My birth name is Siyethemba Duma, my alter ego name is Mathew Nolim. He calls the shots at Matte Nolim, a luxury womenswear brand based in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Pietermaritzburg is a very chilled place, a small town, good for a simple life. It is a great setting for a big dreamer, I remember the kinds of designs I used to make in Pietermaritzburg. Going to university helped me a lot in terms of understanding clothing production more. I remember the first 2 years I was taught mostly theory and construction. This allowed all my crazy ideas to be able to reach the right audience. I value the time I spent at university so much because it led me to create my vision of design and aesthetics. I was just creative - on the wild side. All that was honed and polished by my lecturers - who went out of their way for me. I guess they saw potential in me

It’s so crazy how I started off designing for older women, they loved the quality of my work and kept coming back. This type of customer became my muse because they were investing in me and kept coming back for more. In 2016, I moved to Johannesburg after realising I could grow beyond Pietermaritzburg. When I got to Johannesburg my environment was different this older woman was out of reach now and I was evolving with a much younger audience. This gave birth to my first successful collection under Matte Nolim and introduced me to the big city. Fast-forward, years later my surrounding has been altered again. My customers are expanding and growing with them is as important as keeping the brand's identity.

Redefining modern minimalism has always been an obsession. I guess it has a lot to do with my audience. I know they want clothes that are different because they simply already have so many options. With Matte Nolim I give them fashion-forward designs that allow them to make a statement - meant to never be forgotten. Matte Nolim is made for a young spirited woman. She believes that age is just a number. She has an elegance that oozes from her gestures. Her age is the one thing that does not define her.

South Africa wasn’t always known for the kind of fashion I do. Dressmakers here were called designers. They were good at making clothes that were inspired by other designs. They took inspiration from magazine pages, for instance. The country is still very much influenced by this kind of approach so as an African designer I try to balance being African in 2021 versus how the world views us as African.

Firstly, I do not sketch, at all. I think I stopped sketching 4 years ago. All my designs are born from a paperless approach with a 4 step design process. It is about the evolution of ideas rather than designing. Lately, I have also been obsessed with African subculture's styling, but in general, I enjoy inspirations from things associated with African poverty or lower class and re-imagining that as more high end fashion. I think this is my job as an African designer.

She owned that look. I think I was more excited by the fact that they styled her in the whole look as I designed it with the shirt and tie. That was a nice pat on the back. I love collecting these magazine features.

This body of work was designed during COVID19 lockdown. I remember talking to my people and telling them that we need to do something a bit uncomfortable and unexpected. We weren’t so big on print in the beginning and wanted to expand on that specific aspect. The use of colour was also a priority. It led to the concept of a saying in Zulu, Ingwe Idla Nga Mabala (a leopard eats with its spots). It was an experimental project that is ongoing. It aims to elevate African aesthetics to ready to wear.

It is a really exciting time for African fashion designers. I think the world is genuinely interested in the African perspective as the western world has had its turn to speak. I hope the industry becomes a world league for all designers to play in more than a South African thing.

I have been adjusting to this change and it is super uncomfortable for a young designer. However, it is quite evident that it won’t go back to what was once a norm. We are busy restructuring traditional shows to aim for a completely independent form. It needs to be outside of Fashion Weeks - which was our former playground.

I think the past years have been all about experimenting and talking to our customers. It also has been about getting to know them and their wallet better. It is really exciting because as they evolve, we evolve with them. We are eager about our future. We hope to expand beyond our country’s borders and to be at the heart of the global fashion space.