Johannesburg- Women complain that they always find it difficult to buy gifts for men. But with fashion creators like Tshepo Mashego around, a one-of-a-kind fitted suit or designer shoes may just be the perfect Valentine’s gift.
But it’s a catch-22 situation as others may find your bae too irresistible. That’s the result of the Relevance For Men tailored suits and shoe label.
His motto for every man to own at least one tailor-made suit is that a bespoke tailored suit is created according to your unique structure and silhouette – unlike suits bought from a store, which are made for all body sizes.
And with his hand-made formal shoes encrusted with diamonds, Motifs, abstract artwork – your feet are meant to do the talking. And suits so crisp, it’s made for you only.
Ladies, don’t despair. Even DJ Lamiez Holworthy was spotted wearing a pair of Mashego’s formal lace-ups.
Mashego, 34, born and raised in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga, is a self-taught fashion god. He is especially popular among high-ranking politicians including ANC heavyweights Malusi Gigaba, Minister of Justice Ronald Lamola, former Tshwane mayor Kgosientso “Sputla” Ramokgopa, and Gauteng education MEC Panyaza Lesufi, among others.
Even the likes of soccer legend Teko Modise are often seen in public donning Mashego’s craftwork.
Mashego left a lucrative career in accounting to afford men the opportunity to look dashing, as his mother taught him to look like a young man.
“She always made sure that I look stylish while growing up and that influenced me to get into the textile industry,” said Mashego.
The idea to start his own business was influenced by his pastime – collecting suits for fun.
His desire was to own a Tom Ford & Oswald Boateng suit, however, the first suit he wore was an off-the-shelf one that he says he wore at work.
Breaking into the business of making and selling clothing to a niche market was difficult, but once he got his first break, he never looked back. He first introduced shoes to his offering in December 2016.
“I wanted to be a catalyst. I saw a gap and realized that no one is playing in that space. I then redirected my resources towards research on the whole process. It starts from sketching out the idea, then it goes on to the factory for sample making and, once me and my team approve the sample, it goes to full production.
“I’ve always wanted to make shoes and not just sell shoes.”
Mashego said he always used more exclusive material for his niche clients who can afford it, noting that he would like to introduce a service where shoes are custom-made for your feet, just like his suits.
“It’s a costly exercise to undertake. We want to be cost-effective, however, in the near future we’ll be opening up a luxurious shoe shop and we’ll offer the whole experience.”
But for now, the plan is to stick to manufacturing 20 pairs of shoes per design. Once sold out, they are never repeated.
“The aim is to give value for money and exclusivity,” he said.
And with many people working from home, he created the Derby shoe that brings comfort when worn with shorts, jeans, and chinos.
“The market has changed. People are working from home and that means there’s less of a demand for classic formal shoes.”
Mashego said he named his brand Relevance for Men because: “Our aim is to make the clientele that we service look and feel relevant in spaces that they operate in.”
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