In so many ways, Hanifa represents the zeitgeist of the millennial generation: innovative, philanthropic, socially-conscious, female-centric, led by a 29 year-old Black woman. Her designs walk that narrow line of genius where ingenuity, architecture, flow, practicality, craft, and artwork all somehow converge into one, distinct voice. A “sextuple-point” of inspiration, I suppose – you’ll see what I mean in a minute.
Anifa Mvuemba is the woman behind Hanifa – and creator of the virtual fashion show that went viral on May 22 (only two weeks ago, but doesn’t it feel like a lifetime?) . Many designers, as we’ve discussed in previous posts, have committed to exploring digital platforms to showcase their collections in response to the pandemic.
But Mvuemba was ahead of the curve. Like, way ahead. Like, five years ahead.
Hanifa: An Overnight Success Years in the Making
An Elle Magazine, article describes how the idea came to Mvuemba years ago, but at the time she lacked the technological know-how to make it happen. To clarify, she wasn’t imagining simply filming a catwalk and throwing it to the crowds of YouTube; rather, she wanted to use 3-D computer models (“models” being used here in both the fashion-model sense and the coding-sense) to showcase her clothing digitally.
She taught herself about 3-D modeling, using YouTube and Google as resources. Fast-forward to seven months ago, and Mvuemba began to plan her digital runway show in earnest. Once released on Instagram Live on May 22, the internet exploded – and with good reason.
Her timing was impeccable: since the stay-in-place order and the immediate challenges of presenting collections to the public, the metaphorical soil had been tilled and readied for the kind of innovation Mvuemba had been working towards for years. At a time when our senses were becoming numb and there seemed to be little freshness in the world – how stale quarantine can be! – in comes Hanifa with a digital presentation as innovative as it is mesmerizing.
Pink Label Congo: The Collection
The collection in question is called Pink Label Congo and pays rich tribute to her Congolese roots and the legacy of African seamstresses. Her digital models are invisible, but also – and I just know you’ll get it when you see the video – so THERE, so real. They move in a way that honors how women actually walk. How she managed that in a digital format is, at least to me, absolutely astounding.
The clothing itself is that irresistible balance of tailored structure and flow. It translates a kind of exuberant, yet focused ambition. Her cuts are body-conscious in a celebratory way, emphasized by her continued use of curvy, athletic-bodied models. Her colors are purposeful, paying tribute to the Congolese flag and landscape.
The Purpose
Had Anifa simply published her digitally-modeled collection, it would have been cause of celebration enough. But – you knew there’d be a “but,” didn’t you? – she didn’t stop there. Mvuemba used her platform to educate the public about painful, ongoing history of the coltan mines in Congo. Before showing her collection, the film the brand released led with a dizzying montage of media clips about abuse in the mines, which produce 60% of the world’s supply of coltan. Coltan, as she explains, is ubiquitous in electronic devices like cell phones and computers – so we all should have an interest in its supply chain and the wellbeing of its miners.
Along with the collection, Mvuemba released a t-shirt, profits of which will benefit The Responsible Sourcing Network. You can purchase yours here for $50.
Watch Hanifa’s Digital Fashion Show
Skip to 2:19 to start!
Where to Buy Hanifa
Hanifa’s prices are on-par with other contemporary brands, and you’ll find that the Essentials collection is especially wallet friendly (and I’d wear every. Single. Piece). Head over to Hanifa.co to check out Mvuemba’s designs!
What made me want to write a piece on her was the feeling that Hanifa and the woman behind the brand represent the very best of us at this moment: a hard-working, talented, innovative Black woman persisting through a pandemic and anti-Black sentiment by virtue of her own ingenuity and vision to produce a collection that speaks to the most beautiful parts of our selves. Strength, fluidity, resolve, resourcefulness, passion, reflection – all precious in today’s environment, and all palpable throughout her work.
For more about Anifa Mvuemba, check out her interview from this March in Essence Magazine!
love,
Stig
Cover photo from Hanifa, via British Vogue
