Fashion designer Lindo Mnguni chats to us about her career and creating Protest Couture in honour of Mama Winnie Madikizela-Mandela. By Kwanele Mathebula
Image: Lindo Mnguni IG
I grew up in a township called Osizweni in KwaZulu-Natal, Newcastle. My grandmother was a seamstress who taught other women how to sew from her own garage. She transferred a skill that enabled a number of other women to be independent and take care of their families. I was a very creative and artistic child but didn’t know that learning how to sew at a young age would lead me to a career in fashion.
After struggling to get a job, I began using my skills to earn a living. I enrolled for Fashion at the Vaal University of Technology and graduated in 2013. I lived in Eastfield, Vosloorus with my mother, younger sister and son and struggled to find work for a long time. This prompted to make the decision to start designing clothes for people just to put food on the table and take care of my son who was only a few months old at the time. It was hard but my mom helped by babysitting while I worked and over time, I began getting more clients. It’s only been a year since I opened up my own design studio in Maboneng but things have taken off to an overwhelming start.
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My designs are inspired by life. Everything and everyone that I come across challenges me to see things in a different perspective and that moulds and shapes each piece I create.
I designed a dress for actress Nomzamo Mbatha inspired by Mama Winnie. Nomzamo called a day before the Winnie Madikizela-Mandela event at Baseline. She requested a dress to celebrate Mam Winnie Mandela that would go along with the monologue she was planning on performing. I was honoured to make the dress for her even though I had very little time to do so. Before making the dress, I thought about the woman Mama Winnie was and what she stood for. She was a Warrior Queen and I wanted the dress to communicate the embodiment of who she was.
Protest Couture is fashion that conveys a certain message or that aims to honour someone or an event that took place. For me, it is very important that we use fashion as a medium to not only celebrate our fallen heroes but to spread awareness on issues that affect our communities. I would love to create more pieces like this should more opportunities present themselves.
I’m currently working on a spring/summer collection. I’m hopeful I’ll get to debut at SA Fashion Week later this year.