Bonés 1975: another success for Nivaldo Thierry
Written by: Precidónio Silvério
The year 1975 will never fade from the memory of Mozambicans, and there are countless, unquestionable reasons for this. It was in that year, at midnight on 25 June, that Mozambique proclaimed its independence from Portuguese colonial rule, in a ceremony led, at the highest level, by the then president of the People's Republic, Samora Moisés Machel.
The raising of the Mozambican flag in place of the Portuguese one marked the end of long years in which several generations fought to resist the usurpation of their land. Today Mozambicans sing of the taste of freedom, the freedom to live, to dream, to invent and to recreate. It was this freedom to recreate that 1975 inspired in a young Mozambican designer, Nivaldo Thierry, in the design of hats printed with the number that marks the year of national independence.
Nivaldo Thierry, besides being a personal name, is a brand that the designer himself adopted. Unlike many, Thierry fell in love with menswear, and his designs are a feast for the eyes of many young people. Unmistakable, one mark confirms them: NT, the designer's initials.
Nivaldo Thierry has already taken part in several exhibitions in Mozambique and abroad: South Africa, Italy, Portugal, Botswana. His most recent participation was at Macau Fashion Week, where he stood out as the only Mozambican and African present
The new caps came onto the Mozambican market last June, on the eve of the national independence day, the ideal occasion to do justice to what had inspired the designer: “I thought about breaking the patterns I had been using, and the first idea that occurred to me was to represent the history of our country, and a year like 1975 has no equal.” The success of the new badge was such that it surprised Nivaldo. He had considered it just a creation, the materialisation of an inspiration, but when he realised, there was the enigma. “People always want to know why 1975. That curiosity gives meaning to the item, and each explanation about the brand seems like a revelation.”
Thinking simple, but different
One of the hallmarks of Nivaldo Thierry's products is the simplicity with which they are conceived. From the design to the perfect marriage of colours, which, at first sight, and even from afar, are deep and penetrating. Golden yellow and black are very common in his products. Thierry says he pays little attention to detail. “I think I have a very simple vision of fashion. For me, design has to be simple; I'm a person of few details. When I develop the idea for an item, I spend hours on end thinking about that product, and that helps a lot.”
The 1975 caps have sold out, but demand has not. People want to wear the cap and the story behind the item. The company has decided not to launch a new collection this year. That will wait until 2022, in the month of independence. Sales of the current collection will remain practically unique and special, for the reasons we already know.
Born in 1990, Nivaldo Thierry has a degree in business management and a master's in project management. He says he could be working in an office, but decided to bet on entrepreneurship. He began his journey in 2009, inspired by a friend, but fate decreed that one would bet on womenswear and the other on menswear. He admits it is not easy, especially in a context where investment in fashion is almost non-existent. Persistence is what took his brand to the level where it now stands. Along the way, he has already taken part in several exhibitions in Mozambique and abroad: South Africa, Italy, Portugal, Botswana. His most recent participation was at Macau Fashion Week, where he stood out as the only Mozambican and African present, representing the country and the continent. He was recently named best entrepreneur at the seventh edition of the Young Creative Award 2021.
