The fashion industry has not always been one to accommodate the large variety of people – even the models who are considered top tier can tend to be a little unrelatable as they are purposed to sell clothes to a certain minority – the type of market that has a very specific body type.
Please note, there’s no imposed shame to the ‘specific’ body type that I speak of. This is just to say, what about everyone else? Besides, the profit margins would have shot quite higher if a diverse range of body types were embraced historically in the fashion industry.
The fashion industry has come a long way in its development and with fashion stores like Nje,“where fashion clothes are designed for diverse people , the narrative is only becoming better. “I love fashion and I have always loved clothes,” says co-founder, Bonolo Zwane. She goes on to explain that the establishment of Nje was also driven and inspired by the need to accommodate a larger variety of fashion genres, where matchmaking and the re-creating of styles can be implemented.
The concept of Nje in a nutshell means, “something and everything- no matter who you are and where you are, Nje is all inclusive as it allows you to just be yourself Nje,” says Bonolo. The fashion items available at “Nje” just allow you to be and they are quite friendly in the sense that, they are accommodative of different fashion tastes and one item can be used in 3 different ways and for 3 different reasons, for instance.
Nje has been operational for 5 years and it started off as an online store. 6 months ago, “Nje” was opened up at Cape Quarter Lifestyle Center in Cape Town. The online store is still operational and to shop, follow the link at https://instagram.com/njecuratedfashion?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= .
“Fashion should be a form of escapism and not a form of imprisonment,” – Alexander McQueen. In the case on Nje Curated fashion, this is definitely where freedom thrives.