Upon seeing the photo above, I bet you thought to yourself 'I must make it my life mission to get to know this guy. He's clearly got his shit together - popped collar, snakeskin loafers, and a red Porsche - I have to get in on a piece of that sweet pie'. Well, that guy is Divine Mafa, and you can get to know him very easily—by going to Memphis and shopping at Divine Rags, his clothes store for beautiful, well-dressed women. Divine has, for want of a better phrase, gone bat-shit viral, racking up almost 2 million combined views in a few days. I couldn't tell whether the advert was an ironic pastiche or totally serious, but either way, Divine seemed like a fun person to talk to.
Divine Mafa: I'm good, wonderful! Good to hear from you. Did you like the news video I sent you?Yeah, it was great. I didn't realize you were a doctor as well as a fashion guru.
Yeah. Well, I'm a rehabilitation doctor. I deal with people in shock, or back injuries, or people who have been injured in motor accidents. But right now I mainly deal with elderly patients.Wow. So, you're a jack of all trades. How does fashion fit in to your life as a doctor?
Well, I was actually born and raised in Zimbabwe and I moved to the USA in 2008 to teach at one of the universities here. When I was a kid, I always wanted to design and draw - I loved art - but I was fascinated with women's fashion, in particular. I've always felt sorry for beautiful women without good clothing, I always think 'if only she could get a boyfriend who could dress her up'.So you think men should be in control of the way women dress?
Yeah. Well, I believe that women are sexy with beautiful clothes. It doesn't matter if they are ugly, if they dress up nicely they'll look really, really good. I feel sorry for beautiful women who don't know how to dress because it's so much more obvious. The first thing people say is, "Oh, she looks awful. If only she could get a man who could dress her up, she'd look really beautiful". Of course, women now buy their own clothes - they don't have men dress them - but I'm very old fashioned, I like to dress up women.And that's why you started your store?
Yeah. I decided I was going to dress up women because I find it fascinating. I'm far more interested in a woman who looks really, really dressed up. Beauty doesn't do anything for me, I like fashion. So, when a woman is very well-dressed, very accessorized, looking great - even with piercings and tattoos - it's all good as long as it's tasteful.How do you think a woman should dress? What's tasteful for you?
I think that women should always dress provocatively, because I think that's what makes them tick. Women are supposed to be attractive to men, that is what biology is about. We're a biological species and we're driven by needs. It's like a peacock—a male peacock is supposed to show their wings, and the brighter they are, the more female birds are attracted to them. And so, in the human species, a woman should look very glamorous so that she can have men come to her and she can choose whoever she likes. She can create that opportunity by looking very flamboyant and provocative.Divine in a plane.What kind of provocative? As in tasteful stuff or full-on tits and ass?
Well, we are driven by sex. Men are driven by sex. So, when we see a woman, we're thinking 'Can I have sex with her?' So, if it seems like she can give you good sex and good babies, then that's great. You know, as a scientist, I always have evolution in the back of my mind, so basically, she has to have the full package, but she also has to accessorize herself to make the most of it.What's your advice to our female readers for making the most of it?
Oh, mini-skirt, leggings, nice jewelry, perfume, nice fashionable shoes. They should always follow the trend. Why not, you know? Life is too short.Cool, I'm sure our readers will heed your advice. Have the women of Memphis listened to what you have to say?
Well, when I first came to Memphis the women weren't really dressing up, they were very limited when it came to high-end fashion - the sort of stuff you see celebrities wearing - you just couldn't find that. I figured I could get a hold of most of those brands for my store, which is why I started using the term Celebrity Certified. What we do is order in the exact clothes, then put photos of the celebrities next to it so we can say, "This is what Kim Kardashian is wearing, this is what Lady Gaga is wearing" etc.So you base your whole buying system around what celebrities are wearing?
Yes, we always go for what celebrities are wearing. That's the constant. That's like the base of our business. If celebrities are wearing it then we buy it. Of course, the things celebrities wear also appeal to other celebrities—they copy each other a lot. We had Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj in the store last week and Nicki Minaj bought some shoes that Lady Gaga had worn and some animal print leggings - more like the ones that Snooki wears - and then she got a skirt that's so short that you can almost see the butt.Tasteful. Who would be your ideal celebrity to dress?
I would love to dress Halle Berry. I don't think she dresses very well and I think I could make her more seductive. She doesn't think she has to do too much because she's so beautiful, which is good, but then she could do a whole lot more. I believe Angelina Jolie is the best-dressed woman in Hollywood, because she knows how to be seductive using her clothing, but Halle Berry is just pretty and doesn't try. I'm against that. I'm all for women who know how to use clothes.What would you do to make Halle Berry more seductive?
I would put her in a mini-skirt, first and foremost, and some high heels.Divine in his store, with his ladies.Ha ha.
Yes, I would put her in a mini-skirt, straight up. I wouldn't even wait.Do you ever style men? How should I dress if I wanted to hook up with a Memphis girl?
Mainly nice sports jackets. Sports jackets are really cool. English khaki is back, people love that. Also, Ralph Lauren is good and Armani, but really, sports jackets are in. For Memphis you'd need something tight. Something that shows off your shoulders and tapers in the waist, because that shows your masculinity. Before, if you wore tight stuff people would think that you're a bisexual or a homosexual, but now it doesn't really matter, it's just the fashion. Also, men should always wear a tie, if they can, because that separates them from young boys and allows them to always date younger women. That is the key of evolution—older men should always date younger women because women want a real man, which is why they should wear a tie. That's just a concept I have.I don't wear a tie much. Does that mean I'm not a real man?
No, but it's got to the point now where I'm starting to design my own ties. I was designing denim before, but it didn't do well because the denim market went down, but now I'm starting to design ties and I also have a perfume called Divine Significance.You're a proper man then, obviously.
Yes, thank you. I just put my name on the ties. They're power ties, based on color and shape, but they're going to have some designs and go with the trend. For example, I'd like to do some in animal print to allow men to wear stylish ties with animal print and maybe some with Mayan and Egyptian hieroglyphics. It's a very different concept from what's out at the moment. At the moment it's just people ticking boxes, but I'm doing actual art on these ties. I need to set myself apart from what everyone else is doing to be competitive.With the big fashion weeks coming up, have you ever thought about starting a Memphis fashion week?
We used to have a fashion week, but Memphis is small so I usually go to Milan. I would love to come to London Fashion Week, though. When is it starting?September 16th.
Oh, well let me know and I'll come over and bring my celebrity girlfriend. We're keeping it private at the moment, but she wants to go public.Divine on the set of his advert.Look at you: doctor, fashion guru, tie designer, and boyfriend of a celebrity. Let's talk about the advert. Did you come up with the concept?
It's actually a spoof of a direct TV commercial for a product called Opulence that was on during the Superbowl. I think I did it better, though - far more exciting, because that's what made the headlines. I actually tried using models, but they were very unprofessional and jacked up the rates as soon as they arrived, so I sent them home. So I called up my girl friends instead and got it done in less than 40 minutes. I knew it would go viral because my laugh is infectious and I saw people just playing it and playing it.Is that your real laugh in the video?
Ah, yes, that is my real laugh. It's kind of funny, right?It is, it's kind of creepy too, though.
Yeah, I think it's creepy too. Everyone always says I have an evil laugh, but I guess the evil laugh is paying off now. I've met many celebrities before, but this is the first time I've been in front of the camera and actually started becoming a star myself.So you're a star now, are you?
Yes. Well, there's a lot of talk about me being in reality TV shows here in the States - I've been getting calls all day. I'm going on the David Letterman show and I've not had any time to see any patients.Yeah? When are you giving up the doctor game and going full-time fashion?
I don't think I'll give it up. I like seeing patients and I love to help people, which is the bottom line. That said, though, of course Hollywood will make me lots of millions of dollars in the long run, so maybe I'll give it up once I'm acting. I started a coffee shop as well called Coffee Divine, which will compete with Starbucks because Starbucks doesn't have any direct competition. I'm actually building the first Coffee Divine location right across the street from Starbucks, because that means they can do all the marketing, but I'm there to provide a better service and a better standard of coffee.Wow. So is there anything else in your job reserve, or are you just going to stick to the tried and trusted coffee-fashion-doctor route for the moment?
Hopefully acting. That's the other thing that I would love to do.JAMIE CLIFTON
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VICE: Hey Divine, what's up?
Divine Mafa: I'm good, wonderful! Good to hear from you. Did you like the news video I sent you?Yeah, it was great. I didn't realize you were a doctor as well as a fashion guru.
Yeah. Well, I'm a rehabilitation doctor. I deal with people in shock, or back injuries, or people who have been injured in motor accidents. But right now I mainly deal with elderly patients.Wow. So, you're a jack of all trades. How does fashion fit in to your life as a doctor?
Well, I was actually born and raised in Zimbabwe and I moved to the USA in 2008 to teach at one of the universities here. When I was a kid, I always wanted to design and draw - I loved art - but I was fascinated with women's fashion, in particular. I've always felt sorry for beautiful women without good clothing, I always think 'if only she could get a boyfriend who could dress her up'.So you think men should be in control of the way women dress?
Yeah. Well, I believe that women are sexy with beautiful clothes. It doesn't matter if they are ugly, if they dress up nicely they'll look really, really good. I feel sorry for beautiful women who don't know how to dress because it's so much more obvious. The first thing people say is, "Oh, she looks awful. If only she could get a man who could dress her up, she'd look really beautiful". Of course, women now buy their own clothes - they don't have men dress them - but I'm very old fashioned, I like to dress up women.
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Yeah. I decided I was going to dress up women because I find it fascinating. I'm far more interested in a woman who looks really, really dressed up. Beauty doesn't do anything for me, I like fashion. So, when a woman is very well-dressed, very accessorized, looking great - even with piercings and tattoos - it's all good as long as it's tasteful.How do you think a woman should dress? What's tasteful for you?
I think that women should always dress provocatively, because I think that's what makes them tick. Women are supposed to be attractive to men, that is what biology is about. We're a biological species and we're driven by needs. It's like a peacock—a male peacock is supposed to show their wings, and the brighter they are, the more female birds are attracted to them. And so, in the human species, a woman should look very glamorous so that she can have men come to her and she can choose whoever she likes. She can create that opportunity by looking very flamboyant and provocative.Divine in a plane.What kind of provocative? As in tasteful stuff or full-on tits and ass?
Well, we are driven by sex. Men are driven by sex. So, when we see a woman, we're thinking 'Can I have sex with her?' So, if it seems like she can give you good sex and good babies, then that's great. You know, as a scientist, I always have evolution in the back of my mind, so basically, she has to have the full package, but she also has to accessorize herself to make the most of it.
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Oh, mini-skirt, leggings, nice jewelry, perfume, nice fashionable shoes. They should always follow the trend. Why not, you know? Life is too short.Cool, I'm sure our readers will heed your advice. Have the women of Memphis listened to what you have to say?
Well, when I first came to Memphis the women weren't really dressing up, they were very limited when it came to high-end fashion - the sort of stuff you see celebrities wearing - you just couldn't find that. I figured I could get a hold of most of those brands for my store, which is why I started using the term Celebrity Certified. What we do is order in the exact clothes, then put photos of the celebrities next to it so we can say, "This is what Kim Kardashian is wearing, this is what Lady Gaga is wearing" etc.So you base your whole buying system around what celebrities are wearing?
Yes, we always go for what celebrities are wearing. That's the constant. That's like the base of our business. If celebrities are wearing it then we buy it. Of course, the things celebrities wear also appeal to other celebrities—they copy each other a lot. We had Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj in the store last week and Nicki Minaj bought some shoes that Lady Gaga had worn and some animal print leggings - more like the ones that Snooki wears - and then she got a skirt that's so short that you can almost see the butt.
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I would love to dress Halle Berry. I don't think she dresses very well and I think I could make her more seductive. She doesn't think she has to do too much because she's so beautiful, which is good, but then she could do a whole lot more. I believe Angelina Jolie is the best-dressed woman in Hollywood, because she knows how to be seductive using her clothing, but Halle Berry is just pretty and doesn't try. I'm against that. I'm all for women who know how to use clothes.What would you do to make Halle Berry more seductive?
I would put her in a mini-skirt, first and foremost, and some high heels.Divine in his store, with his ladies.Ha ha.
Yes, I would put her in a mini-skirt, straight up. I wouldn't even wait.Do you ever style men? How should I dress if I wanted to hook up with a Memphis girl?
Mainly nice sports jackets. Sports jackets are really cool. English khaki is back, people love that. Also, Ralph Lauren is good and Armani, but really, sports jackets are in. For Memphis you'd need something tight. Something that shows off your shoulders and tapers in the waist, because that shows your masculinity. Before, if you wore tight stuff people would think that you're a bisexual or a homosexual, but now it doesn't really matter, it's just the fashion. Also, men should always wear a tie, if they can, because that separates them from young boys and allows them to always date younger women. That is the key of evolution—older men should always date younger women because women want a real man, which is why they should wear a tie. That's just a concept I have.
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No, but it's got to the point now where I'm starting to design my own ties. I was designing denim before, but it didn't do well because the denim market went down, but now I'm starting to design ties and I also have a perfume called Divine Significance.You're a proper man then, obviously.
Yes, thank you. I just put my name on the ties. They're power ties, based on color and shape, but they're going to have some designs and go with the trend. For example, I'd like to do some in animal print to allow men to wear stylish ties with animal print and maybe some with Mayan and Egyptian hieroglyphics. It's a very different concept from what's out at the moment. At the moment it's just people ticking boxes, but I'm doing actual art on these ties. I need to set myself apart from what everyone else is doing to be competitive.With the big fashion weeks coming up, have you ever thought about starting a Memphis fashion week?
We used to have a fashion week, but Memphis is small so I usually go to Milan. I would love to come to London Fashion Week, though. When is it starting?September 16th.
Oh, well let me know and I'll come over and bring my celebrity girlfriend. We're keeping it private at the moment, but she wants to go public.Divine on the set of his advert.Look at you: doctor, fashion guru, tie designer, and boyfriend of a celebrity. Let's talk about the advert. Did you come up with the concept?
It's actually a spoof of a direct TV commercial for a product called Opulence that was on during the Superbowl. I think I did it better, though - far more exciting, because that's what made the headlines. I actually tried using models, but they were very unprofessional and jacked up the rates as soon as they arrived, so I sent them home. So I called up my girl friends instead and got it done in less than 40 minutes. I knew it would go viral because my laugh is infectious and I saw people just playing it and playing it.
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Ah, yes, that is my real laugh. It's kind of funny, right?It is, it's kind of creepy too, though.
Yeah, I think it's creepy too. Everyone always says I have an evil laugh, but I guess the evil laugh is paying off now. I've met many celebrities before, but this is the first time I've been in front of the camera and actually started becoming a star myself.So you're a star now, are you?
Yes. Well, there's a lot of talk about me being in reality TV shows here in the States - I've been getting calls all day. I'm going on the David Letterman show and I've not had any time to see any patients.Yeah? When are you giving up the doctor game and going full-time fashion?
I don't think I'll give it up. I like seeing patients and I love to help people, which is the bottom line. That said, though, of course Hollywood will make me lots of millions of dollars in the long run, so maybe I'll give it up once I'm acting. I started a coffee shop as well called Coffee Divine, which will compete with Starbucks because Starbucks doesn't have any direct competition. I'm actually building the first Coffee Divine location right across the street from Starbucks, because that means they can do all the marketing, but I'm there to provide a better service and a better standard of coffee.Wow. So is there anything else in your job reserve, or are you just going to stick to the tried and trusted coffee-fashion-doctor route for the moment?
Hopefully acting. That's the other thing that I would love to do.JAMIE CLIFTON
