NATHANIEL GONDO
HARARE – For the past three years, October has become a month creatives look forward to, and Fabrik Party is a big reason why. The annual gathering brings together fashion, music and art, giving creatives a space to connect, showcase their work and discover new talent.
In an exclusive interview with this publication, Fabrik Party co-founder Ulenni Okandlovhu explained that the convention has been reduced from three public days to two following the launch of the Fabrik Party Lab\\Store, a physical space where creatives meet.
"We now have the Fabrik Party Lab\\Store where people meet network, trade, and create from on a daily so no there is no need for a three-day event because we have a physical space. But we still gonna have three days – two public official and day zero (Friday) for buyers by RSVP limited space."
The convention will retain its original format of workshops, music and fashion albeit with a few changes.
"Saturday will feature workshops, music, a market and a skate jam, while Sunday will focus on fashion and music. It’s a mash of a couple of things. A lot of hands-on workshops and activities hence Participate Edition," said Okandlovhu. This places greater emphasis on hands on activities and audience involvement.
Fabrik Party has always been a platform that gives its audience new players and is always full of surprises. When you come to think of it, some of the big names in the creative industry have passed through Fabrik Party. Think of Soliel by Ropafadzo Mapire, The Homeless Kids, Saint Academy, Red Planet, Icatha; the list is endless. Last year's surprise was Muzi, the [musical] headline act performing on the first day of convention. And on this Participate edition the story continues – new players will conquer the runway and the music stage. And there are going to be a few surprises too.
“A surprise from the Skate Community, a lot of new talent, we going back into digging new new. So come to discover. So if you are a scouter for fashion shows, festivals, local brands, artists etc this is the place,” he said.
He continues highlighting the focus on discovering emerging talent through its Open Stage and Open Decks platforms, "We opened the platform to the new new through our Open Stage & Open Decks so expect new DJs and Musicians so new names and talent. We excited to discover too."
The rollout of this year's Fabrik Party might seem like it started early with collaborations with different brands for the Fabrik Party Lab\\Store for pop stores. But it is far from that as the creative director of Fabrik Party gave the reasoning: "It’s a really ecosystem and evolution rather than a roll out plan . It was not necessarily a roll out it’s part of the calendar and goals we set based on the needs for our ecosystem."
According to Okandlovhu the launch of the Fabrik Party Lab\\Store was the biggest milestone for them, "Our biggest milestone so far this year was launching the Fabrik Party Lab\\Store which has been essential and impactful on our ecosystem and creative economy."
He added: "It’s another reason why we cut the convention to 2 days because now we have a physical place where people engage with our community and work on daily basis on a physical place which has become one of the important landmarks in the country."
With new talent, workshops and a surprise planned by the skate community, this year’s Fabrik Party Convention promises more than a showcase. It is an opportunity for creatives, brands and talent scouts to connect with the people shaping the local creative scene.
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