Twenty-two-year-old Ndatala Angula, or @kvng_tala as he is known to his Instagram followers, is taking his love for fashion to another level. The model has taken on a new venture recently by starting Thriftalot, an online thrift store that offers vintage and retro clothing for men.
Starting his modelling career five years ago, he has since grown to become a much-loved face in Namibian fashion, securing thousands of social media followers. In 2016, he walked the runway for one of the biggest fashion houses in Namibia, House of Poulton by Melisa Poulton, at Windhoek Fashion Week.
“It was the biggest show for an 18-year-old to do on the biggest stage in Namibia,” he said. “I was scared, thrilled and anxious at the same time.” Stating that it was a nerve-wrecking yet exciting moment, Angula knew that he was taking things one step further by making a name for himself in the fashion industry.
After the job at WFW, his career started picking up – several campaigns with photographers, coverage on national television as well as corporate and media gigs all helped him garner a large following on Instagram, which he used to showcase his love for fashion.
Unafraid to bare his chest or rock up in a trendy and upmarket outfit, this model-turned-entrepreneur was eager to push his interest in fashion even further by starting Thriftalot.
“I have identified a gap in our clothing industry. Men are not catered for in terms of clothing. We do not have a variety of items we can choose from in our local stores because of the notion that men do not buy clothes as much as women do, hence they are not always the target,” he said.
Specialising in unique thrifted items which target “those with an unsullied taste in vintage and retro clothing”, the Windhoek-based store also dabbles in classy accessories, trendy outfits, shoes and other fashionable merchandise for men. It’s simple: Place an order through Instagram and pay upon delivery of your goods.
“I came up with this transaction process because I have seen a lot of people (close friends and family) who buy clothes online get scammed by virtual boutique sellers. Sellers either refuse to deliver the product or they sell counterfeit items for ridiculous prices. That’s when I realised I had to do something about the status quo,” Angula added.
He said that Thriftalot, which has over 1 700 followers on Instagram, has sold items to customers in Namibia and beyond. “I get messages from people in South Africa and Botswana who want to order items and I courier it to them. It sounds surreal but it is the reality and I have accepted that I am most definitely doing something right.”
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