17 Nov 2022 ///

INFLUHKS’ VISION INITIATES THE POWER OF STREETWEAR FROM CAPE TOWN TO LAGOS

In the city, 199 Loop St is home to a very special space. I was introduced to INFLUHKS through Andile from Broke – himself crediting the store with the injection of success that the Broke Boys have had for the last two years. I hadn’t been to the store in over a year until recently – nor had I ever met its co-founders, Samson Ajibade and Daniel Durojaiye; the duo also behind streetwear brand, Lazy Stacks. In the year since I first visited the store, INFLUHKS has been renovated and fitted to a newly contemporary shopping experience – I sense a concept store vision ahead – and alongside that, there is a lounge-corner against a backdrop of sneakers, for when the homies pull in. Each brand has their own rail and spot to reflect their signature; the thoughtfulness of this is clear. INFLUHKS is community-centred, and one of most altruistic visions I have encountered in local streetwear. In the back of the store, more insight lies in wait; a studio space, with a mural of Virgil emblazoned against the wall, is set up for small-scale photoshoots, and e-commerce (more on that later) product shoots. So, in-house is the name of the game for Sam & Daniel: and to top it off, behind the studio is their CMT studio. Yes, INFLUHKS and many of the brands that it houses are in fact, made on site; a solution for Sam and Daniel when coming up against supply chain issues – did you know, often you can’t get a factory to produce garments unless you order a minimum of 50 units? You see, INFLUHKS was never just about Lazy Stacks – nor was Lazy Stacks ever just about the store – the entire pulse running through the space is economic and creative empowerment in Cape Town through streetwear. This is a home for building brands and telling stories – and connecting Cape Town with Lagos, Nigeria, where Sam and Daniel were both born. In a world that seeks to divide and separate; INFLUHKS is articulating the future of streetwear in Africa, and they are bringing anyone who wants to join along with them.

“The origin of everything is from Lazy Stacks – we built INFLUHKS around it. Lazy Stacks started as part of a social media revolt in Nigeria, around three years ago. The president commented in a press conference that the Nigerian youth were entitled and lazy – and the response from the youth was to demonstrate online that this was far from the truth, that in fact the infrastructure doesn’t support the younger generations and their future. Lazy Stacks is inspired by youthful rebellion in creative individuals that make up the new wave of entrepreneurs and leaders – we want to ask the question with Lazy Stacks, how do we encourage economic growth and create, without conforming to society’s benchmarks for productivity and success?” Sam tells me in our conversation – indicating an incredibly powerful aspect of the rise of streetwear across the planet that is woven into the DNA of Lazy Stacks and INFLUHKS. Streetwear itself is a nexus of sub-culture and non-conformity; and yet, it has become one of the most successful markets in retail and fashion. Alongside this, streetwear remains at the frontier of what it means to build a brand in the 21st century; to tell stories, create community and in turn, nurture and feed that community off the success of being true oneself. Initially, Lazy Stacks was meant to be launched in Nigeria – but the pandemic had other plans; “The business was supposed to be launched in Lagos. With all the lockdowns, we decided to launch it online from Cape Town. Things became increasingly difficult, and that’s also how INFLUHKS started. Our original work in the store was assisting fast fashion brands reduce waste; we took clothes heading for landfill, and diverted them back into the store to extend their lifecycle. As time went on, I realised that wasn’t what I wanted to do; I wanted to sell and promote local brands, because sustainability is social and environmental. We can do both when we are creating a local industry – the original business model for INFLUHKS limited our creative expression, but it taught us a lot about retail.”

If you speak to anyone adjacent to or in the scene – they will confirm that INFLUHKS is onto something big. Whether its their iconic First Thursday parties, launch events or showcasing at SA Menswear, INFLUHKS has its sights firmly set on a new landscape for streetwear’s future. Central to this has been a physical brick-and-mortar store, particularly in a time where everything feels like it’s digitised. The purpose of this is yes, to sell clothes – but it’s also to encourage a continued reclamation of the city, a home for kids and creatives alike to come and hang out; seeding and sharing ideas. As Sam puts it – “We have hacked the system, and we tell a lot of the brands we work with, that this is what differentiates us. We are not supposed to be inside of the city selling our brands; it’s meant for bigger brands, and the challenge is continuous – it’s a never-ending battle to the landlord, or tenants, who don’t want us there because we are noisy. We are youthful, of course we are loud. Each year we sharpen how we approach business, and how we communicate what we are doing with the store. We are busy working on our online platform – the store is full, and we have a long list of people who are waiting to be a part of the INFLUHKS family.”

In the store – which I urge everyone to visit – the quality of fabric and construction of every brand is incredible. From Bigtynsonly, Kings On Horses, Flux – Artclub and Friends – Patrick James, Lazy Stacks and Broke, each brand expresses its designers unique viewpoint. It’s something one can never quite catch from a runway or a photograph; but this uncompromising commitment to quality is crucial for Sam and Daniel. There can be no other way; and this commitment has paid, particularly in how INFLUHKS is contributing to changing consumer perception around midweight local fashion. Sam explains, “We have seen a shift from people who used to go buy things from fast fashion brands, now rather saving a bit of money to buy a local brand in our store. People are understanding the vision, and realising they can be a part of it too. This growth is huge, and it’s pushing us to do more; especially because with our physical store, people come and connect with us, they connect with clothing; streetwear has more power than people realise. We encourage conscious consumption and economic empowerment.” There is a very unique energy of collaboration between brands running through local fashion; many realise that without each other, and the growth among many brands, the industry won’t be able to reach its full potential. On this, Sam explains; “We were able to do SA Menswear through Robyn Keyser at Artclub and Friends. When she visited our studio, and as always she gave so much advice – she’s an OG, and has been doing this for years – and she asked if we wanted to do the show in Cape Town, as she was going to SA Fashion Week in Joburg. Robyn really hooked us up. It’s been waves of appreciation from the show – the growth we have seen in our retail numbers go to show that we have more eyes on us and our work.”

One half of leading INFLUHKS forward is Daniel – his vision is to truly connect Cape Town and Lagos, as powerful forces in fashion’s future on the continent. Next on the agenda for Sam, Daniel and their whole crew is expansion; landing an investor, and getting a bigger space; the future is ripe for their taking. This is potent work; and one that signals the impact creativity has as a role for shaping the future of African fashion. Watch this space.