Anifa Mvuemba, If you don’t know…

Bigger Picture Network
Le FlatLine
Published in
4 min readJun 25, 2020

By. T. Hamlet

Anifa Mvuemba, designer and founder of, Hanifa, has the IT factor and more. If you didn’t know her before, I’m sure you know of her now. Maryland native has put the world on notice and we will respect that she’s innovative, creative, and powerful. Anifa started designing in 2011 and became the go-to for those who wanted to stand out; names such as Lizzo, Lupita Nyongo, DJ Domo, Kylie Jenner, and more all became the center of attention at first glance when seen wearing one of Anifa’s pieces. Now she’s one of the most exciting faces the world will grow to love.

Technically she would be classified as a veteran but her recent virtual fashion show brought another wave of supporters. During the virtual fashion show, she displayed her recent Pink Label Congo collection that left everyone in frenzy. The timelines begin to fill with screen captures of the show, everyone wanted to get their hands on any available piece, the curve-maxi dress put everyone on notice. This would also serve a purpose to show others that there is more than one way to showcase designs, Haute Couture can be evolved, and black creatives must be taken seriously in the fashion industry.

Anifa spoke with Teen Vogue about what inspired her, “When I started, I would spend hours looking at fabric, and from there I let the fabric inspire me. I like color and all those things. So it started with fabric and then it turned into me getting into looking at art…. studying shape… studying color theory… Black women. When I started I was a size 2 and now I’m a size 12… I really want to make sure that girls like me and girls like you can put on pants and say, ‘Oh, my gosh, this fits me perfectly.’ My designs accommodate all of our assets and it’s made to fit well for Black women. That inspires me.

Anifa adds on to a strong class of faces that will take over the fashion world, black faces at that. In an industry that limits black creatives but it doesn’t seem like Anifa will let that stop her, Hanifa really is a brand without limits. She also adds, “an apparel line for Women Without Limits… that cater to the natural curves of a woman’s physique. We design for everyday extraordinary women like you who embody class while setting their own rules.” She’s creating a world that caters to black women and all the people who the fashion designers never catered to before.

The Congolese designer has established a sturdy list of clients around the Washington, DC/DMV area and is no stranger to seeing her work being copied already, she spoke about ASOS stealing designs from her when her fan-filled her messages and timeline calling out the brand. She spoke with Insider on the situation and said, “I mean you see it on social media, you see it every day… But when it actually happens to you, it hits home.” Also stating that she was shocked. Anifa is exactly what the fashion world needs right now, change.

Anifa is exactly what the fashion world needs right now, change. She doesn’t seem to be following any rules and she creates without fear. The virtual fashion show was not great only because of the innovation, but the designs featured in the Pink Label Congo collection were breathtaking. Maxi dresses, Mini skirts, Blouses, and more pieces filled the timelines of everyone, even those who don’t keep up with fashion were speaking on the event and the designs. Anifa Mvuemba isn’t next, she’s now.

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Le FlatLine
Le FlatLine

Published in Le FlatLine

FlatLine will feature BigPicture Network segments and articles as well as other peer content.

Bigger Picture Network
Bigger Picture Network

Written by Bigger Picture Network

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