Diamonds are forever

Designer Ingo Shanyenge is at the stage of expanding his brand and there can be no better name than the one he chose for his collection to represent its worth. Black Diamond. Being an ambassador of funky African print, he talks to tjil about his Black Diamond collection and the fashion shows he has been busy with.
The theme behind the name is a build up to his career as a respectable designer. “It represents my talent.
“The diamonds represent my talent that I have been given, my capabilities, and like diamonds which are rare and hard to find, one has to polish them and cut them for them to reach their full glory.
“It’s sort of a metaphor that one can easily relate to. It is more than glamour… it is the hard work that goes in, as well as the hard work that gets you the precious end-product at the end of the day, which is a diamond,” said Ingo.
Ingo is renowned for a streetwise, edgy and ready-to-wear look, but with his Black Diamond collection he pushed his own boundaries and the results of him stepping out his comfort zone are remarkable. He had previously showcased a Black Diamond collection which was more of a corporate gig which was also very successful - especially according to the ‘invited-only’ audience - and he decided to show his work to the public at large. “My collection had a unified colour scheme and pallet running through it; I had the earthy colours mixed with a little gold. The feel of the whole collection is street and glamour, since I started as a street designer. My Smallboi brand is similar to brands like Adidas and Nike.”
His latest and successful showcase was held at the Warehouse on 6 July in collaboration with an event of Spoken Word. The mix was very special. While the poets were reciting their words, the models walked on the same ramp, showcasing the designs. Ingo had an extended collection with 16 models who were all styled by stylist Reinhard Mahalie. He said he put a lot of effort in and the models were handpicked… and there were curvier models, not the usual skinny type.
“My team and I tried to stay away from the clichéd look and feel of a fashion show. We had all skin type models, different body sizes and a whole different scenery. We wanted to give people from all backgrounds a chance,” said Ingo.
He has pushed himself for this collection as he was a menswear designer only but he found himself designing ladies garments to prove that he is versatile too.
Most of Ingo’s outfits have an African print on them and he says it’s because people need to know that African prints shouldn’t only be associated with tradition - they can also be a fashion statement. “As much as I am a designer I am also an artist. I see myself as an activist. With the print, I want to give people back their identity as Africans. We are not Europeans. You will find people rocking Chinese or Indian attire.
“So this is me saying we should also be able to wear ours with pride and not only when we see it on some American red carpet that we should run for it. We should set the standard and they should copy us. Not the other way round,” stressed Ingo.
On the fashion industry in Namibian, Ingo says, “Only the fittest survive.
“Many designers will come and they will fade in due course. Those who really put in energy, effort and creativity will last.
“It’s not just about googling images and slapping your brand on there, it’s a craft so you have to work at it. It won’t last if you only work on it one day per week.
“People must make their brands appealing to people who don’t know you,” said Ingo. Ingo’s last words were for fashion designers to be able to think outside the box for maximum effect.
June Shimuoshili