It all started in October 2009 when their first samples of caps and
trilbies were completed and their first stock being produced in 2010 in the
middle of July. Four Years later Babatunde has grown and has become one of our
popular street culture brands which is uniquely identified by their use of bold
African Brands. I had the amazing opportunity to speak to the founder of
Babatunde, The man behind the prints, Gareth Cowden and this is what he had to
say.
The use of print was inspired by a trip to Libreville, Gabon in 2007 “I was inspired by the way people
there wore their prints with pride. It was everywhere. So vibrant and uniquely
African. This inspired me to work with prints.” Babatunde encourages people
to respect themselves and those around them and make decisions that benefit
fellow Africans “It would be
great to push a way of life or a consciousness through a brand. But I don’t
think it’s that easy. It is something we will try though.”
Since Babtaunde was born a lot of hard work has been put into
building the brand into what we know it to be today, Gareth says that he
noticed the growth of Babatunde in the little things “You notice small
things. The boxes for packing finish quicker. The fabric finishes quicker. The
bills start getting bigger. You notice the time spent on different parts of the
brand demanding more and more attention.” The growth of Babatunde resulted
in a lot of hard work and less sleep. However, looking back he wouldn’t change
any of the decisions he took as it is because of those decisions that he is,
where he is today.
Gareth Cowden is a photographer himself and therefore he comes up
with most of the concepts, “Sometimes quickly and easily and other times a
lot more laboured. There’s no real formula. Generally the simpler shoots are
the most enjoyable and bring out the best results. Planning and preparation are
key to making the shoots efficient and beautiful.” However he does admit that he enjoys
working with different photographers, even though it is usually specific
photographers he likes mixing things up, “At the end of the day, if I wanted
to work with the same people all the time, I would work in an office.” At the moment Gareth is more inspired
by prints than people he also looks for inspiration in music and everyday life
which enables him to make things people like.
If given the opportunity, Gareth would love to work with Adidas or
Puma, he has been a loyal Adidas shoe wearer since he could decide on his own
Kick game, and he also loves what Puma is doing. “They do amazing collaborations.
I know they are sort of enemies, but to work with either would mean I could die
happy”
Babatunde is also another brand which is part of our street culture
and Garth thinks our Street Culture Fashion is growing brilliantly. “There
are a lot of inspiring brands and crews coming through. It’s great to be a part
of. Creatively I think there are so many exciting things happening. Even
outside of brands and fashion.”
Personally Gareth doesn’t really shop at specific places however
currently his favourite brand is Paul Smith. This winter he suggests that it is
necessary to have a comfortable jacket or coat, he also advises us to “have fun with layers. Mix and
match different winter accessories. Woollen anything please.” Gareth
is very active and when he isn’t working you can find him playing football or
playing Golf, he enjoys spending time with friends as well as listening to
music.
Gareth advises those who are willing to get into the same industry
to “become a master of
what you want to do. Whether it’s styling, photography, designing. Know the
history, know every little thing and always strive to know more about it. Work
before glory.”
A few extra seconds with Gareth J
· How did you come up with the name for your brand and which other
names would you have gone for if it had not been what you have chosen now?
I was going to call the brand Bamako (the capital of Mali). But then
one evening I remembered Babatunde. I had come across the name while
downloading dancehall riddims while living in Dubai in 2006. I was fascinated
by the name and researched it. The name had a lot of meaning and represented
what I wanted to try in a multi-faceted way.
· Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?
I’ve got big dreams. I would rather work at them than talk about
them.
- You can follow them on twitter @babatundestylin
- You can also catch up with them on their website babatunde.co.za
Happy Shopping
Guys
XoXo
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