Cape Town singer Jarrad Ricketts launched his own clothing line on Friday, and within hours it was sold out.
The fashion brand is called Testimony, and the first item, a hoodie, was sold out by midday and the winkel in Blue Route Mall in Tokai had to scramble to restock.
Jarrad, 33, from Ottery, says his range was inspired by God and he designed the “JER 29:11” hoodie himself.
The name refers to the book of Jeremiah in the Bible, which states: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
The gospel star says: “The Testimony hoodie is the start of my fashion range and was so in demand on the first day, it sold out within nearly five hours.
“This particular item took a year and a half to develop.
“From the cut and shape to the labels, fabric choice, colour, branding, I designed it all.
“I also had a lot of input from industry professionals and other designers to ensure that I was creating a good quality product.”
After visiting more than 70 schools around the Western Cape, motivating and sharing his journey with the youth, and doing community upliftment through his Jarrad Ricketts Foundation, Testimony is the latest project in which the singer hopes to impact the lives of South Africans.
“After being exposed to so many different people, their lives and situations through my community work, I became inspired by the idea that there is power in our stories,” he says.
“This led me to create a brand that is focused on spreading a positive message, where we acknowledge the path God has placed us on, embracing the hardships, struggles, and using those experiences to inspire others to persevere. It doesn’t matter who you are, or where you come from, we all have a story, a story that matters.”
Proceeds of his fashion brand will be donated to his foundation to continue with community upliftment initiatives.
Jarrad says more fashion items will be launched later this year.
The hoodie retails at R550 at the High Street Fashion store at Blue Route Mall.