Katlego Sekhu
Revered South African fashion designer and creative director Rich Mnisi recently joined My Top 10 at 10 with Tbose for an exclusive chat about his latest collection with Adidas and his brand story.
Mnisi’s journey with fashion began early in his childhood. He used to cut curtains and his mother’s skirts. He attributes his love for fashion to his older sister. “She is the reason why I gravitated towards the arts,” he says.
Coming from a family of academics, his mother wanted him to become a lawyer or an architect. Mnisi was more fascinated by the opportunities that lay in fashion.
His designs have been well-received by prominent figures in the local and international markets. “I wanted people to wear something that is South African and wear it so proudly. The fact that people are seeing worth in the things that South Africans can do is humbling,” Mnisi tells My Top 10 at 10.
Let Love Yourself Collection
The Addidas collaboration is called Let Love Yourself. It started with a love letter Mnisi wrote to himself. “I wrote to myself. I wanted to almost tell little Rich that I ‘love him.’ That’s how the collection started,” he explains.
Mnisi and his team wanted to reach people in the community and beyond.
“The collection is a mix of the progress pride flag, the trans pride flag, and the allyship flag. If you are an ally, you support the people of the community. Sometimes when people hear something from the members of the community, they become resistant, but I guess when you hear it from someone else, it hits differently,” he said.
Brand Rich Mnisi
Sharing his brand story, Mnisi says the reason he named his brand Rich Mnisi was to “keep” his family name alive.
“Every single story we tell is about a family member. It’s either my mother or my grandmother. You know, when we speak about things that change the world, we also think about big things. It could be little things like your mother sitting with you and telling you a story that will change your entire world. And you have so much impact moving on because she has given a seed to a child who will grow it,” he expounded.
“That’s why my brand is about my family. It is to keep the Mnisi and Matjeke families alive. It is to speak South Africa alive, to speak all our talents, and to thank everyone who contributes to the brand. That is why community is such an important thing to us, and that is why we speak to members of our community.”
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