SHOPPING for Namibian brands in one place, mingling with like-minded fashion enthusiasts and all while listening to great music and having the luxury of getting a drink and relaxing while you take breaks in between your shopping.
This was the atmosphere at Monochrome magazine’s ‘The Great Pop-Up’ which lived up to the hype created over the preceding weeks.
The event saw a selection of Namibian fashion brands and retailers set up shop at Pia’s restaurant in the Windhoek CBD last Saturday.
While doors opened at 10h00, some stalls sold out most of their stock by 14h00. One of the exhibitors, Getty Molokoshi of One Gem Fashions, said that most of her merchandise was sold out well before the event ended. “There were so many people in the morning and our clothes just went flying off the racks,” she said while pointing to an almost empty rack of some of the One Gem garments she had on sale.
From the Monochrome team, the event went as planned with Betty Sibeso telling The Namibian that they accomplished most of what they set out to achieve. “All we wanted was to create a vibe where people could come shop, have a bite or drink, listen to good music and support a good cause. And that’s exactly what we got,” she said.
With most retail spaces in Namibia occupied by South African retailers and fashion brands, it has become imperative for Namibians to find spaces to sell their wares. It is with this in mind that Monochrome magazine came up with this initiative.
Sibeso said: “We feel Namibian brands aren’t well represented in the retail industry. This goes for fashion and beauty brands. International brands are constantly shoved into the market, leaving no platform for our local brands to shine. We felt creating a fashion market would be a great way to celebrate our brands and somewhat create a shopping experience for everyone else.”
Some of the exhibitors who had been billed to be part of the event were no-shows. “Unfortunately, a few exhibitors did not show up. Very disappointing, actually, as some of them did not even care enough to let us know beforehand,” said Sibeso.
The online magazine plans on having pop-up events on a bi-yearly basis, with the next one set to take place early next year.
“Monochrome was started because we lack platforms that celebrate Namibian creativity really well. We can’t always be running to the world to seek great when we can look just here. The Great Pop-Up was and is intended to market our brands but mostly to celebrate our potential,” Sibeso said.
With some of the exhibitors bringing limited merchandise, it meant that by the time some shoppers arrived, there was less variety to chose from. Hopefully the next event will be bigger and better in terms of a longer shopping experience for those who wish to stock their closets with Namibian fashion brands.
