By Imaan Moosa
Edited by Yumna Bodiat
Ranaa Patel speaks to us about HERstory.
Quirky, unique and classy 25-year-old fashion designer ditched the Andrea Sachs role and hightailed it to Instagram to become the next South African social media influencer.
Ranaa Patel is the creator of the clothing range ‘RM Fashionary’, as well as a fashion and lifestyle blogger.
Her passion started long before she can remember. At age 13, she proudly (but now sheepishly, upon reflection) used to sport Manchester United SC jerseys. However, the eclectic 14-year-old ditched the football t-shirts and jeans for skirts, dresses, and tighter blouses.
I always wanted to look different from the crowd. To look different was a personal and fun challenge. Now you will almost never see me in a pair of jeans. It’s a rare occasion.
Her unique style can be attributed to her parents, who Patel says are “the most dapper and elegant couple”.
In her matric year, Patel entered a fashion show competition where she took home the best designer award for three out of five of her designs. She also won as the best designer overall.
Patel completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in fashion and majored in media, buying and merchandising, and marketing. In 2016 upon completion of her degree, she worked as a fashion intern at The Sunday Times.
I used to assist with compiling fashion spreads for the pages you see in The Sunday Times Lifestyle section, I assisted on fashion shoots with sourcing, returns and styling on set and I also assisted with writing online articles as and when they needed me to contribute.
Working closely with The Sunday Times’ marketing team meant she was given press drops from her editor who allowed her to keep the clothing. She would then wear the clothing and tag the brands, such as Mr. Price, on Instagram.
Pictured: (Left) Black dress by Mr Price, (Right) Pink dress by Yaga. Photos: Provided
When her salary was cut in her second year, she endeavored to create her brand on social media and what has been a long-held dream, her very own clothing range.
I was really into athleisure. I had also begun travelling a lot and wanted to look good but still be comfortable while travelling. I couldn’t find the perfect travel tracksuit for myself. I wanted a flare leg tracksuit pants, fully tonal and a cropped hoody. I wanted neutral shades like nude and classic colours like maroon.
To solve her predicament, she bought fabric and got a seamstress to make a tracksuit for her. Once others started asking her where she bagged her outfit from, she started marketing the clothing she was creating for herself.
However, it was not without its challenges. “To produce something that was cost-effective in small quantities (30 tracksuits) and still be able to make a profit [was a gamble]. I had to learn everything, from where to get a good CMT (cut, make, trim) factory and what was the best courier to use.”
It was all about the hustle for Patel, who teamed up with friends to build an e-commerce site and learned the A, B, Cs about packaging and marketing. Determined to make her vision come to life, she worked around the clock to sell every tracksuit produced.
I feel empowered through the clothes I wear when I look in the mirror and think, ‘Wow, that’s a unique look’. When people recognize that I have a good sense of style and ask, ‘Where can I get that from? I love it when they want to wear something in the same way I did. That is empowering.
She will be emigrating to Canada in the near future. Watch out world because Patel is ready to show the international fashion community what she’s made of – wrapped in lots of glitter, tulle and sequins!
A word of advice from Ranaa Patel:
Stay true to yourselves in a fast-changing industry and be kind. Be kind because you never know when the person sitting next to you at a fashion show or working as an intern may change your life for the better. It’s all about your network.
Facts about Ranaa Patel:
Favorite item of clothing: My Cord Tan Hand Bag. It goes with everything and is just the right size, not too big and not too small.
High-end fashion or high-street fashion: High-street. I grew up making affordable fashion look expensive in the way I wore it. My husband jokes that this is my hidden talent. No matter the price, it’s how you wear it that’s important.
Growing your brand: Collaborate with designers, collaborate with other influencers and fashion professionals. Money isn’t everything. I am fortunate to have a full-time job now that allows me to be able to do trade exchanges, collaborations and build relationships for free.
Follow Ranaa Patel on Instagram for more of her marvellous creations: @rmfashionary
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