FASHION FIERCE

A legacy of style - Jeffrey Hiuii

Jeffrey Hiuii grew up around women who displayed creativity and flair in the way they dressed. This alone is probably one of the biggest reasons why he has become a formidable young stylist who is passionate about telling stories through fashion.

His love for storytelling through fashion styling has taken him as far as getting featured in Vogue magazine for a creatively explosive collaboration with other Namibian fashion stars.

It was his mother and grandmother who introduced him to the art of styling with their ability to turn their ohorokova and matching otjikaiva into works of art. Their ability to juxtapose patterns, colours and fabric to bring the iconic OvaHerero attire to life was Jeffrey’s informal training.

I’ve always wanted to pick his mind about his style influences and as he narrates his story while sprawled on my sleeper couch dressed in vintage garb, I lap up every single word...

A sheltered upbringing

“I knew I was different from an early age. In grade one there was an incident where I was playing and a girl pushed me to the floor and told me to stop playing with her friend. It was then that I realised I was different,” says Jeffrey as he tells me about finding his identity in a society where it’s not always acceptable to be yourself.

Luckily for him, though, his mother fiercely protected him and kept him very close to her when he was younger. “My mom sheltered me a lot as a child and even when I grew older I didn’t really go out until I came back from the States when I was 24. I started meeting new friends.”

It was during this time that he began experimenting more with fashion and styling and expressing himself through his clothes. “I would use fashion as my shield. When I wore my crazy clothes people never wanted to talk to me. Fashion for me is a shelter and I started to realise that the people who would actually approach me were genuine. I knew they were my tribe.”

Styling his way to the top

As a child he often accompanied his mother to the seamstresses who made her dresses. He was exposed early to the decisions that go into putting garments together from scratch. “My mom always had that eye for detail. Mixing fabric, colours and patterns – she was so good at that. It fascinated me so much and I just wanted to be her”, he says.

Although he has been passionate about fashion for as long as he can remember, it wasn’t the first career he got into. In fact, it was only until a few years ago that he started taking styling more seriously after he left a full-time job in accounting to pursue his dream.

“I resigned and for a year I wasn’t really working but studied fashion. I studied everything about fashion. I wanted to know everything from hair to accessories and how presentation and storytelling go together”, he explains.

Today, Jeffrey is putting all that knowledge to work as a stylist for some of the most celebrated Namibians in the creative field. So far he has worked with stars in the film, music, media and fashion sectors. Among the people he has styled are Odile Gertze, Adriano Visagie and Chelsi Shikongo. He has also been part of numerous collaborations, the most noteworthy one being the Vogue Challenge. The creative production, shot with the talented Tuva Wolf, Renate Shikongo and Mhudi Simana, was featured on the iconic Vogue magazine’s website. The cover, shot by Tuva Wolf and impeccably styled by Jeffrey, was featured as one of the most outstanding contributions in the popular social media challenge where black models, photographers and stylists created their own versions of vogue covers.

The Vogue Challenge shot photographed by Tuva Wolf and styled by Jeffrey with Mhudi Simana as the cover star.

His love for storytelling through fashion styling has taken him as far as getting featured in Vogue magazine for a creatively explosive collaboration with other Namibian fashion stars.

Jeffrey describes his style as bold, fearless and avantgarde. “I want to tell a story every time I put clothing items together.” He has a weakness for vintage clothing and most of the pieces in his wardrobe have been sourced from informal markets.

While he has been soaring lately, he still wants to continue learning more about fashion so that he can create even better work. He dreams of attending fashion school and aims to do so eventually.

Jeffery is proud to be part of a strong movement of creatives who are not only queer but brilliant and proud to be themselves in a society that doesn’t always embrace queerness.

“It’s our time. For the longest time we’ve been forced to be behind closed doors, people were ashamed of even being with us but the hurt that comes with that actually ignites a fire in us. We are now using that fire to create and when people react positively to that, it’s the most fulfilling and liberating thing on earth.”

To keep up with Jeffrey’s stylish takeover, follow him on social media @jeffreyhiuii.

Rukee Kaakunga is a Windhoek-based Concept Engineer, PR Consultant, and fashion writer. Contact her via email: rukeekaakunga@gmail.com and follow her on Twitter @rukeeveni.

Another creative collaboration between Jeffrey and Tuva Wolf, this time along with Turipamwe Designs, the National Theatre of Namibia and Kulan Gases, Odile Gertze and Adriano Visagie.