Client Stories
Baba Harare’s Story
OBJECTIVE
Baba Harare, a renowned Zimbabwean artist, approached me with a distinctive challenge. He sought to create unique merch that not only resonated with his 'jiti family' fan base but also reflected his influence from the realm of streetwear. The task was to conceive and actualize this vision within a short span of four weeks, just in time for Baba Harare’s performance at Zim Fest 2023.
STRATEGY
I embarked on designing four distinct T-shirt designs, each encapsulating an element of Baba Harare’s personality, journey, or ethos. The designs ranged from the City 2 City T-Shirt – an homage to his geographical influences, to a traditional band T-shirt reflecting his evolution as an artist. The final design, 'Prove them wrong, jiti family', was crafted specifically with the fans in mind, drawing inspiration from the artist's upcoming album.
IMPLEMENTATION
Once the designs were finalized, my role extended to source a professional and cost-effective manufacturer to produce the T-shirts in large quantities. By opting for outsourced manufacturing, we ensured a better profit margin for Baba Harare. Additionally, I developed jitifamily.com, a minimalist, user-friendly e-commerce platform where fans could easily purchase the merch."
OUTCOME
The timely completion of the merch ahead of Zim Fest 2023 was met with enthusiasm from Baba Harare and his fans. The artist's vision was materialized into wearable art, each piece a testament to his journey, creativity, and connection with his fanbase.
The Designs
Our collaboration started with the exploration of Baba Harare's personal and musical journey. Born in Chiredzi, raised in Bikita, and calling Mazvingo home, Baba Harare wanted his merchandise to be an ode to the cities that had shaped him. Drawing inspiration from these places, we designed four different pieces.
The 'City 2 City T-Shirt' celebrated Baba Harare's origins, featuring images of the Great Zimbabwe ruins in Mazvingo. An innovative reimagination of the Zimbabwean flag's colours - green, yellow, black, and red - added a vibrant touch to the design.
A traditional band t-shirt showcased the evolution of Baba Harare not just as a musical artist but also as a creative and fashion icon. It bore a quote from Psalms 4:6, encapsulating the artist's faith and resilience.
Our final piece, the 'Prove Them Wrong, Jiti Family' t-shirt, was inspired by the fans and Baba Harare's upcoming album. It symbolised camaraderie amongst the fans, and the relentless pursuit of achievement against all odds.
Production
Once the designs were finalized, we ventured into sourcing a manufacturer. We aimed to ensure the highest quality production while maintaining a healthy profit margin for the client. After securing a professional manufacturer, I oversaw the production of the merchandise in large quantities.
Concurrently, I developed jitifamily.com, the digital home for Baba Harare's fans. The website mirrored the merchandise's minimalist aesthetic and served as the e-commerce platform for the fan base.
in Baba Harare’s Words:
'You are responsive, you go above and beyond, you understand deadlines. I also like the way you understood my request and went on to translate my needs into actual designs. When you sent me videos of my Merch post-production, I was very impressed.'
