Over the years, the entertainment industry has made significant strides in terms of how players are approaching their trade.
The growth that the industry has achieved has forced artists to raise their game as they compete to be unique.
One aspect that has generated interest is how artists present themselves during live performances, public appearances and when shooting music videos. Their dressing is intriguing.
| Courtesy of Jay The Designer
The unique designs artists such as Charisma, Gwamba, Saint, Zeze Kingston, Faith Mussa, Chizmo Sting, Bucci, Lili Vance and Kell Kay have put them in the spotlight.
Behind these designs is James Makwinja who trades as Jay The Designer.
The Lilongwe-based designer started his trade in 2015.
He said: “I used to work for a certain company where I was responsible for grading and selling clothes. I developed an interest in stocking up clothes and my wardrobe became huge and my friends used to borrow my clothes.
“As time went by, an idea came to make my clothes different from those my friends were borrowing. So I started rebranding them.”
Makwinja said his biggest inspiration comes from watching music videos on international channels.
“When you watch the music videos of foreign artists and compare them with our artists here, you will see that there is a huge difference in terms of presentation. I have always wanted to play my role in bridging that gulf in terms of quality,” he said.
The designer said most of the materials he uses come from secondhand clothes while others are sourced from China. He said the sophistication of his designs are determined by the demands from his clients.
Jay The Designer said: “It depends on what my clients want. Some are basic, but others require me to put much effort. Some designs are made from scratch while others just require altering. The bottle top outfit I made for Charisma took me weeks to complete.”
The designer said the trade comes with its own challenges such as last-minute cancellations during scheduled video shoots, late payments and inadequate budgets.
“It is not that easy. Some artists require designs of high quality when the resources at their disposal are low,” he said.
In a separate interview, Charisma said the art of dressing is crucial for an artist though its importance varies according to individual circumstances, artistic goals and personal style.
He said: “Dressing is a significant element for an artist that is why you always need to be particular about it.
The way you dress during public engagements talks a lot about your brand, confidence, levels of audience engagement and your professionalism.”
Dancehall artist Sean Morgan said the way artists present themselves is part of their business.
“Fashion in itself is art. People cannot just love us because of our music. Some fall in love because of our dressing. World over, all artists take special detail in the manner they present themselves. It is our business,” he said.
On his part, urban music crooner Piksy said although artists are human beings like everyone, the attention they attract is different.
He said: “Being an artist comes with special demands. When people see us, they don’t have to see something they saw from another artist somewhere.
“That is why we come up with unique designs. Some are funny and people laugh at us.”
