By Matṧeliso Phulane
Mashape Jae is a designer who believes that creativity is an art which needs to be nurtured.
This has seen him transform his brainchild ‘Statement Footwear’ to a new design called ‘Nalane’ which means ‘history’.
Jae feels so strongly about the idea that declares that ‘Statement Footwear’ brings a new elegant look.
“Why not wear a fashion statement and wear stylish luxury sneakers designed by Basotho?” he jibes.
Jae told theReporter in an interview this week that he introduced ‘Nalane’ to portray Sesotho lifestyle and identity.
“We wanted a design that portrays Basotho heritage, our Basotho lifestyle and identity, hence we have used the shape of the Basotho hat which is synonymous with us.
“When we speak of ‘mokorotlo’, we mean the element which identifies Basotho from other tribes. Mokorotlo is also there on our national flag and almost everywhere. However, in this case we tried to put it in a more creative way,” Jae pointed out.
‘Nalane’ is emblazoned on the side of the shoe and minimal Basotho-hat art is embossed on the heel to make a statement as the name suggests.
Jae said ‘Statement Footwear’ has Basotho elements and that makes it appealing to Basotho. Besides that, the shoe is of top quality; the upper part is made of calf-skin genuine leather – a soft kind of leather that is strong, long lasting, and breathable. The sole is made of non-slip rubber, and does not crack or break.
“The sneaker is made of calf-skin genuine leather which is known for its quality grain, softness, strength and flexibility. Not only that, calf skin has been used since ancient times to make clothing, footwear and accessories,” he assured.
Taking us through the production process, Jae explained: “The first step is to cut the heel panel and emboss the Basotho Hat design on it. The next step is to cut other panels, sew them together; and lastly, sew the sole onto the shoe before putting on the print work.”
Jae started his footwear business after he noticed that there is quite a number of fashion brands locally which spot the Basotho Hat on various items like t-shirts, sweaters and bucket hats; hence he thought of doing the same with shoes.
“Statement Footwear has been doing well since it was introduced to the market. I keep on receiving many orders from South-Africa and different parts of Lesotho,” he noted.
Jae said he has loved art since he was young. He grew up in a family of people who did different kinds of arts. His father used to design billboards using paint; that was before they went digital.
“My sister was one of the best fashion designers in the country, so my family has a lot of people who are creatives.
“However, when I got to tertiary level I studied mechanical engineering. I also wanted to learn more about graphic design, which was my hobby at the time,” he pointed out.
All businesses are fraught with challenges and Jae’s is no exception. It is quite a long process to produce a single shoe and, as a result, he runs out of readily available pairs before finishing new ones.
That notwithstanding, he gets a lot of gratification seeing a customer happy and proudly wearing these sneakers.
Each pair of sneakers costs M1,250. Delivery is done around Maseru town. Clients can visit his office at Metcash Complex, Room 127 Maseru, or contact him on this number: + 266 59329982. He can also be reached on the Facebook page: Statement Footwear.
