Rich Mnisi

Rich Fumani Mnisi (born 14 December 1993) is a South African fashion designer and businessman. He is best known as the founder and creative director of a luxury fashion brand RICH MNISI, founded in 2015. He appeared on Forbes Africa 30 Under 30 list in 2019. Quotes It was a long-term goal, to be able to cover both fashion and homeware. But now it’s actually happening!. Is furniture something you had always wanted to design? Julian McGowan, co-founder of Southern Guild, has a vision to develop a new generation of furniture designers in South Africa. He felt that I’d be capable of going from fashion into furniture seamlessly because of my silhouettes and fabric choices. So how did it come to pass sooner than expected? It was very fluid. I had first designed this huge circular couch, stool and table. Julian and his partner Trevyn liked it but they thought it was too resolved. So we started going through all my previous fashion work, picking up on shapes and textures. After that it was simpler. In the beginning I had looked at it as “furniture is furniture,” but the open-minded approach was so much better. Was he correct? Was it an easy transition? Well, in my family, or in blackness in general, you’re always told not to ask why. You just have to accept it. So I actually don’t even know why (Laughs). Like, also, you can’t pass on salt. You have to put it down on the table. So there are superstitions like that and then general lessons like “be good, treat people properly, be strong.” When you’re grown up, you see how important all these little teachings are, and this is all a celebration of that. Why? What would happen? I’m very big on my home décor and am very particular about every single piece in the house, especially since I moved out of my mother’s place. It’s given me the chance to fully express myself. My lounge is color coordinated in navy, with a velvet navy Chesterfield and a navy rug and a beautiful old TV stand. It’s very considered. What’s your own personal relationship with furniture? Design is such a rough industry in general, you have to believe in it and be confident when you present your work. External links Category: living people Category:Fashion designers from South Africa Category:Businesspeople from South Africa Category:1993 births