The new Rich Mnisi “Black” collection. Picture: Ricardo Simal
Rich Mnisi, one of South Africa’s most loved fashion brands, has launched a new collection and it’s giving.
The brand debuted its Spring/Summer 23 collection at The Guaranty Trust Fashion Weekend, which took place in Lagos, Nigeria, on November 12–13.
Titled “Black,” the Rich Mnisi SS23 collection is about celebrating blackness.
“Our latest collection speaks on one’s journey of embracing and accepting their being. It is a celebration of blackness in its purest form. An exploration of darkness blinded by the halo of one’s experiences trying to find refuge in a westernised culture.”
Some key pieces from the collection include wide-leg pants with a matching shirt, a short babydoll dress and a cape – all in pink.
The designer also dropped a range of T-shirts as part of the “Me & My Girls” series, where he partnered with various creatives, including Pr$dnt Honey, Martin Magner, and Yay Abe.
Our favourite piece from the series is the Rich Mnisi x Pr$dnt Honey T-shirt, which celebrates beauty in all forms.
“My intention while creating the portrait was to ask the question of and about beauty. In Xitsonga, ximatsatsa is a person who is thought to be beautiful. We live in a time where one can modify their natural features to be palatable to the taste of what is considered to be a more ‘commercial’ standard of beauty.
"While all of this is possible, we’re also existing in a time where other people choose to define beauty in ways that are more unique to them. I’ve deliberately simplified the portrait to minimum (the most necessary) features. This leaves room for the audience to decide whether or not they want to modify the face to their standard of beauty or if the portrait is beautiful as it exists,” said Rendani Nemakhavhani of Pr$dnt Honey.
"Black" and “Me & My Girls” are available at the Rich Mnisi online store.