Born five years apart, brothers Allan and Dylan Sandako have grown as kindred spirits, creating fashion and music together. Creativity surely runs in the family.
They founded Colours Of Thii Society (COTS) in 2020, a brand that celebrates diversity and balance.
Founded on a passion for fashion and unifying energy by the Sandako brothers, COTS blends streetwear versatility with a bold commitment to authentic pieces that resonate across cultures and environments.
We sat down with the multi-talented Dylan Sandako, better known as Juno Funk, to share the story behind the brand’s inception, its distinctive ethos and what’s next for this rising star of Zim Fashion. Enjoy!
Juno Funk, it’s an honour to finally sit down and talk! Can you give us a brief background of who you are and how you got into fashion?
Pleasure to be here! I was born on March 30 2003, here in Harare. We are a family of three boys. I came last, after Allan.
I got interested in doing fashion after noticing the fashion world around me and how people are so proud of their cultures, showing it through the way they dress and their day to day living.
What is the story behind the name ‘Colours Of Thii Society’, and what does it represent?
It started off as a dream really – two brothers with a goal to create a brand with sentimental value to what we grew up around and to make something with the influence of our street, art and culture in the city.
The title itself comes from the different colours which represent the different feelings, cultures and races, united together and making it one ‘Thii Society.’
Colours Of Thii Society is affirmation that everyone matters and the message is dare to be different because the world loves anything unique.
What inspired the creation of COTS?
COTS started from just the love of fashion and how it brings people together. It always stands out as a form of expression, and so we wanted to create something distinct and sustainable for use.
You’re building COTS with your blood brother, Drena Diego. How have you managed to balance the family and business relationship that you have?
It has its ups and downs when you try and balance the two, but for the most part I’d say I couldn’t have asked for a better partner than my own blood.
We try and give each other some form of creative space to experiment and just create freely, and i feel like thats what makes COTS what it is today.
You chose such a striking logo for your brand, so creative and unique.Can you elaborate on the symbolism behind the moon, sun, cross and snake and how they relate to the brand’s values and mission?
Like the famous Ying Yang sign, you can’t have light without darkness, there are certain things that need to coexist to make up a community and keep it balanced.
So, the symbolism in the COTS logo expresses how there is Good and Evil. And the mission of our brand, is to reflect on that Balance in Thii World.
Since inception, how many collections have you released?
We have managed to release three collections so far:
- The First Generation Colours Tee collection
- The Ruglan collection3
- The COTS Female collection
What’s your favourite collection so far?
It has to be the Female collection! I’ve always wanted to make something specifically for ladies and I feel like we met the expectations with this release.
What sets COTS apart from other fashion brands and what makes it unique?
What makes COTS distinct from other brands is our versatility. We focus on creating clothes which can be worn anywhere – in the street, when skating, plus in both informal and formal environments.
COTS seeks to be original and authentic. Most of our products are manufactured here in Zimbabwe, apart from our upcycled collections.
Lastly, I feel like we are gunning to bring new ideas to Zim Fashion with our work.
What is the brand aiming to achieve?
We are aiming towards branching out into an international brand and creating more collaborations with both established and upcoming designers.
We also want to build our own establishments where we can make our own raw materials and manufacture our own produce from a seed to the finished product.
Quite ambitious! How will you connect with the market to achieve these ambitious plans?
We want to create more content, which will come in both quality and quantity.
We are seeking to collaborate more with other brands and established or upcoming artists. Right now, we are in the process of collaborating with Marcus Mayor, a designer from Bulawayo, which will be coming soon.
We have created a website where people can reach out to us via calls, messages or email on how to improve our products or just sending love to COTS. We seek not only to design clothes but to make something with substantial meaning to the youth. We’ll be launching the website soon.
We also want to start organizing events showcasing fashion, where different designers can come together and show their art.
What would you say are the achievements or milestones that COTS has reached so far?
So far, we have managed to create three collections and they have been well received by Thii Society and it’s been amazing.
Furthermore, we recently collaborated on the Ethereal Comfort project with Soleil which got massive attention. We aim on creating more collaborations like that in the future.
Also, COTS made the runaway at the Fabric Party Convention at Alliance Française De Harare on the 27th of October 2024.
So, how was the experience of collaborating with Soleil?
It was exciting for us — doing something different and not knowing how Thii Society was going to react to it. And to our favor, COTS hit a crazy milestone and reached out to a new audience.
A collab with Soleil, and now you’re cooking something with Marcus Mayor. Who is on your Collab wishlist?
From the top of my head, I’d say Ed Hardy, Chrome Hearts, Rozebowl, BATA, The Eth, Daily Paper and Unfinished Legacy; just to name a few.
I’m keen on collaborating with emerging talents as well, just to shed a light on their art and give them a better platform to showcase.
You’ve also ventured into music. Tell us, how do you think music and fashion can benefit each other through collaboration?
I’ve always felt like music and fashion goes hand in hand, and music heavily influences the way fashion goes or the new trends before they become widely consumed.
So I think fashion and music should do more things together, for sure.
How do you want COTS to be remembered in Zim Fashion?
We want to be immortalized for pushing the culture forward and teaching the next generation that anything is possible if you put your mind, time and energy to it.
You’re turning 5 this year. What can we look forward to from COTS?
To give Thii Society more to look forward to and events which will push the fashion scene further for Zimbabwe.
Can we expect any new release soon?
COTS will be dropping the Silhouette Collection for the ladies soon. And we plan on expanding into Jeans. That’s all I can say for now.
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