Vic Naidoo and 'Bombass Clothing': "I wanted to make clothes that people felt comfortable in!"
"It's all about making people feel comfortable in their skin, you don't have to look a certain way and have a certain body type to wear my clothes..."
Our very own Vic Naidoo recently launched his online clothing store and we couldn't be more proud of him.
He teaches us daily that in order for you to succeed at what you love, you have to start somewhere and that's exactly what he did with his brand, Bombass Clothing
We asked him for an exclusive interview and, of course, he came sharing his story, just for you.
Tell us what inspired you to start Bombass Clothing?
I started this in 2018, actually. I wanted another outlet where I could tell stories through clothes and I had just come out of a break-up and I was on holiday with friends in Thailand. A very good friend of mine suggested that I start something. And it was so bizarre because I always thought when you needed to start a business, you needed capital and you needed to register it, you couldn't just wake up one morning and decide you want to start a business, and then actually I was like, 'actually you can! '.
I got a bunch of ladies who were seamstresses and we made some handmade shorts and after not thinking much of it, it actually sold out. And then I moved slowly, I got a factory and started upscaling slowly...
Have you always been passionate about styling and designing? What's your fondest memory from when this passion started?
I wanted to make clothes that made people feel comfortable and things that I couldn't find in shops. I wanted to make stuff that expressed personality, that made you feel sexy, that showed a little bit of skin that wasn't just boring.
Where did your design inspiration come from? Was is about being practical but also fashionable?
That's how it started. I have always been inspired by the fashion from the 70s and 80s and at the time this wasn't in fashion and then this was the way of bringing it in. And at the time I was concentrating on guys' stuff only.
It's all just about making people feel comfortable in their own skin. You don't have to look a certain way, have a certain body type to wear my clothes. When you buy a pair of Bombass I want you to feel happy, I want you to feel excited about the garment, I want it to help you with your self confidence and your self worth and your self esteem.
Tell us about the name Bombass and the logo?
Bombass was one of the words that we used to use back in the 90s I think. A lot of my garments are about accentuating your butt, you know its quite risky clothing, so I thought okay cool, it just came to me and it felt right.
The logo wasn't even by me, I was approached by a graphic designer and she created these two balls and they represent butt cheeks and I thought that was quite funny and not many people know that...
Where do you see Bombass going in the next five years? SA Fashion week, a pop up store?
I don't think of myself as a designer, I think of myself as someone who is making clothes for people who need to embrace themselves and who they are. It's not about designing for me, it's about giving people affordable, accessible, comfortable, fun clothing that's good quality.
Maybe a pop-up store, I would love that, we do have international customers and for us to go international and have a stronger presence worldwide.
What's your favourite piece from the collection?
My favourite piece is the 'Hey Shorty Two-Piece' it's sleepwear and it is cotton that is comfortable, it feels like you are naked but you are not. It is for Netflix and chill, it's for sleeping and hanging around at home and it comes in a his and her set and does really well on the store.
Using the best of fabrics and most importantly it is made with love, making you feel excited about your life and worthy. The clothes tell a story. I have T-shirts with 'X's' on the nipple area and it's homage to an ex, how you've survived an ex relationship and you're moving on and you're living.
I am trying to tell a story with my clothes and I hope that people understand the story as the catalogue grows.
You can shop online here at the Bombass Clothing online store. Bombass is also on Facebook and Instagram.
Image Courtesy of Instagram