Zawadi, Lulama and Nandi are pretty, elegant African names. It is for those qualities that they were chosen to denote the design aesthetic of Durban-based Afro-chic label Closet_no.3.The Zawadi is a bold, beautifully made Ankara print coat. The Lulama is a flowing floor-length dress of solid orange, yellow or blue. The Nandi is a separable two-piece, its top a version of the trendy cape. All pair well with the brand's bestseller - the regal doek.This is modern makoti à la mode, I tease self-taught designers Sphelele Mdlalose and Zinhle Mgaga. The joke is true to an extent. The predominantly long lengths, the oft-covered shoulders, the crisp but pliable 2m headwraps all make their clothes a popular choice among fashionable young women embarking on the traditional rituals leading up to married life."It's appealing to people who are getting married as well - we have had clients coming in to look for outfits for occasions such as umembeso," says Mgaga, referring to one of the gift-giving stages of the traditional Zulu marriage process. A picture on social media of a statuesque bride and her quartet of Lulama-garbed bridesmaids bears testimony to this.However, cloth head coverings and vivid print clothing are not the monopoly of brides. Betrothed or not, increasing numbers of fashion-forward women - and men - all over the continent turn to both to elevate their outfits or signify their cultural identity.The style that the Closet_no.3 team are such proponents of is summed up by Mgaga: "It's African, natural and very relaxed but contemporary."HEAD START: Sphelele Mdlalose sports her brand's bestsellerShe and Mdlalose are former models - friends who met in high school and bonded over their shared experiences in the fashion industry."The fashion thing was triggered by the fact that we were both modelling from high school," says Mdlalose. "We developed a love for it from all the beautiful things we got to wear. It's not so nice when you model an outfit you love only for them to take it away, so we began to think about creating our own. We saw that there was a market for this because people liked our style and would ask where we got particular items from."After much planning, the duo launched online in September. It wasn't long before they realised they needed to operate in meatspace."We were posting online and people liked our work and placed orders, but that strategy wasn't really working, so we opened a shop," says Mgaga. They found a home at Durban's 8 Morrison Street creative precinct, but continue to ship their creations nationally.What about their design philosophy sets them apart?"Fit," says Mgaga. "Everything has to fit perfectly and it has to work for diverse body types and look good in lots of sizes. We work with a lot of stretchy fabrics; for this reason the Lulama dress is the only dress of ours I can think of that doesn't stretch. We are also all about comfort."They underwent the baptism of fire common to many entrepreneurial ventures."We started without working capital - that was really hard. We started from nowhere - we didn't have machines, we didn't have a dedicated person to do the sewing. Finding seamstresses who did work to our standards was difficult."They eventually did find the person who is now responsible for their beautifully finished garments. "Right now, somebody puts the stuff together for us based on sketches and the fabric we choose." They do limited runs of designs but do sometimes do once-off resurrections of their previous designs by request.By day, Mgaga works as a corporate communications officer. Mdlalose is studying finance. The shop is a passion project for both. "If things went our way, we'd quit work to do this," says Mgaga. "This is our baby," Mdlalose agrees. "We'd love to supply other shops with our designs in the future. We'd love to be everywhere."Find Closet_no.3 virtually on Facebook, physically at 8 Morrison Street, Durban, or on 079-801-6014...