Modern Fashion: Anifa Mvuemba of Hanifa On The 5 Things You Need To Lead a Successful Fashion Brand Today

An Interview With Candice Georgiadice

Perseverance without validation — When I stopped trying to fit into an industry that unfortunately wasn’t ready to embrace me, I quickly began to see milestones of success. In an industry where designers rarely “make it” without a helping hand of some sort, I’m incredibly blessed to say that faith and hard work have gotten me here.

Many in the fashion industry have been making huge pivots in their business models. Many have turned away from the fast fashion trend. Many have been focusing on fashion that also makes a social impact. Many have turned to sustainable and ethical sourcing. Many have turned to hi tech manufacturing. Many have turned to subscription models. What are the other trends that we will see in the fashion industry? What does it take to lead a successful fashion brand today?

In our series called, “5 Things You Need To Lead a Successful Fashion Brand Today” we are talking to successful leaders of fashion brands who can talk about the Future of Fashion and the 5 things it takes to lead a successful fashion brand in our “new normal.”

As a part of this series I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Anifa Mvuemba.

Anifa Mvuemba is the Founder and Designer of ready-to-wear contemporary brand, Hanifa. DC-based Hanifa was born with an ambitious spirit to make edgy, feminine, size inclusive clothing that compliment the natural curves of a woman’s body.

As the first brand to livestream a virtual runway show on Instagram via Pink Label Congo of May 2020, Hanifa has been credited by Vogue, Essence, Forbes, Elle, Teen Vogue and more.

As a Congolese American designer, Anifa M. is dedicated to creating spaces for emerging designers through her platform CBYAM.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood “backstory”?

My journey into the fashion industry was a lot different from many. I didn’t go to a fancy design school in New York or interned at Vogue. I studied fashion merchandising at a local school in Maryland while balancing a retail job where I learned more about the business side of fashion. My passion for fashion expression actually started at a very young age. As a child, I remember watching my mother get dressed for work early mornings and later raiding her closet. She was my introduction to fashion, and I took inspiration from her well-tailored suits that later became our signature look.

My family fled to the United States when I was three years old to escape war and start a new life, and I’ve since then, found a way to embrace my Congolese heritage — through African-influenced color palettes and silhouettes that pay tribute to the women from my country and all of the continent.

Do you see any fascinating developments emerging over the next few years in the fashion industry that you are excited about? Can you tell us about that?

Tech is essential. We are living in a digital era where 3D models, virtual fashion worlds and NFTs are changing the way we see ourselves, our day-to-day lives and how we dress. The industry is technologically advancing by the year, and it is up to designers to keep up by challenging the traditional ways of showcasing new designs to the public.

What do you think makes Hanifa stand out in your industry?

I’ve been fortunate in being able to build my business click by click and by truly understanding my target customer, the power of tech, digital marketing and having the right team!

I consider my designs to be celebratory statement pieces that truly compliment the female form. I take pride in crafting bold, sophisticated body-loving silhouettes for women of all sizes.

To further separate my brand in what feels to be such a competitive market, I challenge myself daily to redefine the norm, and I’m always thinking ahead when finding ways to connect with our customer. For example, my first-ever virtual runway presentation went viral during the pandemic. The clothes were 3D modeled on floating figures who walked down the runway like the real thing. I’ve always been very intentional about creating for the future of our brand. The world is changing, things are shifting, there is no need to follow what everyone else is doing…chart your own path.

You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?

• Stay Inspired — I admire things that cause me to shift my mindset and put my phone away from time to time. I take pride in being able to find inspiration in almost anything. That is incredibly important to me as a creative and a huge factor (I think) in becoming a successful fashion designer. For instance, I could be on a flight and see a cloud and think to myself, ‘that would make a really nice skirt.’
• Gratitude — I will forever be grateful for the opportunities I’ve received over the years and I’m very intentional about paying it forward. In 2020, I started a mentoring program for other emerging designers called Concepts by Anifa Mvuemba — to provide access to the industry for designers who are just getting started, especially those from the DMV like me. It means everything to me to be able to help mentor other designers, providing them with the guidance that I needed back then.
• Diligence — I started Hanifa with no external funding, but through diligence, faith and countless research — I’ve managed to build a business that thrives off of its loyal customers despite being based outside of what is considered a “fashion” city. We’re doing BIG things on our own, and we always will!

Can you share with our readers about the ethical standards you use when you choose where to source materials?

We’re always researching ways to improve our sustainability and production practices for the present and the future. We do thorough visits, background checks, and make sure that our sources are compliant to ethical standards. We have a relationship with our manufacturers and work together to source the best fabrics for our customers that won’t harm their skin or the environment.

With this process we incorporate thorough quality control procedures and are very honest with our customers when it comes to providing fabrication details.

Fast fashion has an advantage, that it is affordable for most people, but it also has the drawback that it does not last very long and is therefore not very sustainable. What are your thoughts about this? How does your company address this question?

There have been times where I’ve personally witnessed my own designs on a fast fashion retail site and while it feels incredibly disheartening, it is also problematic when they duplicate the efforts and designs of growing brands. Unfortunately, for us, there are no laws set in place to protect our designs from being replicated unless there’s something incredibly unique to them and their trademark.

What are your “5 Things You Need To Lead a Successful Fashion Brand”. Please share a story or example for each.

Perseverance without validation — When I stopped trying to fit into an industry that unfortunately wasn’t ready to embrace me, I quickly began to see milestones of success. In an industry where designers rarely “make it” without a helping hand of some sort, I’m incredibly blessed to say that faith and hard work have gotten me here.

Know your audience — I pay close attention to the needs of the women that support me and have supported Hanifa from the beginning. And while I still have plans to expand the brand, I am always keeping our audience top of mind.

Stay True to Self — As a brand owner, I’ve always tried my best to avoid being put in any sort of box. It’s easy to feel pressured into what you see regularly. I’m thankful to have found a way to cut through the noise and build a business that speaks to many while still remaining true to myself. I refuse to limit myself. I design for the limitless woman so why not be that and live that in every single aspect of my life.

Utilize your resources — I always tell young designers to put in the dedication and look at all the resources that are available to them, even with mentorship. You may not get DVF or Michelle Obama to be your mentor or sign off on your brand, but you can go buy their books and find inspiration by reading about their journeys. When I started my business, I soaked up all the knowledge that I could like a sponge. YouTube was my best friend, and while I didn’t have access to a lot of industry knowledge growing up, the videos helped me to reinforce what I was working on in real life to become a self-taught designer.

Practice, practice and more practice — I think it’s important to make sure that you are not only fueling your passion, but consistently working on your business. As a designer it’s important to constantly stretch your creativity, however, it can’t hinder your progression as a CEO — you still need to put in the time to learn a new skill set, you can still find ways to improve your professional development to benefit your team and your business. There will always be room for practice.

Every industry constantly evolves and seeks improvement. How do you think the fashion industry can improve itself? Can you give an example?

I believe there is room to create and design in multiple spaces as you see fit. The fashion industry specifically, tends to push creators to exist as one specific thing, and that rings especially true for people of color. Black designers are constantly fighting the belief that their designs remain in only one space, or for one audience. I don’t believe that’s true, and I will continue to divert my brand down every path that interests me — whether that is footwear, tech, or even a combination of all three.

You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?

With the help of my team, I have already begun my own give-back movement with Hanifa Dream, our social impact initiative to give back to women from any background with a diverse set of needs. I am always keeping my eyes open for ways to pour back into the communities that have given so much to me.

Thank you for these fantastic insights!