A young entrepreneur speaks his heart out on his passion for clothing while giving a brief overview into the establishment of his business, Outfit Archive.
Before we get started, please share full name and surname of the founder of Outfit Archive, place of birth and current place of residence. Also, mention any of your Mzansi favorite brand and why that brand? “I am Success Mathekga, born and raised in Pretoria. I am currently residing in Mamelodi and my favorite Mzansi favorite brand is Layback garments because of its simplicity”.
When did you commence with Outfit Archive and what inspired you to start your own clothing brand? “It was back in 2020, on the 20th of May when Outfit Archive commenced. The inspiration came in 2015 when I was still doing my grade 8 in Hoerskool Staatspresident C.R Swart. There is a guy who was known as Lethabo, he is actually the founder of Layback garments and he started his own brand that year. I was surrounded by friends who came from stable families where they provided them with almost to everything they wanted, for example expensive clothes and etc. I loved clothes but because l came from a decent family, I could not get that type of privilege. I first saw Lethabo draw the logo on the wall at school so that is where it all started. I told myself that l want to be like this guy but because I did not have the knowledge and experience of branding so I could not start my own, I remember in 2018 when I went to his studio to check if he could do beanies for me, he was not around by then so l was patient enough to wait for him to come back, then I presented my first brand which was ‘CHEMICAL SPILL’ and asked if he could at least make five beanies for me, he graciously agreed to help me but insisted that I should come up with something better than what I had. I went home disappointed but at the same time I was motivated but because I was ignorant, I went to other brand owners and they helped with the beanies. Months went by and business was very slow. I would get two orders in 4 months and I ended up giving people free merchandise hoping for the better but still nothing happened. I decided to get back to my drawing board, 2 years down the line (May 2020) I came up with name ‘OUTFIT ARCHIVE’. I contacted Lethabo via WhatsApp and asked if he could print for me, sent him my logos and he agreed. I bought stock and went to the studio, I presented the brand, he was impressed and also give me pointers and suggestions on how to make it better, 2 days later he then texted me to come collect my printed orders. A week later boom merchandise sold out, and it was during winter by then. I was so excited because orders kept on coming day by day, even today people are still ordering. I’m still inspired by his work as well as GALXBOY”
Why the name Outfit Archive, and what do you want it to communicate to the public? “The word archive means a collection of historical documents or records providing information about a place, institution or group of people. Therefore, Outfit Archive resembles a couple of memories that I have with certain outfits. When it comes to communicating the brand:
- Make personal interactions with customers because it is important to make customers feel like they matter to the business that they are dealing with. Hence, when sending messages to them, I do not use scripted responses. I pay attention to what they are saying, be empathetic and tailor the response to their specific request because doing so will most likely give them a positive impression and make them likely to use my business another time.
- At times customers are faced with problems they know will take time to be resolved, however they just want their voices to be heard and complaints to be listened to. It is advisable to listen to them, express that their frustration is completely understood, and politely suggest the best solutions to the problem at hand”.
What are some of the challenges you faced when you started with Outfit Archive and how did you overcome these?
“Imitation and product counterfeiting, capital distribution, competition and unforeseen business expenses have been my major challenges. Overcoming these, firstly I had to prevent people from counterfeiting my products in the first place. This was tough but I had to take some steps to make it harder to replicate my brand’s products through design features that are unique or difficult to imitate (like watermarks or holograms). I also trademark important words or designs, which makes it easier to pursue legal action against those who try to imitate me. Lastly, to protect my brand I work with trusted manufacturers that will not share my design with others or fudge on the material requirements and specifications. However, my overall decision was to not take challenges as my enemies, instead my motive is to become better than what I am and as for competition it is necessary for the best outcome”
What has been the highlights of your clothing brand thus far? “The support I get from my clients is definitely my highlight thus far. I love my clients and appreciate their endless support. I am who I am because of them”.
When not busy pushing the brand- what do you do to keep sane? “Take a media fast: Fasting has become a bit of a trend lately, but it has deep roots. For centuries, religious people have encouraged fasting from food in order to clarify thinking and deepen prayer and gratitude. Recently, the idea of a media fast has caught on. A media fast can help lower your stress and quiet down the internal fretting. As an extra bonus, you might only be delivered several hours a day back into your hands to use in better ways. My smartphone now reports that I spend over two hours a day on media. That is a bunch of time I could get back in a week or a month".
"I focus on what is positive: Try to balance the onslaught of negativity with some positivity. Take just five minutes in the morning and jot down a few things you are grateful for in your life. It does not matter if these are big or small, as long as they are meaningful to you".
Lastly, I spend time confronting my fears: What is worse than knowing? Not knowing. If I have general sense of fear or nervousness, I dig deeper and look at what is driving my fear. What is the worst thing that could happen? Of course, it is scary to look, but identifying the worst-case scenario often leads to some relief once I realize I can survive it”.