“Independence,” wrote Dr Maya Angelou, “is a heady draught, and if you drink it in your youth, it can have the same effect on the brain as young wine does. It does not matter that its taste is not always appealing. It is addictive and with each drink you want more.”
Sure, the author and civil rights activist was writing about her tumultuous life as a teenager in 1940s California. But her words would ring just as true for a multimillionaire founder of a South African haircare empire.
You might expect Fabiani’s brand director to have a tuxedo collection to rival George Clooney’s. You’d be wrong though.
‘To be honest, I don’t have that much clothing. I have really good core basics that I just kind of move around,’ says Arie Fabian, looking dapper in a navy, double-vented, two-button Fabiani suit. ‘Contrary to what most people may assume, I don’t really think about what I’m going to wear. I just put something together because it feels right. I can dress it up, dress it down, mix it up – it makes no difference. For example, I may wear a tux jacket with a T-shirt, jeans and a pair of sandals. It’s a bit of a juxtaposition but I prefer thinking of it in terms of “imperfection is perfection”.’
Nils van der Linden