In Zimbabwe, fashion is rarely seen as a creative pursuit. The norm is that clothes are made for the sake of utility, not as a means of creative expression.
Thankfully, a new crop of designers are balking the trend, keen on creating fashion as an art form not just clothes to wear. Such is the story of Joel Mazhindu, founder and creative director of Opus Clothing. A visual artist at heart, Joel founded in Opus in May 2024 with a mission to clothe the body while feeding the soul through art.
The inception of Opus was brought about by Mazhindu’s desire to contribute to the African creative renaissance, as well as encouragement from the people around him.
Speaking to Mcheno and More, Mazhindu broke down the major reasons that led to the launch of Opus; “If you’ve been paying attention like I have, the landscape of African fashion and design is growing exponentially. More designers are getting into creative fashion and brands are springing up. I started Opus as a means to play my role in the growth of the industry.
“Not only that, but it is also the people around me that pushed me to take it a step further and launch. Everyone that works with us has always had a deep love for fashion and design. Finding the right people was a key step in making it a reality.”
The name Opus is derived from Latin, which translates to “work” in English. In the context of this rising brand, it is not just any work; but work of substance.
”The name Opus literally translates from Latin to English as “work”. Classical composers would often categorize their creative works in “opuses”, for example Op.1, Op.2 etc. And so we saw it fit to name the brand ‘Opus’ because it lent itself to a very minimal and honest description of what the brand is – simply a creative work,” Mazhindu described.
Opus seeks to merge the worlds of fashion and visual art by using clothing as a canvas to incorporate various art forms. Thus, the brand is an extension of Mazhindu’s work as a visual artist. “As an artist myself, as well as someone with a deep interest in fashion; it seemed almost perfect to be able to incorporate the two. Paintings are stretched across cotton canvases, cotton t-shirts only seemed natural,” he shared.
Going forward, it won’t just be Mazhindu’s artworks you will be seeing on Opus pieces. He aims to use the brand as a means to narrate the Zimbabwean experience through integrating local artists’ art into everyday wear.
“We believe that by sharing and promoting the heartfelt works of Zimbabwean artists we are giving a voice to an incredibly vibrant, talented and unfortunately often overlooked piece of the Zimbabwean experience.
“Opus is not just a fashion label it’s a living gallery. Each piece isn’t just a garment it’s a canvas stitched in cotton, telling a visual tale of Zimbabwean identity, creativity and expression,” Mazhindu remarked.
Judging from the brand’s debut collection, this remark is no exaggeration. Simply titled Opus 1, the collection featured minimalist graphic tees and tote bags adorned with Mazhindu’s own artwork.
The tees and totes come in black and white to allow the art to shine. The artworks are the centerpiece of Opus’ design, evident on designs like Euforia, NdirixEve and Vertigo. The Opus 1 collection provided the blueprint for the brand’s creative process. At Opus the art precedes the clothes, as Mazhindu explained;
”Our creative process largely relies on the work that we intend to showcase. Even through our minimal aesthetic, the entire purpose of our pieces is to serve and integrate the artwork in the best way possible. Our job is simply to create a canvas befitting of the work.”
In the one year that Opus has been in existence, they have built a loyal customer base comprising of art aficionados with a deep understanding of the brand’s ultimate vision.
“The response to our works has been incredibly passionate, I believe that our community is deeply invested in the mission of the brand. The unique and almost sentimental attachment that is created by owning a handmade piece of art seems to be one that people are so willing to get behind,” revealed Mazhindu.
Looking to the future, Mazhindu is more concerned with the mission more than the metrics. A successful Opus Clothing fuses art and fashion as it expands across Africa.
“I only hope that Opus as a brand accomplishes more of what it was originally intended to do – to marry visual arts and fashion, while exposing an even bigger audience to our movement,” he concluded.
In an industry where trends trump substance, it will be interesting to see how the Opus Clothing story unfolds. A clothing brand going beyond the threads to create art with substance is a refreshing take on what has been considered ‘fashion’ in Zimbabwe.
If you are looking to wear designer fabrics with a purpose, then Opus Clothing may just be the masterpiece your closet’s been waiting for. You can place your order via Instagram, or directly on WhatsApp.
Meanwhile, stay on the pulse of everything Zimbabwean fashion and art on Mcheno and More’s WhatsApp channel.
