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Denim is a staple of any wardrobe, and finding the perfect pair of jeans is a mission we’ve all undertaken at some point.

Levi Strauss made a fortune, and his brand a household name by supplying riveted jeans to mine workers. Tshepo Mohlala, founder of the denim brand Tshepo the Jean Maker similarly supplies the people of Johannesburg, a city known for its gold mining industry, with stylish, beautifully crafted jeans.

His story starts in Tsakane, a township near Ekurhuleni – in sight of the mining mounds that made denim famous.

Tshepo says his love of fashion started at home where he was raised by his mother, his aunt and his grandmother.

Each of them played a part in making him who he is today. From his grandmother, who is a pastor, the dictum: “You are a gentleman and you always have to look like one”.

From his aunt, he inherited the love of fashion as a way to express who you are, and from his mother, he acquired his desire to succeed. Here’s his story in his own words:

Tshepo didn’t start out in fashion. He found his way there after a brief infatuation with the film industry.

“It was tough. After dropping out of film school, I studied fashion but I could not complete my studies because I couldn’t afford it. I worked at a call centre and at a boutique shop to keep going.”

“The struggle pushed me to try to make a name for myself. I chose this path and I promised my family that I would make something of it.”

Along the way, he picked up contacts in the fashion industry like Felipe Mazibuko, a well-known stylist, who became his first mentor.

Soon enough, he was collaborating with other up-and-comers in the industry and worked on a brand called AfrikanSwiss, selling high-quality jeans. When that collaboration came to an end, it seemed like he was at a dead-end.

“At the time my instagram handle was Tshepo the Jean Maker and a friend of mine suggested that I use it as a brand. I was nowhere but I decided then and there to take a leap of faith and see what it could become. I borrowed R8 000 to make 100 jeans.”

“It took six months to sell them. At the same time I was dealing with doubts about my brand and my plan, so it was a difficult time. From 100 jeans we were doing 300 jeans, then we got a scooter, then a delivery van, then a studio space.”

His first range, the Presidential Slim Fit, is still going strong. As he tells the story of its evolution from a minimalistic rough design to the branded, riveted product it is today, you get to see the passion behind his love for denim.

“Every pair of jeans is a story. I have a pair of jeans that survived me falling off a motorbike that tell a story of what I have survived. I want to create a legacy.

I want to keep my story alive. We hear about stories of great jean makers from the 1800s (like Levi) and they are still with us today. I want people to wear their stories made by Tshepo the Jean Maker. These jeans will outlive me.”

Along the way, other challenges have been met and overcome: access to market, getting funding from the right people, and also getting a firm understanding of the target market.

Consistently, throughout the growth of the business, craft has been a fundamental principle.

One that is evident in the quality and cut of Tshepo’s jeans.

This information was provided by Yoco – helping power businesses since 2013.