Congolese designer Anifa Mvuemba makes history with 3D fashion show via Instagram

The lockdown restrictions as a result of the coronavirus pandemic may have slowed things down in all aspects, but one remarkable thing about this period is, it is churning out commendable innovations from people.

Just like other businesses that have been affected by the virus, the fashion industry is also counting its losses. Fashion shows and events that were set to display collections by designers have had to be put on hold until it’s safe.

A worrying situation, this has, however, not fazed Anifa Mvuemba, a fashion designer and founder of the fashion brand, Hanifa. On Friday, the Congolese-American designer went ahead to debut her latest collection via a very ingenious 3D digital fashion show on Instagram with all guests having front row seats behind their screens.

A very unorthodox but ingenious show which other designers will most likely “copy” in the future, the show featured 3D models strutting the runway wearing her beautiful collection. Speaking to Teen Vogue, Mvuemba revealed she even had the idea in mind way before the lockdown restrictions were enforced.

“The news came out about how serious things were and I started to feel a bit anxious about everything going on. I started feeling like maybe it would be insensitive to create and share a new collection online while people were facing very difficult realities,” she said.

Though she has been using 3D mockups to share ideas with a team when coming up with a design concept, Mvuemba said this project was still challenging.

“Designing content using 3D models and now an entire collection has been a complete game changer for me. It actually requires an even greater amount of attention-to-detail for the clothes to fit and look just right,” she said.

With the likes of Lizzo, Cardi B, Kelly Rowland and Angela Simmons having worn her designs, Mvuemba said her latest “Pink Label Congo” collection was inspired by her native country as well as African seamstresses.

“I want these pieces to tell a story of meaning. I want them to remind us to be intentional about what we create. Not for clout or for Instagram likes, but for the sake of meaning what we say by storytelling through our designs,” she said.

On why she chose Instagram for the show, she told Teen Vogue she wanted the audience to have a front-row experience while also having a closer view of her design details.

“We know that some people may never experience a fashion week or Hanifa showcase, so we wanted to show up for our audience where they show up for us on a daily basis. That’s when Instagram became the obvious choice.”

Of course, the show went viral with several people commending her innovation. Take a look at it below: