Story
HISTORY OF THE BRAND
Birth of graphics
AFTER 4 YEARS AS A STUDENT OF THE BELGRAVIA ART CENTRE, I SPENT MAJORITY OF MY TIME IN THE GRAPHICS DISCIPLINE PRODUCING MY WORKS WITH INK AND PENCIL AS MEDIUMS. THE DESIRE TO INNOVATE MY CRAFT AND CHALLENGE THE BOUNDS OF EXHIBITING MY WORK LED TO THE PRODUCTION OF LINOLEUM PRINTS ON FABRICS RATHER THAN PAPER.
“FOR MY FINAL ARTWORK OF THE YEAR I WANTED MY WORK TO BE VISIBLE BEYOND THE FOUR CORNERS OF AN ART GALLERY AND HAVE MY MESSAGE VOICED ON THE STREETS”
THE FIRST GRAPHICS HOLD A MESSAGE - “YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR HAPPINESS” (YARFYH). THE IDEA IS INTENDED TO CHALLENGE HOW YOU DEFINE YOUR UTOPIA.
MANY PEOPLE DON’T TAKE RESPONSIBILTY FOR THEIR OWN HAPPINESS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS RELEASE WAS TO SERVE A REMINDER THAT OUR PURPOSE DEPENDS ON OUR POSTURE.
THE FULFILMENT FOR THE BRAND IS USING THIS MESSAGE AS A DRIVER TO CREATE OUR IDEAL ENVIRONMENT; ALTHOUGH IT HAS NOT BEEN THE ULTIMATE UTOPIA EVERYDAY, THE INPUTS MADE HAVE BROUGHT THE BRAND CLOSER AS TIME PASSED.
Building the foundation
REALITY CHECK 101. THE FIRST YEAR OF UNIVERSITY AND ADJUSTING TO A CITY LIFE, THE YEAR WAS DEDICATED TO ESTABLISHING WHAT IT REALLY MEANS TO START A BUSINESS, LET ALONE MAKE CLOTHES.
FOR A WHILE, JIYANA ONLY EXISTED IN MY HEAD. THE FOUNDATIONS STARTED TO BREW IN THE WORKS AS THE IDENTITY BEGAN TO SPROUT AS TIME PASSED. THE BRAND EXPLORED DIFFERENT MATERIALS, COLOURS AND PRODUCTS TO FIND ITS STAPLES.
“JIYANA” IS THE NAME OF THE XHANTI’S CLAN, WHICH COMES FROM THE AMAHLUBI TRIBE IN SOUTH AFRICA. SELF-DISCOVERY, GROWTH AND IDENTITY BECAME MORE NATURAL FOR THE BRAND TO FEED OF THE FOUNDER AS JIYANA IS XHANTI AND XHANTI IS JIYANA.
THE BRAND DEVELOPED AS AN EXTENSION OF MEDIUM FOR MY ART , INTROSPECTION AND REMINDERS INSPIRED BY BIBLICAL MESSAGES TO EXPRESS TOWARDS THE COMMUNITY AND SOCIETY AT LARGE.
Launch of the first product
A MILESTONE YEAR AS THE FIRST BATCH OF PRODUCTS WAS LAUNCHED. THIS MARKED THE BEGINNING OF OPERATIONS AND EXPANSION OF BUSINESS DEPARTMENTS NECESSARY FOR SUSTAINABILITY. THE FIRST PRODUCT MADE AND SOLD WERE 20 UNITS OF THE YARFYH GRAPHIC T-SHIRTS IN BEIGE AND BROWN.
WITH THE LOVE AND SUPPORT OF FIRENDS, THE LAUNCH OF THE BRAND WAS MADE POSSIBLE. USING THE MINIMAL RESOURCES WE HAD AT THE TIME, WE WERE BLESSED TO ACHEIVE SOMETHING BEYOND OUR EXPECTATIONS. SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY THE NERVES AND UNCERTAINTY OF BEING A ROOKIE IN THE INDUSTRY BEGAN TO FADE.
THE BRAND ALSO EXPERIMENTED IN LADIES’ WEAR, PRODUCING OUR OLIVE SKIRT FROM THE HEART OF CAPE TOWN. AS SIMPLICITY AND FUNCTION HAVE BEEN THE MAIN PRIORITIES.
First public appearance
THE SUCCESS OF OUR FIRST LAUNCH CAPACITATED OUR ABILITY TO SEIZE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TRADE IN AN AFFLUENT STORE CALLED BARLEY’S BLOSET IN CAPE TOWN. THE OWNER BELIEVED IN THE BRAND AND GRANTED US TRADING SPACE IN THEIR LOCAL BRANDS SECTION.
WE DEVELOPED OUR FRAMEWORK AND DESIGN PRINCIPLES FURTHER. UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF PROMINENT DESIGNERS, ARTISTS AND TRADERS.
WE SAW AN OVERFLOW OF OPPORTUNITIES AS WE COLLABORATED WITH A STYLIST ORGANISATION, STYLED BY FLY FIRST. THIS ENCOURAGED THE BRAND TO SEEK MORE AVENUES TO SHOWCASE OUR OFFERINGS WITHIN THE INDUSTRY.
THIS WAS THE YEAR WE STARTED SEEING JIYANA IN OTHER PEOPLE’S EYES.
An expanding team
THIS YEAR MARKED THE INRODUCTION OF THE INNATE SET A PRODUCT THAT WHERE WE ARE IN OUR JOURNEY TODAY. THE JOURNEY WE SHALL EMBARK ON WITH INNATE EXCITES US BY HAVING SUCH AN EMBRACED OFFERING BY THE COMMUNITY.
THE BRAND EXECUTIVE TEAM HAS GROWN, AS MUMBI JOINS AS A PARTNER IN LEADING THE BRAND INTO THE CHAPTERS AHEAD. OUR WORLD RESIDES IN THE SMALL TOWNS WE WERE BROUGHT UP. ORIGINALLY MUMBI AND I ARE FROM THE EAST COAST OF SOUTH AFRICA; JIYANA’S PERSONALITY EXEMPLIFIES THE RURAL GROUNDING AND PRIDE OF OUR HOMESTEADS. THIS YEAR WE’VE PURPOSEFULLY DEPICTED THE LIFESTYLE OF THE BRAND IN A WAY THAT SPEAKS TO SIMPLICTY AS A REFLECTION OF OUR BEING.
WE CONTINOUSLY CREATE TO OFFER YOU A TANGLIBLE MANIFESTATION OF OUR PHILOSOPHY, VISION AND VALUES. THIS IS WHERE WE’RE GOING – AND YOU CAN COME WITH US.
