Irene Neequaye & Hanifa
Rethinking fashion straight from the DMV
It’s been said that the way we dress reveals who we are. Whether we’re more casual, vibrant, elegant or bohemian, we often gravitate to clothes that match our personality.
Hanifa’s clothes are no different. The bright and creative items I’ve seen from this line so far certainly match Irene’s outgoing personality and it’s easy to see where she has influenced pieces.
With that being said, I dare you to take a look at Hanifa’s many collections and try your best to not want to add everything they have to your wardrobe.
The amazing women behind Hanifa are doing great work designing clothes that have been able to stand out in the ever growing fashion industry. Take a moment to learn more about Irene and the team!
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First & Last Name
Irene Neequaye
How did Hanifa begin?
I currently work as a project manager at Johns Hopkins Medicine while also working as a business and operations manager for a growing small-business named Hanifa. I started Hanifa as a hobby once I graduated from undergrad at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I moved back home to Maryland and my job wasn’t starting until the fall, so I had some spare time before then to explore my other interests. My really good friend, Cathy, knew I had a knack for fashion and linked me with her family friend, Anifa, who was an up-and-coming designer in the area, and the rest is history.
Interestingly, my very first meeting with Anifa was a photoshoot which I was thrown into unexpectedly. It was Summer 2012 and I came to the shoot with my own jewelry and accessories, ready to play the part if needed. At this point, I had never styled a shoot before, but I figured I could be of assistance because I had a natural eye for this kind of thing. In retrospect, God meant for me to meet Anifa and create some sort of magic together. This experience taught us that we could work together for the long-run, no matter what was thrown at us. It was a very hot summer day, we had no A/C, we were hungry, dehydrated… you name it. We shot for over 10 hours under pressure, but every second was worth it.
After the shoot, we pretty much went viral on Tumblr, and created a buzz — which set the tone for what was to come. Our models were London Zhiloh, Ajolique Jude, and Amber Gaskins with the images shot by my now good friend Bryan Sona. I remember that day as if it was yesterday. It was magical.
Since then, I have taken on a more management role and I enjoy it greatly. Anifa and I work very closely together, with regards to business operations, and I also get to build close relationships with our amazing team members.
What does Hanifa mean to you?
Hanifa means a tremendous amount to me. From the very first day I stepped into work with Anifa I saw the vision. We see eye-to-eye on most things, and we are usually in sync, so it’s not difficult to work together at all. In as much as it is Anifa’s dream, I treat Hanifa as my baby as well. I am very connected to the brand and the company because I began working with Anifa about six months after she launched the brand. I’ve invested a considerable amount of time into Hanifa with zero regrets because I believe in Anifa’s amazing gift (she is hands down one of the most creative people I have ever met) and I believe in the Hanifa vision. Anifa started out designing and making clothes and now she designs shoes too.
If you are not passionate about your brand you will give up very easily. It takes much courage to face rejection and failure along the journey, but when you are determined and you see the attainment your goals, you know it was all worth it.
What have you had to overcome in order to achieve success?
It is not easy to build up a small-business. Much of what you learn is through your mistakes and challenges. Over the past few years we have worked with a variety of people, under various circumstances, and although it hasn’t been easy, I am thankful for the learning process. There have been challenges with developing the right team members sometimes because everyone comes with their own work style and personality as well. I am grateful to have met some incredible women along the way because it has also taught me so much about myself as well.
Another challenge that we face is being consistent. Social media is our greatest platform and Hanifa was built on Instagram. To this day we still use it because it has connected us to so many people from around the world. The flip-side to social media is the market becomes oversaturated, and you see less designer-creatives and more people who are just trying to make a quick sale. That can sometimes be frustrating but all you can do about that is to keep putting out content that speaks to your clients, stay in your own lane, and be true to your brand.
One of the most poignant memories I have with Hanifa actually took place in Spring 2016. I reached out to THE Saks Fifth Avenue in New York City, through an Emerging Designers open call post. When we heard back that they wanted to meet with us to potentially place Hanifa in their stores, we were ecstatic, overjoyed, and overwhelmed with emotion. Anifa, our stylist Brittany, and I went all the way to NYC only to get rejected. It hurt at first because we really thought this would be our big break. The comment that was made by the Saks buyers was that they loved the clothes, and they hadn’t seen anything like it but the color combination would not “fit in” with the look they were going for. That was it. #NO
I remember the three of us walking out of the meeting extremely dejected and immediately, although I was bummed at first, I gave them (and myself) a pep talk. Not many people get that far and at the end of the day, we got rejected for being creatives. All that did was fuel our fire to keep pushing through, on our own terms.
What does it mean to be a black business owner?
“It always seems impossible until it’s done.” — Mandela
Growing up, especially in an African home, you aren’t encouraged to venture into creative fields. You are expected to make your parents proud by becoming a doctor, lawyer, or engineer. Anything else is a slippery slope with African parents. It’s encouraging to see other black-owned businesses making hedge-way and disrupting the status quo because it creates a space where other people of color can be inspired as well. There is so much untapped talent in the black community, especially. One of the most fulfilling aspects of being part of Hanifa is seeing the support from people of all backgrounds, and also hearing from people — young and old — that they are inspired by what we do.
Hanifa, which means “believe” in Arabic, taught me that it is possible to create a brand that is timeless and that attains success beyond our current regional space. We haven’t even peeked into our full potential and yet we have so much to be proud of and thankful for. God has been good to us.
I hope our light can shine even more so that others may begin to witness a measure of the magnitude of God’s grace and provision. Hopefully our success will encourage others to want that as well for themselves and for any venture they are undertaking.
What advice do you have for people who are ready to follow their dreams but are hesitating?
Just do it. Be prayerful. Be intentional. Be consistent. Do not be scared to ask for help. You cannot do it alone.
Want to contact Irene for more information?
Hanifa’s website is hanifa.co and you can follow them on Instagram via @hanifaofficial and @officialhanifa on Twitter. You can also follow Irene on Instagram.
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Do you know a Black Creator or Tastemaker? Of course you do! Let me know in the comments so I can feature him or her this year!
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