WeeklySA_AdminFAMILIARITY:Not to be mistaken with international retailer Zara, Zarah ready to launch…
As you go shopping at your favourite mall, chances are that you might soon encounter a familiar clothing brand with a resonant ring to it. But do not be mistaken as Pick n Pay Clothing is gearing to launch an exclusive fashion range most likely to be confused with international retailer Zara.
Welcome Zarah the new clothing range, a brainchild of Zarah Cassim, a 29-year-old was born and raised in Cape Town set to emblazon her name in the world of fashion with a retro-style wear harking back to the 1800s. Yet, as Cassim looks to a new exciting chapter in her young life, she is not oblivious of the head-scratching her brand name that will most likely cause. Given that international retailer Zara’s brand is firmly entrenched in fashion world’s psyche, the possibility of consternation is not entirely off her mind. But, Cassim will not allow that possibility to faze her or rain on her parade. For now, she’s consumed with the looming moment of her reckoning. Her big moment…
As for the upcoming launch, it is all systems go, with Pick n Pay Clothing having announced recently the soon-to-be-launched new clothing ranges by three young South African designers in the coming months, both in-store and online.
The new wear will be the result of a local partnership with designers, Zarah Cassim and Julia Buchanan from Cape Town and Sipho Mbuto from Durban, to prove that “local is lekker” when it comes to fashion. The retail chain says the initiative is a continuation of a collaboration with renowned fashion designer Gavin Rajah, adding that it is aimed to shake up the local fashion industry by making designer wear more affordable and accessible to its customers
Being one of the three designers, Cassim can count on a heady head-start as an advantageous experience, having already been exposed to haute couture at the one of the world’s fashion capitals, Paris.
“I have spent the past five years travelling and living mostly in Paris,” Cassim adds. Touching on the possible public conjecture on the similarities between Zarah and Zara, Cassim explains to clear the air: “The name of the brand (Zarah) is my name given to me by my parents and grandfather at birth,” she explains.
“It is completely different to the commercial fashion brand Zara. Mine is literally my name attached to my creations as an artist. My clothing collection is a collaboration with Pick n Pay, and an exploration of another medium for me as an artist””.
“If you’re a partnership or a sole proprietorship, you can use your own name for your business without filing any paperwork, so Zara would not have any grounds to sue.
Pick n Pay Clothing general manager Hazel Pillay says: “The company is passionate about supporting local initiatives, and this project had unlocked an opportunity to elevate local designers and manufacturing.” Pillay says the aim behind the collaborations is to support local talent and make designer clothing more accessible to more South Africans at affordable prices.
“This is an initiative that celebrates and nurtures the incredible design talent we have in South Africa, and with invaluable input from one of South Africa’s veteran designers, allowing them to carve out a niche in the fashion industry and the space to showcase this,” Pillay adds. Cassim said the golden opportunity came as a result of her having entered a competition to collaborate with Pick n Pay and launch my own collection of clothing.
“The collaboration with PNP opens up my creative practice to a larger market, and, although it is something that is completely separate to my painting, through this process, I have learnt some valuable skills that I can incorporate into my art practice,” Cassim says.
She sees her journey being beyond just a mere piece of clothing: “I have always wanted to do something related to fashion. As a creative, I think that creativity extends beyond one medium, which for me is my painting. I was excited to explore another creative outlet, and challenge myself in this way. I feel very honoured and grateful to have been given the opportunity to work with PNP. I’ve learnt a lot in the process, and have been able to push myself creatively in a medium that is accessible to so many people”.
The in-store collection shows off a range of detailed of rues and rouging which are snippets of 1800s romanticism. “We saw pink as a bold and vibrant colour, reflecting the spirit of the incoming spring season. I wanted this collection to be romantic and feminine, soft and ethereal. The silhouettes are loose-setting and fabrics allow for natural draping, accenting the female body”
As Cassim makes a new statement for women clothes and representing her name she will be “working on a new collection of paintings for Salon91Gallery (CapeTown,South Africa), as well as some large-scale works for Otomys Contemporary (Melbourne, Australia).
“Other than that, I’ve been working on something very exciting with my husband, opening a boutique art hotel in Paris – Hotel Hernandez Paris. We will be hosting artist residencies and continuing with our curation of art events. With all that has happened in the past year, it seems like a long way to go but we are on our way!”
After all is said done, the coming months will be defining for Cassim and her journey as she waits to see how the market will react to her brand. Something that will determine whether, in grabbing her new challenge, she has cut a cloth to her size or not.
Time, indeed, will tell.
