Accidents happen all the time, but some are greater than others. On Wednesday night, October 23, the Scotch Is Dope studio caught fire at the Constitution Hill in Johannesburg.
While other designers are celebrating the launch of their new collections as it is currently the spring/summer 25 season, Andile Cele, the creative director of the brand, is trying to recover after losing everything in the fire.
It is reported that the fashion designer’s studio in Johannesburg caught fire due to faulty electricity and, as a result, he lost everything.
“There was an electricity fault and the geyser burst, causing the water and electricity to mix. We lost over a million worth of stock and infrastructure and unfortunately, we had no insurance,” Cele explained.
Not only did he lose his previous collections but he also lost some of the custom pieces he was working on as per clients’ requests. Some of his archives were also lost in the fire and could not be traced.
Cele added that the loss was so severe that he might be forced to shut down the brand he built from the ground 15 years ago.
“Right now it’s a huge loss that could possibly mean the end of Scotch Is Dope. I’m still trying to figure out the next step and a solution to raise some funds,” said the devastated designer.
He said they are in the process of opening a GoFundMe account because the brand, which is his bread and butter, is also a part of the South African street culture.
Some of the known fashionistas Cele has dressed includes the late rapper Riky Rick, musician Okmalumekoolkat and actors Thapelo Mokoena and Lawrence Maleka.
