Keeping it “Afrikan”

Muti, by Clinton and Carrick Campbell, is a clothing label that embodies the African heritage and is without a doubt 100% South African.

It’s often believed the clothing you wear says a lot about the person you are. If that is the case then Clinton and Carrick Campbell are undeniably proudly South African. Having started their own clothing label in 2002, Muti has developed into a brand that embodies the African heritage and its indigenous culture.

Deciding to begin with a range of T-shirts, Muti teamed up with advertising creatives Am I Collective to create some freshly unique African designs. “A T-shirt is a great way to get your designs out there,” says Clinton. “We keep a local feel to all our designs and put a lot of effort into each illustration so it becomes an artwork itself and not just a print.”

By starting Muti, the Campbell brothers wanted to invest and recognise the wealth of imagery that we’re exposed to daily, particularly since most of us rely on the innumerable international brands on retailers’ shelves. If that wasn’t homegrown enough, all the materials for the T-shirts are sourced locally and are then manufactured by a small company in Cape Town keeping this brand 100% South African.

Their first range plays with the theme “Afrika” and the designers of Am I Collective were allowed to interpret it in any way they saw fit. This lead to 13 different designs, all distinctly “Afrikan” and with print runs of no more than 100, you can be assured your T-shirt is as much of an individual as you are.

Although still young at heart, the Muti label looks to release a new range three to four times a year, working with different South African designers to keep up the creative local flavour. Local is indeed lekker.