The Best T In The City invites Naked Ape's Shaldon Kopman to share his journey and insights on crafting African-inspired non-binary luxury bespoke garments.
In this engaging conversation, Shaldon discusses the vision behind Naked Ape, the intersection of African heritage and contemporary luxury fashion, and the brand's commitment to non-binary, bespoke design that challenges traditional fashion boundaries.
Radio has always been a medium for honest conversation — unfiltered, immediate, and intimate. When Shaldon Kopman sat down with Kaya 959's The Best T In The City, what emerged was exactly that: an honest account of what it means to build a luxury African fashion brand from the ground up, on your own terms, without compromising the values that make the work meaningful.
Kopman speaks candidly about the non-binary design philosophy that runs through every Naked Ape collection. For him, this is not a political statement or a trend position — it is a deeply practical belief that clothing should serve the person wearing it, not the other way around. The body is not a problem to be solved by fashion. It is a canvas to be honoured. Naked Ape's bespoke, made-to-order approach is the natural expression of that belief: each garment is made for a specific person, in conversation with their body, their life, and their sense of self.
The conversation also touches on the role of African heritage in Kopman's creative process — not as a costume or a reference point, but as a living, breathing source of inspiration that informs everything from his material choices to his silhouettes to the stories he tells through his collections. African luxury, in Kopman's hands, is not an imitation of European luxury. It is something entirely its own: rooted, considered, and built to endure.
The Kaya 959 interview is a rare opportunity to hear Kopman speak in his own voice about the work, the philosophy, and the future of Naked Ape — a brand that continues to grow more articulate, more confident, and more compelling with every collection.
Explore The Naked Ape Collection — handcrafted African luxury fashion by Shaldon Kopman.
About the Author
Shaldon Kopman — Founder & Creative Director, Naked Ape Official
Shaldon Kopman is the Founder and Creative Director of Naked Ape Official, a South African premium ethical fashion brand guided by the Ethi-Eco² philosophy. With over 15 years in African fashion design, Shaldon has showcased at South African Fashion Week and been featured in Rolling Stone Africa, Mail & Guardian and more.