pressure from both sides (PR & Fashion). I struggled and in most cases one of the fields would suffer, I never really excelled at both, at the same time to be honest.
Also, finances, studying fashion means that I had to fund myself to buy all the necessary materials to ensure that I completed all the tasks I was required to. I did not have money most of the time, so I had to take out loans from friends and then pay them back after some client work. I truly have an amazing group of friends and if it wasn’t for them and my parents constantly hustling for me, I’d probably have dropped out a long time ago. The one thing that really motivated me to push forth was my passion, so many students had dropped out over the years. We started with a group of more than 30 students, but only three of us managed to get to the end. My biggest achievement, is probably managing to complete my four years of studies, now I can finally conquer the industry.
How has your work been received by the public thus far?
My work has been received so well, it’s crazy! For a student designer, basically an amateur, people have really given me so much credit than I deserve. I threw myself into the deep end, with no slight clue about how cut throat the industry really is. I am probably the only student designer who decided to take on clients, partly cause I needed quick cash to buy my study materials, I don’t know how I managed to somewhat acquire the respect I’m getting today, because to be honest, I don’t even know what I’m doing most of the times. Simeone Johannes is becoming a household name within the fashion industry, it’s almost scary. It’s not an easy journey, but I can only grow from here onward.
How do influences from outside Namibia find their way into your work?
My whole life is centered around social media, I spend most my time on the internet, so my work is mostly influenced by outside trends. I still have not quite found my design aesthetic yet and also, our fashion industry is very small, thus we tend to look outside for inspiration. Namibian fashion designers are very much influenced by western culture, but hopefully one day we can integrate our culture and tradition into our garments.
What are you fascinated by at the moment and how does it feed into your work?
I’m fascinated by so many things, I’m fascinated by how fast the creative industry is growing and that plays a huge in role in ensuring that I put out my best work, people are taking us seriously now and I can’t afford to mess things up. Also, my line of work is fashion for a cause, which means with every collection that I put out, I have to address a social issue, I’ve done so with my debut collection and I will continue do the same with all my collections to come. Seeing how people are starting to take a stand against social ills, be it on social media or in real life, inspires me to take my stand using fashion as a medium.
What is the biggest lesson that you have learnt since you started your brand?
People are always watching! No matter how small your brand is, or how new you are to the industry, people will always be watching you like a hawk, so it’s very important to put out your best work all the time. The moment you decide that you want to pursue a career in fashion, you should be ready for criticism, not everyone is going to like your work and it’s okay. Also, take it a day at a time, I have disappointed so many clients this year alone, I’ve made so many mistakes and gave people sub-standard and that’s partly because I’m still learning and might have rushed a few things. It’s very important to be ready if you really want to flourish in this industry.
I forced my way into the industry a bit prematurely and I wasn’t quite ready, but that meant that I needed to learn fast.
I don’t regret it, but also, I realize that maybe I should have waited a little bit longer, cause now there’s so much pressure for me to be perfect. I literally had to learn how to make a suit in a day, that’s how unforgiving the industry is. People don’t care about your excuses, they just want you to give them perfection or they’ll cancel you real quick!
What mantra do you live by?
If better is possible, good is not enough.
With everything that I do, I always take a step back, analyze and ask myself whether or not I can do more to better it and if the answer is yes, best believe I’m going to do just that. It’s very important to ensure that you don’t give sub-standard work, in whatever field of work you’re operating in.
What advice would you give to young minded designers?
Don’t do it (😂😂laughs…)
Kidding, if you’re really passionate about the fashion industry, please try to go to school for studies or at least find a mentor and try to grasp as many skills as possible. Don’t join the industry prematurely, because you might end up wearing yourself out. Also, there are so many other career paths within the fashion industry, not all of us will be great designers, you can do Fashion Journalism, Fashion Buying and Merchandising etc. It’s very important to do the necessary research to find out where you fit in. If you think it’s all glitz and glam and you only want to be famous, then don’t do it. Fashion designers are not even supposed to be famous, that should be an added bonus. Lastly, finds your voice as a fashion designer, don’t try to emulate somebody else’s work, cause that will only make your second best.
It’s 2018, what would you like to achieve before the end of the year?
2018 is going to be a hectic year for me, I can feel it!
But for me, this year is about rectifying all the mistakes I made as a student, I want to grow my brand and really earn the respect of industry giants. This year I’m identifying my niche and I’m only catering for them, I will not put out any work that doesn’t represent my brand anymore. Also, I would like to collaborate with more creatives, corporates and big brands.
But keep an eye open, I have a good feeling about this year.
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Simeone Johannes is rightfully on his way to becoming one of Namibia’s go-to designers.
We love everything about his designs and personal style.
Want to know more?
Find him:
Email: simeonejohannes91@icloud.com
Facebook: Simeone Johannes
Twitter: @Simeone_Up
Instagram: @simeone_up
