Laurinda wears the Urafiki High Waisted pants ($215) and the Jua Shirt Dress ($250)

Everyday Muses is a celebration of our versatile, cult classic pants and the diverse community of women who wear them. The last year taught us just how dynamic our wardrobes can be. With our lives constantly changing – in and out of lockdowns – we learnt the importance of versatility in our wardrobes. We want our wardrobe building blocks – the pieces we rely on again and again – to move effortlessly from weekdays to weekends, varied in silhouettes, colour and fabrics.

At Collective Closets, we want to help you find your perfect pants. Designed for comfort, ease and style, our Amani Culotte pants and Urafiki High Waisted pants are crafted from breathable, durable fabrics. These are pants that move with you – from desk to dinner, lunch breaks to pram strolls, nights out to lazy mornings in. These cult favourites celebrate and champion the female form – and through our Tailor It service, we can help you find the pants that feel like they were made for you. Meet our Everyday Muses.

Laurinda wears the Urafiki High Waisted pants ($215) and the Jua Shirt Dress ($250)

Today, we're spending a day with Collective Closets' Co-founder, Laurinda Ndenzako.

Taking the lead on the social media, marketing and digital creative side of the brand, Laurinda's job never stops – as both a parent and a business owner. Growing into her role as a mother and re-learning the nuances of her personal style has been a journey – one aided by effortless, reliable wardrobe staples.

Wearing both our Amani Culottes and Urafiki High Waisted pants, Laurinda gravitates towards versatile pieces that move with her through life's little ups and downs. We join her for a typical 'business Laurinda' morning – going for a morning coffee run, catching the tram to the city and checking in on the Collective Closets store.

Laurinda wears the Amani Culotte Pants ($220) and Mdunao Shirt ($140)

Could you tell us a little about what you do?

Essentially I'm in more of the Creative Director role – I take the lead with our social media, marketing and campaign organisation. If I’m not knee-deep in emails and sourcing fabrics, you’ll find me wearing my mummy hat – which means mummy play dates, trips to the zoo or the museum. I lead a pretty busy life; I don’t typically sit still.

Tell us what your day to day routine looks like?

My day to day can look so different; it's unpredictable! As a mum of a toddler and small business owner, my schedule is typically pretty jam-packed. I’m always on the go.

If I'm not running after my VERY energetic 2-year-old boy, it’s all systems go with mundane household errands like grocery shopping and daycare drop-offs.

Some days my son is with me and I need to juggle reading emails while I'm at the park with him, other days he's at daycare and I’m at the shop where I get to wear my grown-up hat and play business owner uninterrupted. I love keeping busy and being on the go – it’s just part of my personality.

Laurinda wears the Urafiki High Waisted pants ($215) and the Jua Shirt Dress ($250)

Describe your fashion sense in 3 words?

Not sure if I can sum up my fashion sense in three words, but here goes...

Comfortable: Gone are the days when I'm willing to sacrifice comfort for fashion; I just don’t need that level of stress in life anymore.

Move with me: Literally just that, my clothes need to allow me to move freely, I’m far more in tune and conscious about my clothing choices from the fabrics and designs. I gravitate to pieces that allow me to move freely and with ease.

Evolving: I love that my clothes reflect where I am in my life right now and also where Laurinda the woman is going. Since becoming a mother, I've seen a huge shift in my fashion sense.

Sometimes I do look in the mirror and think 'WOAH, who is this girl?!' (typically when I’m in sweats covered in food stains). Other times I’m in an outfit that reminds me why I love fashion so much.

What do you love most about our pants?

There’s so much I love about our pants, I might be a little (okay a lot) biased, but as someone that needs and wants her clothes to work for her, I feel our pants have the ability to transform me.

From playdates to working from home or running around like a crazy woman for the business, I feel confident and genuinely good in them! Our pants allow me to transform into whoever I need to be for that day. I love that for me!

Laurinda wears the Amani Culotte Pants ($220) and Mdunao Shirt ($140)

What do you want your style to say about you?

This year is all about refining my wardrobe. I'm taking the time out to curate a wardrobe that's a reflection of where I am in my life, embracing this new body of mine but also taking the time out to enjoy fashion all over again. 

I feel like I’ve been in a bit of a fashion rut post-having a baby and having to embrace my new body (and the constant lockdowns) really took a toll on the effort I made with my fashion and style. I've promised myself that this next chapter of my life (I’m turning 40 in a few weeks) is going to look very different.

For this next chapter of my life, I want my style to reflect the very reason I fell in love with fashion. I want it to be a reflection of my personality – someone that loves life, doesn’t take herself too seriously and is loving herself to the fullest.

What are your go-to wardrobe staples?

An oversized shirt, typically in cotton or linen. A printed tee, blazer, jeans and a tailored pair of pants. Also sneakers or flat sandals, a trench and a loose-fitting dress I can dress down with sneakers or up with a cute heel. 

Use one word to describe how you feel in our pants.

Effortless.

Laurinda wears the Amani Culotte Pants ($220) and Mdunao Shirt ($140)

What’s your International Women’s Day message?

My message stems from my upbringing and watching the strength that comes from knowing that when we stand united as women, we can achieve so much.

I’m passionate to stand up and use my voice when it comes to the injustices that face Black women and others from marginalized communities. I grew up watching the women in my life be the pillar of our communities – my mother and aunties were a great example of just how fearless we can be and how much power we possess when we work alongside one another.

We need to stand united without judgment, with compassion and love. My dream is that we continue the hard fight to break the bias… together.