BY PHUMZILE NDLOVU
MBABANE – Law meets Fashion.
This sentence best describes Nkosephayo Ntokozo Mndzebele, a qualified lawyer, who happens to love fashion. In his fashion business, he says he target anyone who likes looking good. “We essentially target anyone and everyone who loves looking good,” said Mndzebele, who is also the sole founder of his own clothing brand, SKNDRP APPAREL, a street culture.
Mndzebele was born in Lwandle, Manzini and grew up in Schoemansdal under Nkomazi Local Municipality in the Mpumalanga Province of South Africa. He is a qualified lawyer who studied at Nelson Mandela University in Gqeberha (formerly known as Port Elizabeth).
It’s an interesting combination for a qualified lawyer who also loves fashion. We caught up with him to learn more about his love for the law and fashion.
Tell us about your love for the law.
To me, the law is a way of life. It governs literally anything and everything under the sun. The law is fair and impartial. The law is flexible and changes with time according to the customs, principles, and morals of that community. That is why I love law; I love how interesting it is.
The reason I studied law is an interesting and funny one. Initially, from my primary school days, I wanted to be a judge, so young me did not know that to get there, I had to be a lawyer first, so whenever they asked me at school, I would just say I wanted to be a judge. Even if they corrected me, I would be adamant that no, I do not want to be a lawyer, but I want to be a judge.
I then fell in love with how law always promotes justice, even for the voiceless, which is why I majored in Criminal Law and Family Law, which are two types of law that bring you closer to the people, and you always engage with real people and solve their disputes, leaving them with a sigh of relief, unlike mercantile law, where you sometimes represent a juristic person.
Tell us about your clothing brand
I am the sole founder of SKNDRP APPAREL, a street culture clothing line that caters to both males and females of all ages. SKNDRP, pronounced SKOON DRIP, was established in 2020 but came into operation on January 9, 2021, where it produced its first batch of t-shirts, which proved to be a hit since people asked for more, and from there we never looked back. SKOON is an Afrikaans term describing something that is pure, clean, and undiluted, while DRIP is another slang term for fashion. Essentially, SKOON DRIP can be directly translated to “CLEAN FASHION.”
Since our establishment, we were nominated for the Eswatini Creators Awards in 2021 and 2023, and we managed to reach the top 5 on both occasions. We have been featured in three national newspapers as well as two local online magazines.
Who is your target market?
We essentially target anyone and everyone who loves looking good, but according to our social media analysis, we are most adored by people who are outgoing between the ages of 18 and 35. We don’t have a physical store as of yet, but it’s in the pipeline for our 2026 plans. We are currently an online brand, and anyone interested in purchasing an item or two can DM us on our Facebook page, SKOON DRIP, or our Instagram page, @skndrp_international, or simply call or WhatsApp us at +268 7692 8745.
Have you hosted any fashion shows so far?
Since our establishment, we have never hosted a fashion show nor showcased at festivals simply because we were still under construction, building the brand to ensure that we are giving our customers garments that are worth their money and can last them a couple of seasons in terms of quality. This year (2024), however, it was part of our 12-month plan to showcase at least two festivals in the kingdom. We already have the House Music Fest lined up, so you will definitely find a SKNDRP apparel stall there. We are still going to decide on the second show or festival, and that will depend on what kind of vibe that show is bringing.
