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Bongani Ndlovu Showbiz Correspondent
SUPERSTAR Oliver Mtukudzi’s Haikobo shoe range is the buzzword on the fashion scene these days. The veteran musician added his name to a long list of celebrities who have used their star power to launch fashion brands a fortnight ago.

Showbiz is all about glitz and glamour, and what is more glamorous than clothes or shoes with the names of famous celebrities behind them?

When Tuku threw his hat into the ring, he joined a long list of musicians, actors and other popular figures that have entered the uncharted waters of the fashion world to find new streams of revenue.

While Tuku only launched his label a fortnight ago, he is not the first Zimbabwean to taste the volatile waters of the fashion world. Alishious ‘Maskiri’ Musimbe has his own deodorant manufactured in the United Kingdom.

Riding on the wave of the dancehall craze that has hit Zimbabwe, chanter Seh Calaz has started his own clothing label called Mabhanditi, named after what he claims is his clan name. Like Winky D’s much fabled Ninja regalia, the clothes the chanter wears on stage are produced by his Mabhanditi label and with Zimbabwe’s large expatriate community, he has plans to take the clothing label international.

Bulawayo Afro house artiste whas launched his Iskipa line of T-shirts that are popular with various celebrities in the city.

Mzoe 7 said the Iskipa T-shirts were a tag line for one of his songs.

“When we were designing the artwork for the song Iskipa with Cal_Vin, we realised that this could make a good tag line for personalised T-shirts. So that’s why we’ve T-shirts written Iskipa sika Mzoe, or sika Mbo Mahocs etc,” he said.

Mzoe 7 said the Iskipa range introduced his clothing label Gagagugu Wear.

The musician cum designer is not the only Bulawayo artiste to venture into fashion with hip hop website, www.da-grapevine.com’s Naboth “Rizzla” Rimayi also joining the fashion line bandwagon.

The clothing label comprises of snap back caps, T-shirts and various memorabilia.

“We come from a hip hop background and this shows in our fashion line. The whole idea is to push clothes that are street wear-based and also make individuals stand out,” he said.

BodySlam Entertainment, widely known for its promotion and studio production of Zimdancehall music, also has a clothing line.

They recently opened a shop where people can purchase their own cooler boxes, T-shirts, caps and jackets.

Simbarashe Chakare, one of BodySlam’s DJs, said it is not always about making money, but the ability of an artiste to think outside the box.

“I never had the idea of having my own stuff till people started commenting on the T-shirts I used to wear so decided to do something about it, “said Chakare

Maskiri, who is set for leave for the UK in a few weeks, said artists ought to be open-minded and not rely on one stream of revenue.

With piracy wrecking havoc with artistes’ incomes, turning to fashion might not be the worst of ideas.

“My perfume is all about marketing and rather strengthening my brand so my legacy lives on,” he said.

While names like Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Armani roll off the tongue during celebrity events, some famous names have chosen to use their own star power to start brands that represent them.

Hip hop icons Jay Z and P Diddy have managed to establish a stranglehold in the urban fashion world with their labels Rocawear and Sean John responsible for their fabulous wealth.

Rapper Dr Dre has managed to become the genre’s first billionaire off the strength of his Beats by Dre, which have become more of a fashion accessory than mere headphones.

After pioneering various fashion trends in the last decade, Kanye West has recently been on a crusade to penetrate the fashion world, with his initial claim to fame, rap, now taking a back seat to his fashion ambitions.

South of the Limpopo celebrities have also not been shy to try their luck in the fashion world.

Channel O Turn up presenter Siyabonga Ngwekwazi’s Ama Kip Kip is a hit around the Southern African region, with many youths taking to his simple branded T-shirts, hoodies and caps.

However not all celebrities that have tried their hand in fashion have come out tops. While celebrities have the gloss that rubs off on their fashion products, some of celebrity inspired fashion lines have been a flop.

During her visit to Zimbabwe in December, South African DJ Zinhle revealed that she had resorted to selling clothes from the back of her car boot as the going had gradually got tougher in the last few years.

Rapper 50 Cent’s G Unit label has been on a decline for the best part of a decade as his popularity in the music world has also similarly declined.

The struggle that musicians face, exemplified in the cases of C’ndo and 50 Cent, is that when the popularity of their music declines, so does the popularity of their brands.

For Zimbabwean artistes, the challenges that they face are numerous and unique from those of their international counterparts. While aspiring rappers can point to the likes of Diddy as examples to follow, Zimbabwean celebrities have to open new paths for themselves as very few, if any, celebrity fashion or accessory lines have left an indelible mark on the scene.

As the country also seeks to navigate its way out of troubled economic times, many fans may regard spending money on celebrity fashion as an extravagance that they cannot afford. Similarly in other countries, tough economic conditions have seen a decline in fashion consumerism, with the worldwide recession from 2008 resulting in the closure of many fashion lines in the US and UK.

Despite these concerns, local celebrities have not been shy to take the plunge and try they luck in the fashion business.