Ambition, Hustle & Soul’d Dreams

The first time I met Anesu I loved his vibe. He walked up to me after my presentation at the recent Fashion Mashup in Zimbabwe with his big round retro glasses, neatly trimmed goatee and faded distressed denim jacket. It screamed young streetstyle influencer on the rise. I knew it was going to be an interesting conversation.

Anesu is one half of the beautiful thing that is Soul’d Dreams. Together with his co-founder and talented chief designer, Tadiwa, these two young men started a movement. Soul’d Dreams is brand that stems from the desire to express individuality and be proud of one’s identity. Being Zimbabwean, they express their individuality and rebellion from typical African fashion with urban style that celebrates their country and its people. The fashion line mainly features ultra cool jackets and hoodies with statement hand-painted Zimbabwean maps. Also available are other interesting merchandise such as branded phone cases and caps. The brand is for the young and the young at heart who love street style, love to be comfortable and love to make fashion statements.

How did Soul’d Dreams Start?

“Being away from home (Zimbabwe) inspired us to create an item of clothing that represented where we were from so that we could carry it wherever we went. An item that represented home away from home for all Zimbabweans and everyone who likes something about our country be it the people, the culture, the music, the food whatever it was. Creating something with this Identity was very important to us.”

If you ask me, the best ideas are always the simple ones. Why? Because they resonate with many. The concept for Soul’d Dreams was simple; Find a staple clothing item that represents their style and personality and spruce it up with a touch of Zimbabwe. This, I think, is why people responded positively to the brand’s samples, and even grew more hooked as Anesu and Tadiwa experimented with different colours and jacket types.

“Fashion is an easy way for people to express their different moods and personalities and also enables a creative to project how they feel onto others through the clothing they make for them” – Soul’d Dreams

What inspired the brand name?

“Soul’d Dreams grew from an earlier art project that Tadiwa worked on called Selling Dreams. Soul’d means to be filled with soul, and this comes from a play on the words sold and soul”. It’s a brand filled with passion and a love for all things art and expression.

How do you want people to feel when they wear your clothes?

“Mwana Wevhu is a Shona phrase in Zimbabwe which means son or daughter of the soil. That is the exact feeling we try to recreate with Soul’d Dreams. We want people to go out and feel proud and not ashamed of where they come from. We want everyone who wears Soul’d merchandise to have something they can put on anywhere in the world, no matter their mood and still feel stylish and confident. More importantly we want people to be comfortable in who they are and however they wish to express that.”

Soul’d Dreams was launched in July 2017 and I already see so much potential in this brand. This is because I see the two hustlers behind it juggling school and their craft but also making the time to ask questions, grow, network and understand their market so they can thrive.

Now if this doesn’t inspire you to know and celebrate yourself a little bit more while chasing your dreams, I don’t know what will.

Instagram: @sould_dreams
Facebook: Soul’d Dreams
Online store: www.soulddreamszw.com