ARTIST FEATURE - TASHINGA GUMBIE
I met Tashinga back in November at the Held in Form x Noisy Nest launch party. Before I could compliment his fit, he complemented mine — a (likely bootleg) Thom Browne sweater from Uncommon Vintage on Main and Damson Madder pants from a recent closet sale (stay tuned for another soon). He was wearing these sick, leather mule slip-ons that he thrifted for $5 that I would have guessed were Bottega. This guy is effortlessly stylish and super creative about how he puts pieces together.
If he looks familiar, it’s probably because you’ve seen him before. Represented by Vancouver-based Lizbell Agency, he’s modeled for Canadian fashion icons like Gravity Pope, HAVN, and DRMRS CLUB, to name a few. While he’s currently pursuing a degree in Criminology — which he’s not entirely sure about — he’s also been quietly teaching himself fashion design, with plans to release a small collection sometime next year.
Tashinga represents some of my favorite aspects of Vancouver —diversity, intelligence, kindness, and individual style. Enjoy some quick excerpts from a recent conversation. This won’t be the last time he’s featured.
SF: Tell us a bit about your background. Where were you born, where have you lived, and how did you ultimately end up in Vancouver?
TG: I was born and raised in Zimbabwe. I moved to Kamloops in 2022, moved to the Vancouver area in September 2024 and I’ve been here since.
SF: How did you get into modeling, and what has that experience been like for you here? What are your dream collabs?
TG: I had a general interest in the modeling industry pre-Covid, and that affinity stayed even after I moved to Kamloops from Zimbabwe in 2022. People would always tell me I should model but it was mostly people who knew me, and occasionally some strangers or co-workers. When I decided to apply I had almost no luck, a few interviews that didn’t bring up anything. When I moved to moved to Vancouver, I started applying to local fashion shows and reaching out to photographers to get some experience — after Vancouver fashion week is when I started to connect more with people in the industry.
My dream collaborations from when I was first getting into the industry have surprisingly not changed since. I’m a big fan of The Ordinary and have always pictured my face on an ad for them. I’m also a big fan of UMBRO, especially when they collaborate with other brands; both a modeling and design collab sometime in the future would be wicked.
SF: What would your advice be for someone looking to get into modeling here?
TG: Sounds cliché, but the hardest part about doing anything is starting, and what’s even more difficult is to keep going when the results are not necessarily positive. I must’ve applied to AT LEAST 100 agencies in and out of Canada before I got signed so it’s about starting the process and keeping up with it even when it doesn’t seem to be working. You gotta be delulu!
SF: Vancouver is notoriously not known for being a friendly or creative city. You and I have discussed how our experiences couldn’t be further from those stereotypes. How did you find fashion-related events and community in Vancouver? Did modeling help launch you into the scene?
TG: Modelling has helped me meet different people who share my interests and/or know people who share my interests. I do think that Vancouver is very creative but it’s not a cheap place to live and that means that people have to work a lot to feed themselves and their creative endeavours. The creativity is evident in the intimate DJ events, pop ups, and places where people go to forget their hustle jobs.
SF: What influences your sense of style? Do you have any style icons?
I don’t directly reference him but my introduction to the fashion world was Luca Sabbat with his role in Grownish, and I think I’ve subconsciously modelled my idea of what’s cool after him. I will say the more I learn about clothes and design, the more refined my taste is becoming and the more my style is evolving. But I’m influenced by sci-fi movies and shows and the styling on runway shows as well.
SF: You’ve been dabbling in fashion design - creating technical flat sketches and tech packs, sourcing fabrcs and communicating with factories. What can we expect to see from you this year?
Unfortunately nothing lol — this year is all the background work and preparation for next year. I’m especially big on refining the many the ideas I have to ensure that I’m not making anything that does not need to exist because there are so many clothes out there. I hope to leverage the skills I already have to attract opportunities to learn and grow in my design journey. :)
SF: Do you see this becoming your primary focus in the next few years? Do you plan on building and launching the brand in Vancouver?
Design is going to be my primary focus in the next few years in as many capacities as I can adequately master. I have always been hesitant in starting a brand, but if it makes sense in the future, then 100 percent. For now, I just have a lot of ideas and I want to materialize those ideas because they’re good, and they tell my story which I think is insightful. I think the goal right now is to release individual ideas and projects and see what happens.
SF: Where do you usually shop in the city? And where would you shop if money was no object?
TG: Most of my closet is thrifted, but currently I frequent UNIQLO. If money was no object, I’m shopping at Loewe — but JW Anderson era. I have developed a new appreciation for interesting silhouettes, so Comme Des Garçons and Rick Owens would also hear from me. There are also a lot of underground brands I see on instagram and I have an extensive saved collection of stuff I’d get if it didn’t cost four figures lol.
SF: What kinds of shops or events do you want to see more of in Vancouver?
TG: I want to see more runway shows where up and coming brands and established brands showcase their very best.
Want more Tashinga? Follow him on IG: @tgumbie
