RISE & SHINE
After much heated debate, we’ve narrowed our list down to five up-and-comers. Here are the brands we think you should look out for…
RICH MNISI
Art enthusiasts, we have found your leader! Based in Joburg, Rich Mnisi’s contemporary pieces merge fine art, black culture and social consciousness with a new take on ready-to-wear fashion. The 26-year-old founded his brand in 2015 after winning the Africa Fashion International (AFI) Young Designer of the Year the year before. ‘I did very well through all the stages. I knew then that my voice was needed in the industry,’ he says.
He has since collaborated with various big brands such as Coca-Cola, Woolworths and Miller Genuine Draft, and his work has been featured on the pages of Vogue Italia, Elle, GQ and L’Official Manila. ‘It’s so great to have your work recognised,’ he says. ‘My work is honest, and I have to be proud of it before anyone else is.’
