There’s something to be said for the little guys and girls coming together, and that’s certainly true of WearSA.

They celebrate visionaries, the movers and shakers, the industry stalwarts, the hard workers and toilers – basically everyone involved in the process right through to the customers.

One such celebrated visionary is SELFI, a Cape Town based ready to wear fashion label with a keen interest in exploring the multidimensional parts of the self.

Through founder and Creative Director Celeste Arendse’s interest in art, architecture, and contemporary culture, she has found her own way of creating bespoke ready to wear everyday pieces that exude sophistication, comfort with distinct elements of play.

Since its launch, SELFI has showcased at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Cape Town and Johannesburg, Pure London and New York Fashion Week.

10and5 interviewed her a while back, and here’s some of what she had to say:

I’ve always had a strong desire to create something unique and somehow nostalgic that could really add value to the everyday mood of the women who wear my clothing. I don’t really believe that clothes define you, your character does, but I feel it adds toward how you wish to be perceived in the world and how you want to feel…

Creating is my language, my form of communication and how I solidify what I like and how I feeI in this world. I started Selfi because I believed there were a group of women who are young professionals, who work in creative fields and in corporate fields who weren’t being catered for. I wanted to create clothes that would fit into their everyday lifestyles….

We represent South Africa as a nation so if someone else wins it creates a pathway for another. I’ve learnt that it’s not just about me and the brand and how pretty everything looks, but what it can do for the people involved, how they grow as individuals, and with that growth how they will impact their environments at home. We need to think bigger than profit but think more about what the world will be like in a couple of years…

Her collections now cover men’s and women’s ready-to-wear, and accessories, and are all locally produced. SELFI only supplies stores that share similar values as the brand itself, stocking stores that house only locally and ethically produced products.

One such store will be WearSA’s flagship store in Menlyn Park Shopping Centre, the iconic brand having previously been sold via its popular pop-up shops.

Head on over to their Instagram account HERE to stay up to date with when the store will be opening, as well as sneak peeks at some of the styles you’ll find in store.

Local is lekker peeps, let’s do our bit.

[source:10and5]