Zimbabwe is home to some of the most talented fashion designers in Africa. These designers have not only made a mark in the local fashion industry but have also gained recognition globally. Their unique and innovative designs are a true reflection of Zimbabwe's rich diverse cultural heritage and diverse fashion landscape. To celebrate the country’s independence this year, we profile seven sustainable brands to know.
Haus of Stone
Haus of Stone is a slow and Afro-minimal fashion brand based in Harare, Zimbabwe.
Founded in 2014 by creative director, Danayi Chapfika Madondo, the brand is unapologetically African. Danayi obtained her Bachelor’s in Fashion Design from LISOF in Gauteng, South Africa. Two after founding her company, she took a hiatus to rebrand to Haus of Stone.
In 2020, Danayi worked on a fashion film named ‘The Therapy of fashion’ which was later chosen for the Bokeh Fashion Film Festival in the same year. Haus of Stone has also been featured in Vogue, and Glamour Magazine.
Madondo was nominated for Best Emerging Designer’ Award and Entrepreneurs' Award at the Zimbabwe International Women’s Awards in 2015 and 2018 respectively.
Early this year, Haus of Stone was selected to represent Zimbabwe at the British Council Creative DNA during London Fashion Week in February. In March, the Film Exodus: A Journey To New Worlds was also selected to be featured at the 9th edition of Fashion Film Festival Milano
The brand describes itself as ‘where fantasy intersects with reality’.
Instagram: https://instagram.com/hausofstone?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
Farai Simoyi
Farai Simoyi is a British-Zimbabwean, New York-based fashion designer who has made a name for herself in the fashion industry. An OG in fashion, she is the founder and creative director of her eponymous brand, which has been worn by celebrities such as Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj, and Justin Timberlake.
Simoyi obtained a degree in Fashion design and merchandising from West Virginia University. She founded Narativ house, a platform that houses ethically-sourced artisans products in 2017.
She was the only African designer in the Netflix fashion show, ‘Next in Fashion’ where she partnered with another designer to work on The Nicki Minaj collection and later became a Senior Designer for the Pop Star’s collection.
Simoyi's designs are known for their bold prints, vibrant colours, and modern silhouettes. She has been featured in Vogue, Essence, Forbes and won the female entrepreneur of the year at the Zimbabwe Achievers Awards in 2018.
Instagram: https://instagram.com/faraisimoyi?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
Tapfumanei Munenge
Tapfumanei Munenge is a Zimbabwean fashion designer who is known for his unique and innovative designs. He is the founder of the brand of the same name which is based in Zimbabwe.
Described as the king of haute couture in Zimbabwe, Munenge's designs are bold and eccentric. In an interview with Glamour, the designer described the brand as “working with timeless tailoring to sculpture the women’s body into a powerful figure creating fantasies into realities”
Munenge obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Fashion and Textiles at Chinhoyi University of Technology.
Instagram: https://instagram.com/tapfumaneimunengeofficial?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
Vanhu Vamwe
Vanhu Vamwe is a Zimbabwean brand which handcrafts handbags with sustainability in mind.
The award winning brand is built on a design approach that bridges culture and ethnicity through design. The pieces reflect a confident personality, and also serve as statement pieces. The brand name means ‘one people’ in Shona.
The designer duo behind the brand are a married couple, Simba Nyawiri and Pam Samasuwo-Nyawiri. The brand has been featured in Vogue, Bazaar, BBC and showcased at Berlin Fashion Week, Portugal Fashion Week and Paris Fashion Week.
Instagram: https://instagram.com/vanhuvamwe?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
Natai Natai
Cheryl Nyasha Johnson is the founder of Natai Natai. She was in the art industry long before going into fashion.
Cheryl worked as a photographer before starting her fashion brand in 2019. Natai Natai is a ‘resort wear label’ with a focus on sustainability. The designs are chic, made to compliment the feminine physique.
It focuses on playful, day-to-night designs that highlight the feminine form while yet retaining a strong sense of style and refinement
Nyasha attended Princia College where she obtained a degree in Business Administration and a minor in Art History.
Instagram: https://instagram.com/natai.natai?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
Fungai Muzoroza
Fungai Muzoroza is a label founded by Sarah Fungai Muzoroza who is also the co-founder of FungaiXRufaro and founder of interior and home decor brand, Flo&Co.
Sarah is a multi-talented designer with her craftextending to interior design, photography, graphic design and fine art.
She started Fungai as a sustainable fashion brand that makes unique designs for women. Sarah describes her brand as beyond ‘being in a box’. Her experimental designs cannot be labelled into one category.
In 2022, she held her first solo art exhibition at Artillery Gallery titled “The Braided Birthmark”, which explored cultural identities through hairstyles.
A variety of acrylic and digital on vinyl artworks were on display by Muzoroza, paying homage to braided identities by fusing various fashion trends.
Instagram: https://instagram.com/fungai_muzoroza?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
Patch Moekoe
Patch Moekoe is a brand that specialises in what it describes as #feelgoodbags founded by Zimbabwean designer, Chido Kaseke.
Based in Harare, Patch employs underprivileged women artisans to craft beautiful and colourful bags for the everyday woman.
The bags are handmade and meticulously sewn to give a distinctive look peculiar to the brand. They are skillfully made from hessian fabric, an eco-friendly material hand-dyed in-house and locally sourced from Harare, Zimbabwe.
The brand's mission is to spread happiness in a world that desperately needs it.Patch was also featured in Birmingham Spring Autumn Fair in 2022.
Instagram: https://instagram.com/patch_maoko_ezim?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
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