Flower Club began with an unusual proposition: Mulalo Dexter Nare convinced his manager, Makopo Theophilus Malebane, to resign so they could start a clothing brand together.
The two met while working at Kingsley Heath, where a shared love of clothing, sneakers and culture sparked conversations about fashion. Eventually, those conversations became an ambition to build a brand of their own.
Convincing your manager to become your business partner takes belief in an idea. Making that partnership work takes more than enthusiasm. For Dexter and Theo, the next step was putting their own money behind the vision.
In 2022, they each invested R3,500 into blank T-shirts, printed them and began selling. That combined R7,000 investment marked the start of Flower Club, a South African fashion brand now building its identity through distinctive knitwear, customer feedback and a commitment to improving its products.
Featured in our Brands on the Rise series, their journey explores what happens when a workplace relationship becomes an entrepreneurial partnership.
Flower Club Started With a Conversation at Work
Before becoming co-founders, Dexter and Theo worked together in retail. Theo was Dexter’s manager, but their connection extended beyond their roles at Kingsley Heath.
Both were interested in clothing, sneakers and the culture surrounding fashion. Their conversations gave them space to explore what they liked and what they might create themselves.
Dexter persuaded Theo to resign and pursue a clothing business together. It was a significant shift in their relationship: the employee and manager would become partners responsible for building something of their own.
Their retail experience gave them confidence that they could take the first step. They wanted to create stylish, high-quality and affordable clothing that made people feel comfortable while expressing their individuality.
That ambition became Flower Club’s starting point.
Turning R7,000 Into the First Flower Club Products
The founders began by contributing R3,500 each. They used the money to buy blank T-shirts, add prints and start selling.
The first offering gave them a practical way to test their idea. Instead of keeping their ambitions in conversation, they had products to show customers and feedback they could use.
However, launching did not come easily.
In their responses to Pat on Brands, the founders explain that the hardest part was putting themselves out there. They initially felt embarrassed to post their products because the quality had not reached the standard they wanted.
Customers nevertheless responded, giving them the confidence to continue and improve.
Those early products taught them a lesson that still shapes the business: getting started matters, but so does taking responsibility for making the next version better.
The Knitwear Collection That Changed Flower Club
Flower Club’s growth depended on understanding what customers valued.
The founders describe their audience as young, fashion-conscious people who want style and comfort at an accessible price. As the business developed, they discovered that customers were willing to spend more on quality and distinctive knitwear.
That insight encouraged them to move beyond T-shirts.
A turning point arrived when their first knitwear collection sold out, despite initial questions about its price. For Dexter and Theo, that response demonstrated a market for the products they were creating.
It also helped them understand the relationship between price and value. Customers considered affordability alongside quality, comfort and the appeal of the garment.
For Flower Club, the collection provided a reason to keep developing its offering and listening closely to the people buying it.
Building Flower Club Around Confidence
Asked to describe their brand in one word, the founders chose confidence.
That idea connects their clothing with the identity they want the business to represent. Their aim is to help customers feel comfortable in what they wear and confident in how they express themselves.
The brand brings together style, quality, comfort and culture. Customer feedback helps the founders assess how well their products deliver on that promise.
Confidence also runs through their own journey. Dexter had to believe in the idea enough to persuade his manager to become his business partner. Together, they then had to introduce their first products while knowing there was room to improve.
Their ambition is for Flower Club to reflect both personal expression and the experience of two young founders building from the ground up.
How TikTok and Pop-Ups Help Flower Club Grow
The founders identify TikTok and pop-up events as their most effective marketing channels.
TikTok helps introduce the brand to people who may not have encountered its products before. Pop-ups allow customers to experience the clothing in person.
For a business focused on quality and comfort, that physical experience is valuable. Shoppers can feel the fabric, examine the details and decide whether a garment suits them.
Pop-ups also give the founders an opportunity to speak directly with customers. Questions about fit, price and product choices can provide useful insight into what shoppers want.
Together, social media and physical events help Flower Club reach new audiences while strengthening its relationship with existing customers.
Customer Feedback Shapes the Brand
Community plays a practical role in Flower Club’s development.
The founders say their customers have influenced the products they create. Listening to feedback helps them identify opportunities and make improvements as the range grows.
Their approach to loyalty is straightforward: deliver quality products, respond to customers and make people feel part of the journey.
They also follow fashion, music, events and the interests of young consumers to stay connected to their audience.
As the business evolves, their challenge is to introduce new ideas while maintaining a recognisable identity. Confidence and self-expression remain central to that identity.
Reinvesting in the Next Stage
Flower Club began with the founders’ own money. Since then, they have reinvested revenue into better products, manufacturing, pop-ups and an expanding range.
Their priority is sustainable growth: making the business profitable while continuing to improve it.
To understand its progress, they track sales, repeat customers, sell-through rates, margins and customer feedback. These measures help them assess demand and decide where to invest next.
Entrepreneurship has also taught them patience, resilience and the need to take responsibility for the business.
Their daily approach involves setting clear goals, remaining involved and looking for ways to improve. The partnership that began at Kingsley Heath now requires them to make those decisions together as founders.
Flower Club’s Ambition Is to Build a Legacy
Over the next three to five years, Dexter and Theo want to expand their product range, create more jobs and open a physical store in a major mall such as Menlyn or Mall of Africa.
They are also interested in partnerships with brands, artists, creatives and businesses that share their vision and can help them reach new audiences.
Asked whether they are building for acquisition, legacy or lifestyle, the founders chose legacy.
For them, success means creating a respected South African fashion brand that provides employment, inspires others and shows what can grow from a small beginning.
Their advice to young founders reflects their own experience: start before you feel ready, accept that the first version will need work and keep improving.
From Manager and Employee to Business Partners
Flower Club’s origin gives its entrepreneurial journey a memorable starting point: an employee persuading his manager to resign so they could build a brand together.
What followed was a R7,000 investment, an imperfect first offering and a willingness to learn from customers. Their move into knitwear showed how that feedback could open a new direction for the business.
Today, Dexter and Theo are working towards a future that includes a wider product range, a physical store and more employment opportunities. The conversation that brought them together as business partners has become a longer commitment to building a lasting brand.
Explore the latest collections on the official Flower Club website. For another entrepreneurial journey in our Brands on the Rise series, read how One Two Creations is turning stories into lasting legacies.
