MEET LOCAL DENIM DYNAMO TSHEPO MOHLALA
Discover why businessman Tshepo Mohlala, aka The Jean Maker, is a force to be reckoned with.
If you were dressing for the perseverance that life demands, you’d have to start with jeans. That then leads us to the story of Tshepo Mohlala, The Jean Maker who’s denims embody the spirit of the working man or woman, their dreams, struggle and triumph against the odds.
Tshepo Mohlala founded the denim brand Tsepho in 2015 and offers a range of bespoke denim clothing and ready-to-wear products that have established itself in the hearts and minds of ordinary South Africans and people across the world.
Tshepo wanted his denims to wear his name so determination wasn’t all about turning a profit but the principle of his brand.
“One of the difficult things that I encountered was how to make Tshepo a common name – one that would have locals buy into the common name as a premium brand. That was one of the most difficult things that I had to go through as a brand,” comments the entrepreneur.
Fast forward a few years and now alongside those legacy denim labels stocked in South Africa’s top fashion emporiums – you’ll find Tshepo’s name.
The founder, who recently opened the first retail outlet at the upmarket Hyde Park Corner, shares that, “In 2019 I received a call from the British Embassy. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were going to be doing an Africa tour and I was told that Meghan would actually like to wear jeans on her tour. Meghan came into our studio and we also created a pair of dungarees for little Archie.”
The incredible honour in no way has affected Tshepo’s outline on the business however.
“We’re building a global giant, and it’s going to take time for us to get to where we ideally want to be. This is just a first step towards that goal,” states Tshepo.
