The Big Bendventure – Behind Our Launch

It’s past midnight on 30 June 2025 in Detroit, USA, where I find myself on the day of the big Bend launch. Back home in South Africa, it’s almost 08:00 — which means, it’s go-time!

Somehow, a small glitch allowed people to start placing orders before the official launch. We were frantic — and yes, we even forgot to collect customers’ phone numbers (rookie error!). The first few deliveries were messy, but honestly, those aren’t the worst challenges to have when launching a new brand.

From there, it’s been a wild ride. Entering a completely new industry with a new brand and a new market isn’t easy, but is it worth it? Absolutely.

The best part of it all has been hearing your feedback — the incredible messages, reviews, and photos. People are realising that Bend offers something different from what’s available in South Africa. They’re discovering that fitness and outdoor wear can be functional, minimal and made to last.

When you support Bend, you’re not just buying clothes — you’re supporting a little girl’s dream. The same girl who used to make “stick dolls” from twigs and wrap them in scraps of fabric, pretending she was creating her own clothing line.

Thank you to all our Bend-venturers for being part of this journey. You are the reason we keep moving. 💚

👉 Join the Bend community and shop our latest arrivals:

https://b-end.co.za/collections/new-arrivals

Here is a photo of me very early the morning of our launch...