Dreams & Nightmares: A Look into Jokie Riak's Clothing Design
Dreams are everything to Jokie Riak. A South Sudanese fashion designer and brand owner, Riak is constantly dreaming and working to bring his manifestations to life. He dreams of creating a fashion house built on storytelling. “Hopes and dreams are amazing,” says Riak. “That’s a great drive, but I can’t just make it on hopes and dreams.” He won’t have to, and he’s already halfway there with the creation of his brand, SAFARI, and an upcoming collection premiering in September.
SAFARI is led and curated by Riak along with six other people. The brand focuses on three clothing lines: menswear, womenswear and customwear, the last of which Riak is especially excited about. He launched the customwear line to connect more with his customers and spend time getting to know each personality, creating something new just for them.
Regarding the origins of his brand, Riak says, “I got the name [SAFARI] because when I would go out with my friends … we’d go to a lot of places and we knew a lot of people, so they started collectively calling us the Safari Boys.” The nickname stuck and flipped a switch in Riak’s mind. This moniker could represent something bigger—a fashion house. Read More...
