
Meet the designers on Chivas Venture x A Grade with Zaid Osman | Sabelo Shabalala
ICYMI, The Chivas Venture is back with a bang. With a refreshed format that aims to make a big difference in local communities, the Chivas Venture is no longer a competition. Instead, cultural leaders will work with upcoming young talent to both nurture their skills and provide unique opportunities.
Grassroots community initiatives run by the go-getters of the world will be at the forefront of the new Chivas Venture, with success and generosity blending together as one. Unapologetic go-getters who hustle hard for their success will thrive under the close watch of relevant and local mentors – a process that will kickstart their careers and cultivate a strong sense of social responsibility.
Now we’re turning our attention to some of the designers to talk streetwear, participating in The Chivas Venture x A grade, and to get their advice for up-and-coming designers. Check out our conversation with Sabelo Shabalala below. And be sure to keep it locked here because we’ll be talking to Robyn Agulhas.

So far, what was the best part of being part of the venture?
The best part of being in the venture so far has definitely being able to grow alongside the other fellow apprentices as the collection is coming to completion. The experience of the venture as a whole has been phenomenal.
What’s was the inspiration behind RICHMANSKYF?
The inspiration for richmanskyf basically comes from the concept of being the best version of your existence, the highest level of yourself and we create garments that try to encourage that. We are also inspired by the history and cultures that live within South Africa.
What should people expect with your latest capsule collection?
The collection is very unique it’s filled with a lot of different styles and influences, I feel as if a lot of people are going to love it, it draws inspiration from the youth of South Africa and our individual journey’s so it’s really going to connect with everyone .
What has your journey been like, being a freelance creative?
The journey of being a freelance Creative is not an easy one so you have to find yourself and find what makes you unique especially in a saturated industry like fashion, which can take a bit of time to figure out, so the journey has had a lot of ups and downs, but I can definitely say I’m beginning to find my way through and going forward.

You’ve said RICHMANSKYF is a ‘luxury streetwear’ brand. How would you describe luxury streetwear?
Luxury streetwear is pretty much a blend between two worlds to my understanding, a blend between luxury contemporary fashion and traditional streetwear basically just finding the balance between the two and create what I call luxury streetwear it’s also called high end streetwear.
When creating a collection, how do you incorporate sustainability?
There’s a number of ways I incorporate sustainability in my collections when I design I usually use old off cuts of fabrics rather than disposing of them, I also use a lot of biodegradable fabrics such as linen and organic cottons for a number of my clothing pieces. I also believe in making quality garments as a way of sustainability because long lasting clothes are far less disposable unlike fast fashion.
What are some of the challenges you face in a startup?
Funding is a big challenge when it comes to a start-up business so it needs a lot of patience to grow into what you need it to be and getting clients to show interest and trust in your products as a fairly new business is really challenging. It’s also a struggle to attain the resources and equipment to be able to make your products.
What inspires you most about Zaid Osman?
Zaid has been a huge inspiration throughout the Chivas venture journey because I got to see first-hand the impact he has had and still has in the streetwear industry he is literally opening doors and pioneering new avenues in this space and that alone gives hope to us as the apprentices that we too can do it.
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