fashion bar
Young upcoming Namibian fashion designer Ndahafa Shaimemanya debuts her Manya fashion line.
Ndahafa Shaimemanya is a 23-year-old Namibian fashion designer, born and raised in Windhoek. Just like most girls, Shaimemanya was interested in fashion, clothes and looking good and she kept herself busy with fashion magazines, stalking fashion blogs and watching fashion TV shows. At 14, she already knew that she wanted to be a designer and nothing would stop her. Shaimemanya followed her dreams and today, she is an upcoming designer with an elegant style of design.
This is her story.
(tjil) T: Where did you study fashion design?
(Shaimemanya) S: I studied at Esmod Paris and CNAM, a French arts institution. The experience was very enriching. Studying in Paris has really pushed me to explore my creativity and embrace my unique personal identity and add those elements in my garments. It allowed me to explore the depths of myself and to create an aesthetic that truly embraces me and my background and life experiences. I wanted to study journalism but I felt that I would have more creative freedom in fashion design and I was generally curious about how I would adapt to the design field of fashion without having a sewing and designing background.
T: Would you say there is a difference in fashion sense between Namibians and the French?
S: Yes, Parisians have a more minimised and subtle fashion sense, whereas most Namibians have what I would describe as a loud fashion sense compared to the French. They are totally different.
T: Let's talk about Manya. From where did you draw inspiration for your designs?
S: The collection is named after the last five letters of my surname which represents strength, endurance and hard work which is exactly what I have put into Manya. It is my second collection and the brand is inspired by Namibia in terms of tone and how earthly we are. The colours stand out and they look different but I do see myself venturing into other colours such as black and white perhaps.
The fabric was sourced in Paris from various manufacturing companies. The inspirations of my designs were drawn from my obsession with solidity and fluidity. Creating flowy garments on a structured base which seem to give of architectural elements is the direction I like to take.
T: About the price range of the garments, who is your audience and why these people?
S: My target market is the working professional women with effortless style. I wanted to target this market first before venturing into other markets. I felt like my garments suited their criteria, style and budget. These are the independent, self-aware, confident and comfortable women in their skin. She is not worried about looking perfect and outstanding, she would rather be graciously refined and elegant which inevitably makes her stand out. The Manya collection is targeted at the working professional woman who enjoys comfort and quality in her garments. I plan to venture into other markets in the future with a diffusion line with a lower pricing range.
T: You spoke about being interested in mass production in the future. What do you think the reception will be from the Namibian public?
S: I think mass production can work but prices of garments would have to be affordable to get sales. Mass production in Namibia with high price rates is a recipe for disaster. I'm greatly interested in mass production and the retail business as a whole which Namibia lacks. I believe retailing is the meeting point of fashion and business which are two industries that I'm greatly interested in getting my foot into the world. I would like to put Namibia on the fashion map by creating and building brands that can be on the same level and size as international brands such as Zara and Mango.
June Shimuoshili
This is her story.
(tjil) T: Where did you study fashion design?
(Shaimemanya) S: I studied at Esmod Paris and CNAM, a French arts institution. The experience was very enriching. Studying in Paris has really pushed me to explore my creativity and embrace my unique personal identity and add those elements in my garments. It allowed me to explore the depths of myself and to create an aesthetic that truly embraces me and my background and life experiences. I wanted to study journalism but I felt that I would have more creative freedom in fashion design and I was generally curious about how I would adapt to the design field of fashion without having a sewing and designing background.
T: Would you say there is a difference in fashion sense between Namibians and the French?
S: Yes, Parisians have a more minimised and subtle fashion sense, whereas most Namibians have what I would describe as a loud fashion sense compared to the French. They are totally different.
T: Let's talk about Manya. From where did you draw inspiration for your designs?
S: The collection is named after the last five letters of my surname which represents strength, endurance and hard work which is exactly what I have put into Manya. It is my second collection and the brand is inspired by Namibia in terms of tone and how earthly we are. The colours stand out and they look different but I do see myself venturing into other colours such as black and white perhaps.
The fabric was sourced in Paris from various manufacturing companies. The inspirations of my designs were drawn from my obsession with solidity and fluidity. Creating flowy garments on a structured base which seem to give of architectural elements is the direction I like to take.
T: About the price range of the garments, who is your audience and why these people?
S: My target market is the working professional women with effortless style. I wanted to target this market first before venturing into other markets. I felt like my garments suited their criteria, style and budget. These are the independent, self-aware, confident and comfortable women in their skin. She is not worried about looking perfect and outstanding, she would rather be graciously refined and elegant which inevitably makes her stand out. The Manya collection is targeted at the working professional woman who enjoys comfort and quality in her garments. I plan to venture into other markets in the future with a diffusion line with a lower pricing range.
T: You spoke about being interested in mass production in the future. What do you think the reception will be from the Namibian public?
S: I think mass production can work but prices of garments would have to be affordable to get sales. Mass production in Namibia with high price rates is a recipe for disaster. I'm greatly interested in mass production and the retail business as a whole which Namibia lacks. I believe retailing is the meeting point of fashion and business which are two industries that I'm greatly interested in getting my foot into the world. I would like to put Namibia on the fashion map by creating and building brands that can be on the same level and size as international brands such as Zara and Mango.
June Shimuoshili
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