Rich Mnisi has been known as one of the greatest designers to infuse pop culture in his designs, the LISOF graduate and Africa Fashion International Young Designer of the Year 2014 award winner says that he finds it important to incorporate African design in his designs but keeping it modern.
All his designs are true to him and his aesthetic, as he relates his designs to his everyday life and the people in it, relating to his designs.
Speaking to us about his career and his collection he will showcase at SAFW '18 the designer said “Running this business has been like I’m back to school, sitting behind the desk and I’m listening and I’m learning and I’m trying to make sure that I do things right and I minimize as much risk as possible”
“As a creative you need to tell stories of your environment or the things that you’re thinking...” he said
Although having done so much in the indursty, and dressed media personality Nomzamo Mbatha, and had his designs modeled by models such as Lulama Wolf and Maps Maponyane, Rich says he still thinks of himself as an emerging designer as every day he is learning more about his industry.
The designer has grown the Rich Mnisi brand and has used platforms like Spree to help showcase his designs which have definitely made his business more lucrative.
“In the beginning everything felt easy and you start realizing that there’s so much that goes into one piece of clothing...it’s way different than when it’s just yourself and a domestic machine...there’s a lot more of the business side and the technical aspects of clothing”
With so many things in fashion that have been acclaimed as fashion no - no’s the designer says never say never jokingly adding that he had said that chains on clothes are ghetto and today we see him incorporating designs with chains.
Giving us the scoop on what trends we should expect in 2018 the designer said we should expect bubble skirts to be the in thing. “Everything is good, it just depends on interpretation and how you do it...bubble skirts are a thing now...next year everyone will be wearing a bubble skirts."
The designer will be showcasing at the South Africn Fashion Week – Autum, Winter 2018 collections but there’s a little twist, his best friend designer Thebe Magugu will also be showcasing at the same event but Rich says that it is nothing to worry about as the two have always supported each other as designers.
“Thebe and I are like best friends, we’re so supportive of each other – our industry is too small to be so competitive, we have to all teach each other” the designer said “We’re all these pillars that support our industry, and if I kick one down the building will start shifting” he added
South African fashion has been known to be stagnant but Rich urges the local to not turn a blind eye and stay curious. The Rich Mnisi designs have always been known to be fresh and elegant and the designer says at this years fashion week, you should expect to see “a nice, honest, fun collection”
“This collection was pieced together through conversations with my grandmother and my mother about how my great grandmother ( named Nwa-Mulamula - which is also the name of the collection Rich showcased at SAFW AW'18) used to dress”
With so much inspiration drawn from the history of his family and the environment he grew up in, his collection is bound to be a great threaded story for the audience.
Main Image Credit: Instagram/