‘Jan Jooster’ – Misika and Poulton’s Jägermeister Collaboration

Local fashion designers Leah Misika and Melisa Poulton have made history by becoming the first local designers to collaborate with an international alcohol brand to launch a brand new clothing line.

‘Jan Jooster’ was launched last week in collaboration with Jägermeister, and consists of sportswear for men and women.

The idea for the partnership was spearheaded by Misika, who approached the well-known brand.

“Something that many local fashion designers do wrong is constantly asking for money. I thought a better approach would be to get corporates more involved in Namibian fashion,” she said.

Misika did her research about Jägermeister and then came up with a few proposals. “Melisa and I wanted to go 50-50 with Jägermeister. They do the same with South African designers, so why not collaborate with Namibian fashion designers?” the 2017 Simply You Magazine Lifestyle and Fashion Awards blogger of the year said.

Poulton describes the collection as easy to wear. “It’s streetwear. The designs are also nice for the season we’re in now, because it has a lot of features that can keep anyone warm,” she said.

Made from local material, Misika felt very strongly that the collection should be made using fabric from Namibia. “Importing is not good for our country’s economy. There are also struggles to get material when you import. You need to wait too long before you get the material here,” said Misika.

Poulton said they worked on the collection for about five months, a collaboration that proved to be easy because the two designers think alike.

“I have known her since 2016. We understand each other and share the same passion for the fashion industry, so we had a stress-free and relaxing working atmosphere. I would really like to work with her again,” Poulton said.

Misika’s only concern is whether the collection will sell well. She said the biggest problem Namibians have with the fashion industry is the lack of moral support from the public.

“I am afraid that if people don’t support the collection, corporates like Jägermeister will decide that it’s not worth it to work with Namibian fashion designers. They would instead bring in someone from outside the country and then only the Namibian people will support. We need to change this mentality and start supporting Namibian brands,” said Misika.

Working on ‘Jan Jooster’ served as a learning experience for Poulton, who was previously known for designing evening wear and dresses for women. She said she’s learnt a lot about designing men’s clothing.

“This is the first time both Leah and I designed menswear. For me it was a huge challenge, but I had so much fun. Men’s pants are much harder and more complicated to design than a dress or skirt. I will certainly design more men’s clothing from now on.”

Being a fashion designer in Namibia is not easy, said Poulton, as many do not get the recognition they deserve, especially compared to international fashion designers. She however advises those who have passion for the industry to never give up.

“Don’t ever stop believing and having faith. The main key is to showcase your work as often as you can. You always need to save money so you are able to do so. The industry will for sure keep growing this way.”

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