“As an 18yr old, Brett Van Rooyen (The Van Man) had a dream to start his own clothing label, a dream to open Faithwear retail outlets. The vision was to launch a brand that would be inspiring.
After completing his ‘A’ levels, Brett took a year out in South Africa to follow a passion for Moto –X. While in South Africa he competed as a professional Motto-X rider, and it was during this year that Faith Wear was born. Brett printed and sold T-shirts with Christian messages, to a small but very intrigued market. This he did to help supplement his living expenses.
In 1994 Brett moved back to Zimbabwe to set up Faith Wear full time. He started off with one sewing machine, and hired one tailor, and together they made the first of the checkered shorts which would later become a Faithwear Trade mark. The brand has come a long way since the early days; from stands at Zimbabwe’s Borrowdale flea market, agricultural shows and various fairs to the world stage with Zimbabwe Cricket, Zimbabwe Olympic Team and Pro BMX rider Sifiso Nhlapo from South Africa riding for FaithRace. Brett has described it as “being a lesson in faith every day”. He said, “I’d set up at the market and wonder if I’d sell any of the clothes. But right from those early days whatever we made we sold.”
Now with retail outlets throughout Zimbabwe and a strong following throughout Southern Africa, Faithwear is exploring new frontiers, in 2010 launching the first official Faith Race range and hosting the BMX World Championships in South Africa. It was here that rider Sifiso “Skizo” Nhlapo came (and) grabbed a podium spot in his FaithRace “Fast Pants”. From that event alone teams from all over the world jumped on board with FaithRace. Developing the first Faith Race range was a challenging task but the final product has been embraced for its aesthetic apeals as much as it has for their extreme lightweight feel and hardy protection. In the words of the Van Man, “these pants are “HOT””
For info and enquiries and to check out Faithwear and FaithRace visit: www.faithwear.co.zw.”
Photocredit: Simon Deiner/SDR Photo
Founded in 2007, Ladybrille® Magazine is a California based pioneer digital publication demystifying the image of Africans in the west through contemporary African fashion and celebrating the brilliant woman in business and leadership, with an emphasis on the African woman in the diaspora. Our coverage includes stories on capital, access to markets, expertise, hiring and retention, sales, marketing, and promotions.
