Fashion designer Mzukusi Mbane has introduced a fresh take to his brand, Imprint ZA.
Having recently made his SA Fashion Week debut, the self-taught designer showcased his 2024 spring/summer collection with vibrant colours, new prints and statement handbags.
This showcase inspired by Xhosa heritage and prayer also marks the brand's ambitions to step it up on the business side.
Mzukisi says, “I think I've done a lot when it comes to branding. I've branded the brand, it's everywhere. People know what Imprint is but now I want to focus on the business of fashion and I think Lucille [Booysen], with SA Fashion Week, they do that very well.
“It's one fashion platform in South Africa that really focuses on making sure that people don't just clap when you walk out, there's steps taken to make sure that there's buying. There's introduction to new platforms so that you can grow as a business, not just as a brand.”
With this collection he says, “I wanted people to know what Imprint is but what also Imprint can be.”
The theme of prayer
The collection titled Silapha nje kungemithandazo translates to ‘we are where we are because of prayers’.
“I didn't want to make it too literal. There's looks where you see, okay, that is umama womthandazo but it's like an Imprint version of it."
“More than anything, it's just wanting the power of prayer to live within the print itself because that's my thing. I always wanted to create African prints which are all about our stories.”
This title of the collection is not only reflected in the blue, black and white colourway of the pieces in the collection but also in the music. The score included the Xhosa hymn Eloyi eloyi and a rendition of How great is our God.
@truelovemagazine Imprint ZA collection titled 'Silapha nje kungemithandazo/We are here because of prayers said' shown at SA Fashion Week by designer #MzukisiMbane. #safw #safashionweek #imprintza @Imprint South Africa @Mzukisi Mbane ? original sound - TRUE LOVE
However, the designer hailing from Cape Town stresses that this body of work is not about religion.
“I shy away from making it a religious thing. I want prayer to be a thing that is universal.”
Inspired by New York’s Met Museum
Some of the prints in this collection were inspired by an exhibition he saw at The Metropolitan Museum of Art during his time in New York. When he saw inspiring Mexican imagery as part of the In America: A Lexicon of Fashion showcase by the museum, Mzukisi made sure to take note of it.
“I remember snapping this and then thinking, ‘I'm a self-taught designer, I come from Cape Town, I never saw myself being here but this is basically the power of prayer.'
“The fact that I'm in New York and I'm not just in New York but Imprint is being celebrated here, so, that became sort of like the print of the collection.”
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An evolving colour palette
While yellow has been part of his arsenal as a designer, her shares the inspiration behind the other colours he played with this time around.
“You get your pinks, there’s pastel pinks, your blues - those were taken from the Nguni beads connecting it to back to ubuXhosa - who I am, where I come from. Just tying in the fact that there is this sort of American [influence] - it gets to live within this African story and, also, there's a merge of my Xhosa identity in it.”
Sharing more about his chosen colour pallet, her says yellow is one of his happy colours.
“That's one colour that's always there when you talk Imprint,” he explains. “But you also see how it sort of evolved. Imprint has always been bright, very expressive, but I also want to evolve it to have a more toned-down effect to it. That's why you see the gold fading into your browns, your tan. So, there's an evolution in terms of like how I approach colour.”
“Even the toned-down, muted pastels … It helps me introduce the brand into a new client base but it also helps the ones that already exist be introduced to a new chapter of Imprint, which is what this is.”
Imprint ZA handbags
For the first time, Mzukisi endevoured to create handbags and part of a collection. This, he confesses, proved to be quite a challenge.
With colourful leather, statement shapes and prints synonymous with the brand identity, the designer showcased one of a kind accessories by the brand.
“I always love bags, that's always one thing that I do but I've never really focused on creating a collection with Imprint bags. And I pushed it because I wanted to print on leather, which was something that was very challenging.
“A lot of trial and error but we made it work and I wanted to play because in my clothing I play with silhouettes. I play with these crazy shapes that you never really think that a person would do and I wanted that to also translate into our collection of of bags.”
The Imprint ZA bags feature ruching and pleating effects, larger circles and rectangles as well as exaggerated takes on existing styles like the moon bag.
“I always love playing with shapes!” Mzukisi says.
The collection is now available for pre-order and will launch in stores at a later stage.
