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Running a fashion label in an area of Soweto affectionately called Baghdad has its challenges. Thesis, who run both a store and a label in the area, are pretty upbeat about their neighborhood's potential though. They realize that a bit of urban edge has unit-shifting potential and cheerfully explain why their home got its non-tourist friendly nickname on their packaging (it's considered to have a similar level of personal safety…). They also have the benefit of strong community roots in Soweto that has kept them going since 2002.

Having won over Soweto's fashion kids with their mischievous usage of Soweto icons (such as the lethal mini bus taxis) in their t-shirt graphics and an edgy denim range they are planning to bring some ghetto chic to other areas in the near future. Mangaliso Radebe, who is part of a team of five young guys that run the enterprise, gave me some background:

Dazed Digital: How did Thesis start up?
Mangaliso Radebe: We started by buying second hand clothing and customizing it. We would buy something and give it a whole new look and its own character. It wasn't that difficult at first as we started buying t-shirts and printing them (they have their own in-house graphic artists). The money we made from the t-shirts was used to buy fabrics (mainly denim) and other accessories. The challenge started though when we opened the clothing store, we had to have proper structures in place and needed money (as we still do). We persuaded family members to invest in us to start things up.

DD: Describe the store?
MR: Our store has a retro African feel combined with a youthful, very now, feel. We have graphics of cracked walls, an open ceiling with razor fencing on the roof and a shack as a fitting room. As well as Thesis you'll also find other Soweto based labels such as Mbizo, M-Southern, 25Hours and Seth Clothing. Our customers are usually young (with work) that want to combine the international trends with something more local.

DD: What's next for the label?
MR: We want to be the main contact point of fashion in Soweto, give assistance to aspiring designers and create a community of creative talent not limiting it to fashion designing but also other areas of design/creativity. Oh, yes also plan to open two other stores in the next twelve months, maybe one in Durban or Cape Town.

Thesis can be found at Mofolo Village 173 Machaba Drive at Mtetwa Stores, Soweto