His name screams opulence and his designs do too.
Rich Mnisi and his eponymous fashion label have been pushing boundaries while connecting the world with South African (SA) culture and luxury since 2015.
From a groundbreaking Pride Month collaboration with Adidas in June 2023 to A-listers like Beyoncé sporting his designs, the Rich Mnisi brand has grown in leaps and bounds.
The brand’s latest collection comes with a collaboration alongside Mzansi’s arm of the global clothing company H&M.
READ MORE | Rich Mnisi and H&M South Africa join forces for an exclusive collaboration
Set to debut on 27 July 2023 in selected H&M stores and on Superbalist, Rich takes TRUELOVE through the process of how the collaboration came to be.
“We were drawn to this opportunity because of the responsible sourcing, repurposing existing materials [and] pieces to make something beautiful that reduces waste.
“I’m also excited to bring a piece of the Rich Mnisi story to more of the people who have been so vocally supportive of me and my team and the work we do with this brand. I am so grateful for everything we have and the people who have helped us make that happen, and this collection with H&M helps us show love to them.”
The two brands’ mission statements complement each other with sustainability and growth being at the forefront of the vision behind the Rich Mnisi and H&M SA collaboration.
“At H&M, our collaborations have epitomised our business concept: fashion and quality at the best price in a sustainable way, and clearly show that design and sustainability are not a matter of price. South Africa is abundant with creativity, and we are so happy to be able to partner with the RICH MNISI brand and offer all our customers access to such an iconic fashion brand.
“We are also very proud to have worked with a local screen-printing supplier on this collection to further support local business,” says Caroline Nelson, country manager for H&M SA.
READ MORE | MaXhosa's Laduma Ngxokolo hosts first Sustainability Festival – ‘Our centre focus is on culture’
The collection features original streetwear designs paired with iconic Rich Mnisi illustrations reminiscent of his quintessential gender-neutral designs.
Intent on celebrating his day ones, Rich describes the collection as a love letter to his supporters.
“The Rich Mnisi brand wouldn’t exist without every sale, tweet, comment and like we receive. This is a love letter to our supporters. The collection has a lot of layers of coordinated pieces, which I love, that use the season’s neutral tones as a backdrop for some of our favourite illustrations, graphics and symbols.”
The range includes high-quality basics and oversized fits with styles that come in six seasonal colours: an autumnal palette of warm shades of brown, orange, and beige, while also including black and grey blends.
“They are perfect for the South African winter season but will work in your wardrobe well past that. I particularly love the brown sweater with a green and black monogram graphic on the back, and the cream hoodie that features our intersect illustration,” Rich shares.
Working with such world-renowned brands is Rich’s forte.
Travelling around the world bringing his designs to internationally acclaimed events like Milan Fashion Week, there’s an air of community with the South African market that Rich admires.
“South Africa is geographically much further than most functioning fashion eco-systems which results in creatives that create their own space with its own community. Which is rare to find abroad.
“Most brands internationally start in a good eco-system where they get support [or] mentorship from product development, marketing to distribution and then they use a lot of marketing to create a community but with South African creatives, it’s the other way around. We organically create a community and then learn ways to create a sustainable business from nothing – which is admirable,” he tells us.
The collaboration is not the only thing Rich Mnisi fans can look forward to, as Rich lets us know about the upcoming launch of his Spring/Summer 2024 (SS24) collection.
“We are very excited for the launch of our SS24 collection launching at the end of September - this will be accompanied by an announcement that’s two years in the making. Everything the brand does goes towards the bigger picture - every partnership is selected with the utmost consideration.”
The Rich Mnisi X H&M collection will be available at the V&A Waterfront, Sandton City, Mall of Africa, Menlyn Park, Gateway Theatre of Shopping, Cavendish Square, Rosebank, Canal Walk, Mall of the North and Superbalist.com
