Designer turns heads with 3D runway show
Anifa Mvuemba’s Hanifa line goes big after viral event
Anifa Mvuemba, founder of the direct-to-consumer women’s apparel line Hanifa, didn’t set out to revolutionize the fashion industry when she had a viral 3D runway show on Instagram this spring.
The self-taught designer, who launched Hanifa in 2012 and became known for curve-hugging luxury pieces, was just searching for an innovative way to show her latest collection. Although she had planned to show her pieces during New York Fashion Week, Mvuemba had also dreamed of having a virtual show but hadn’t had the time or resources to pull one off. Then the pandemic happened, and she knew she couldn’t wait any longer.
Mvuemba, who has been fascinated with 3D technology for several years, studied YouTube and other online resources to learn how to incorporate tech into her designs. Fans came to know and love Hanifa’s digitally rendered model, Imani, who has made multiple appearances on the brand’s website and social media since early this year.
“The feedback has always been great, (and) it converted to sales,” Mvuemba said. “But I always wondered if it was possible to actually make them move, so that we can actually show our customers the movement of the fabrics.”
Mvuemba’s May 22 show on Instagram Live featured an army of invisible, curvaceous models — inspired by Imani’s figure — strutting graciously on a 3D runway while wearing Hanifa’s flowy, vacationready Pink Label Congo collection. Mvuemba said the pieces were inspired by her Congolese roots and
the stories her mother told her about Congo and the women who lived there.
By the next day, several publications and fashion critics were calling her a trailblazer, and Mvuemba quickly became a go-to thought leader about where the fashion industry is headed. Many couture brands, including Prada and Chanel, have also hosted digital presentations this summer.
“We weren’t prepared for the aftermath of the show,” she told The Times over the phone. “This was just really a creative expression. I wasn’t like, ‘This is going to be the craziest thing, the most groundbreaking thing the world has ever seen.’ I was like, ‘We’re in a pandemic. We can’t have a show. We can’t go to the Congo. We can’t shoot. We’re putting on a
virtual show for everyone.’ ”
Since the event, Mvuemba was named one of Fast Company’s most creative people in business, and Zendaya and Tracee Ellis Ross have worn Hanifa’s Kinshasa backless mini dress in the colors of the Congo flag in fashion magazine spreads.
The Maryland-based designer, whose shapewear line is expected by the end of this year, told The Times about how the virtual show affected her life, how she plans to continue using technology in her work, and what the future of the fashion industry looks like in the midst of the coronavirus and racial reckonings. The following conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
Q: In what ways has
your life changed since the virtual runway show?
A: We say it all the time internally, like, “Hanifa will never be the same since the show.” So I think it has definitely (put) more eyes on the brand and more people paying attention to what we’re doing and what we’ve been doing. I think in the future, I’m interested in seeing what is really going to come out of what happened on May 22. Obviously we’ve been experiencing a shift.
Q: In addition to the innovation of using 3D models, you included a mini documentary in your show to bring awareness to the harsh conditions and labor practices happening in the Congo mining industry. Was this your first time bringing awareness
to a social issue through your work?
A: Yeah, it’s something I’ve struggled with over the years. I felt like Hanifa is there. You know, I have this audience. The business is growing, but I felt like there was a disconnect with the message. Like, “Who are we really? What are we doing? What does this mean? What’s the purpose?” And I really wanted to, with this collection, figure it out. I was like, look, this is the time. Everyone is home. We can really get everyone’s attention and share something really (special) while including myself, the culture where I’m from, and talk about a crisis at the same time.
Q: With major fashion houses doing their own versions of virtual shows and New York Fashion
Week being condensed to a few days, it seems like the fashion industry is still trying to adapt to a new normal amid the pandemic. What do you think the future of fashion will be?
A: I think right now a lot of people are adapting to what we’re currently dealing with because honestly, we don’t really have a choice. So I think people are really making the best of what they can, and I think the digital world allows people to be able to explore different ways to express themselves, be creative, show their clothing, present their collections to the world. And I think we’re going to see more of that. I do feel like there’s still a need of human connection. I don’t think everything should be digital, because I personally miss having photo shoots and I still want to have a runway show of my own one day. I think it’s going to be like half and half.
Q: The last time we spoke you were skeptical of how some fashion brands were responding to racial reckonings that we’re still experiencing. Now that some time has passed, I’m curious how you feel about how the fashion industry is reacting
: My biggest thing with what’s going on currently is I hope it’s not like a trend. I hope it’s something that actually sticks. There’s been like a lot of heat. People are speaking up about certain things, and I think that’s a big reason why things are shifting, especially with the protests and things like that. But I really hope this is something that can be implemented permanently and not like, “Oh, you know, 2020 during the pandemic and George Floyd and during the protests, this is how the Black people’s voices were heard.” But I hope it’s something that actually lasts (and) that works.