Panashe ‘Arcane’ Madziva Interview

Q. Please tell us, who is Arcane?

A: Arcane is a part time poet, full time schemer and all time great, in his less than humble opinion. My birth name is Panashe Madziva, i was born and raised in Harare. I’m a clothing and graphic designer/Spoken Word artist with a deep passion for all things creative, my life revolves around and is inspired by creativity.

Q. What is your project about?

A: In a nutshell, I own a clothing company called qmcv apparel, which came to life in 2013. It has since produced the RUN 263 range of t shirts, and preparing to release more designs.

Q: What motivated you to start your Run 263 ?

A: As a hip hop head, I wanted to create something thats internationally recognized but locally appreciated, and have something to do with hip hop, so having seen how the iconic RUN DMC artwork had been redone by so many different designers around the world, I decided to make a “localized” version of it, and putting a uniquely Zimbabwean spin to it, and it has since been well received.

Q: What do you want to achieve with this project?

A: apart from making a sizeable amount of money *chuckles*, I want to give Zimbabweans a somewhat local swagger they can take to the world, give them a very distinguished sense of belonging, something they can call their own, I plan on establishing RUN 263 as THE brand that truly represents the urban, ambitious and progressive demographic of Zimbabwe.

Q: As a young person do people take you seriously in regard to what you are doing?

A: Yes, but it has taken a lot of convincing, when you tell older folk that you design and sell clothes, they assume you run an establishment like one you’d find at Coppa Cabana or Mupedzanhamo and so expect you to run it as such, or with a similar mentality. But thanks to people like yourselves who recognize and choose to profile what I do, people slowly see the bigger picture.

Q: How long has the project being running for?

A: it first launched in 2012, but really took off in 2013.

Q: Are you working alone or do you have people who work with you?

I started it with the now late Michael Mupeti aka MyKol Riley and after he passed on, I took some time out to try fill the void he left in the wake of his sudden and very unfortunate passing. I now run it with a close friend/business mentor and I also have a team of people who handle various aspects of the company such as distribution, marketing, visuals, etc, its an intricate network of passionate and talented creative minds with one common goal, to be undeniably great.

Q: Do you want volunteers?

A: Yes!, no one has ever built an empire on their own, if anyone wants to partner with me in any way, they’re free to approach me & we can make history (and money) together. I’m very much open to any and all viable propositions.

Q: Do you have a specific target market and location?

A: Anyone who considers themselves trendy falls under my target market, young & mature alike. The clothes I design are supposed to be an extension of the masses’ pool of thought, I aim to be the voice of the people, as any artist strives to be with their work, but just through fabrics and inks. The RUN 263 range of t shirts can be found at Avondale and Sam Levy flea markets and efforts are being made to have more points of sale, both in Harare and other major cities around the country. Or you can contact us via social media for enquiries concerning orders and deliveries.

Q: What has been your biggest challenge?

A: the production of the clothing itself, it has taken me quite a while to be able to put together a quality product I can sell at an affordable price, quality is everything and sourcing everything locally can be sometimes frustrating and expensive, but I’m now more clued up on where to go and who to see when producing the clothing.

Q: How long have you been running your business?

A: I came up with the idea of forming a clothing company soon after I graduated from CCOSA in 2011, but getting start up money and trying to run a business with no prior experience, business etiquette, or mentorship had me running in circles for almost 2 years. Things finally started happening for me in late 2012 and really picked up during 2013. I’ve learnt quite a lot since then, still am, to this day.

Q: Who is your inspiration?

A: Internationally, I have the utmost respect for Marc Ecko, founder of Ecko Unltd, and I’ve kind of modelled my brand philosophy around what I’ve learnt about him, he’s a man who had a talent and a dream and turned it into a thriving empire, more or less what I want to achieve. Regionally, I look up to brands like South Africa’s Butan Wear and Head Honcho, their streetwise savvy and love for urban culture is something to I really can relate to.

Q: Do you think young people are involved in the future of this country?

A: yes, contrary to common belief, its up to the older folk in positions of power to engage the youth and give them ample room to show what difference they can make in shaping the future of country, particularly in the arts and I.T sector, which I strongly believe are what will sustain us in the future, thats where the rest of the world is going and we can’t afford to be left behind.

Q: Do young people in Zimbabwe recognize your work or its young people outside Zimbabwe? Is it important to you to be appreciated at home?

A: I’ve actually lost count of people overseas who have my product, there’s actually a strong demand for my product outside Zimbabwe because those outside want something that can set them apart from others when they’re overseas. It’s very important to be appreciated here at home because its easier to relate to and grow with those from home, charity begins at home, right?

Q: Whats your biggest achievement yet?

A: as a designer, having my product feature in an award winning music video & as a spoken word artist, being a finalist in a nationwide poetry competition and subsequently being featured on the biggest poetry website in the world.

Q: If you were a President for one day what would you change? Why?

A: if I was to literally “RUN 263” for a day, I’d change the very dynamic of leadership, leaders are supposed to be people with a particular vision that should serve the people, and not make them slaves to leaders. So I’d engage the people, find out what they really need and try give them what they need in order for all of us to thrive.

Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?

A: On multiple world stages, being a good ambassador for Zimbabwe and Africa.

Q: What do you do to relax?

A: watch movies, listen to music or read, magazines, mostly.

Q: Are you seeing anyone?

A: no, not at the moment. So, ladies…*laughs*

Q: Your advice to young people?

A: Dream. Plan. Execute. All of us have dreams, but not all of us want to work to realize our dreams, the biggest dreamers are usually those who seldom sleep.

Q: Where can your fans reach you?

A: I’d give out my number and home address but that’s a bit risky! *laughs* Well, on the personal front, Panashe Madziva on Facebook, or follow me @Im_So_Arcane on Twitter and Instagram. On the business side, you can like the RUN 263/Quinton McVandal Apparel pages on Facebook or follow @qmcv_apparel on Twitter and Tumblr.