Anifa Mvuemba, the designer behind the breakout DC label Hanifa first made headlines after her innovative digital presentation last year, putting her in the spotlight and increasing the brand’s Instagram following by over 350,000, including A-list fans like Tracee Ellis Ross and supermodel Naomi Campbell. However, what most don’t know is that this designer’s story starts way before that. Her recent achievements seem even more deserved when you look back at what it took to get to where she is today.
On Tuesday, the designer hosted her first in-person show, but most didn’t gather that the show represented more than just seeing the collection on the runway IRL for the first time. “Today is also my birthday, and the tenth anniversary of Hanifa, it’s quite a celebration,” says Mvuemba backstage following her collection debut. Mvuemba started Hanifa in 2012 after leaving University. As any new label in a saturated world can be and lack of support from the industry became overwhelming closing the brand only three years later leaving the design world and taking on retail jobs.
Fast-forwarding back to the centennial event Mvuemba wanted to make sure she also championed her hometown of DC, which she attributes everything to. “This is home, and this is where I started. It’s important to show people you don’t have to go to New York, Los Angeles, or Paris to show a beautiful collection.” adds Mvuemba “I also wanted to support local artists. Everyone from the DJ to 80% of the models are from the DC area. I want to show DC a good time, and that we can do it here too.”
The show started with a montage of Hanifa over the past ten years beyond the acclaimed digital presentation. “The [digital] presentation isn’t what made Hanifa, but it’s what gave me the confidence.” Mvuemba reflects on her last year leading up to the digital presentation “my business was struggling just like every other business. I went to my team and was like, we cant keep selling clothes during this time, but they reminded me that the brand is here to inspire people, so we worked really hard to put it together.”
Hanifa served as a ray of sunlight when the world was dim—It was we all needed in a time of darkness. The innovation of rendered dresses walking the runway without models was indeed a moment. Still, the inspiration Hanifa left on the fashion world during the pandemic holds longevity for the brand and keeps people wanting more of the feel-good energy, and of course stunning designs. Tuesday’s in-person show evoked the same feeling we all felt a year ago when her show went live via Instagram: dedication, hope, and change for the future of fashion.
