Oaths and Snakes - Rich Mnisi

It started with a promise. After winning the AFI (Africa Fashion International) Young Designer of the Year award in 2014 with a collection that he had made inside his mother’s garage in 2014, Rich Mnisi launched his first fashion label. He called the label OATH, a name that would serve as a covenant between himself and his late sister to have his work represent a personal commitment to always creating from a truthful place. In keeping with that covenant, it was only right that the name had to change in order to truthfully represent himself and the family that he wished to honour in his work. 

Words: Dan Charles

In 2015, OATH became RICH MNISI – a family name that now carries a reverence in the realm of South African fashion akin to that of GUCCI’s name in Italy and Dior’s in France. It is a name that has carried his family’s legacy across some of the most prestigious runways and fashion publications in the world. It is a name worn by the likes of even Beyonce, adorned in a piece from a collection inspired by Mnisi’s great grandmother, Nwa-Mulamula Munene Macheke, and his imagining of her lobola ceremony. 

Mnisi published a magazine in 2021 to introduce the stories behind his fashion and furniture collection, NYOKA – a collection that was inspired by a dream that his mother, Daisy Macheke Mnisi, had of a terrifying and beautiful green snake crawling on her back that would lead Mnisi (someone who was once deeply afraid of snakes) to contemplate how this creature could be something emblematic of the themes of fear, beauty and rebirth within his work. In the pages of this magazine, Mnisi’s mother wrote of how his great grandmother’s xibelani – a traditional Tsonga dress – would cover her whole street and go around the block whenever she hung it up to dry after washing it. “Everyone would know that today we are seeing Daisy’s grandmother’s xibelani,” wrote Mnisi’s mother of those days. In many ways, the work of RICH MNISI has been to stretch that xibelani across the whole world – like a long, powerful and beautiful snake – so that everyone can get to see Daisy’s grandmother’s xibelani.

RICH MNISI is a name that will forever be kept alive on the tongues and pages of the world that speak of beautiful things. It is a name that will continue to fulfil its promise.

Was there a promise behind the name OATH?

Yes. OATH represented a personal commitment to honesty and intention in my work.

A promise I made to my late sister. It was about creating from a truthful place.

In many ways, that promise still exists, just under my own name now. It is not

something you complete, it is something you keep renewing with every collection.

Over time it becomes both easier and harder, easier because you know yourself

more, harder because the responsibility grows.

Is the 18-meter xibelani still in your family?

5km! Yes, it is still part of our family history, even if not always physically

present in the way memory holds it. That story represents scale, presence and

community for me. The image of a garment stretching across a highway is

powerful because it speaks to how clothing can become something bigger than the

individual. In many ways, my work is an extension of that idea, taking something

deeply personal and allowing it to exist publicly, across borders and cultures.

Will the snake be forever a part of the RICH MNISI mythology?

The snake has become more than a motif, it is a language. It represents

transformation, duality, fear, beauty and rebirth. Each collection interprets it

differently, from NYOKA to Dzuvula and later into NAMBU, where it became almost

symbolic of movement and continuity. I don’t see it disappearing because it

speaks to a core philosophy of the brand, the idea that we are always shedding,

evolving and becoming. The mythology grows as we grow.

What has incorporating the snake taught you about confronting fear?

Before NYOKA, snakes represented fear for me. Working with the symbol forced me

to sit with discomfort and transform it into something beautiful. I realised

that fear often carries power when you stop running from it. The process taught

me that creativity can be an act of reclamation, taking what once intimidated

you and making it part of your identity.

What are your thoughts on intimacy in fashion and furniture design?

I love that both fashion and furniture require participation. They are not

distant forms of art, they live with people. A garment moves with the body and a

piece of furniture holds someone at rest. That intimacy makes storytelling more

honest because the audience is not just observing, they are experiencing. Seeing

people wear or live with pieces inspired by my family and history feels deeply

emotional. It is like watching stories leave home and find new lives.

Is there a particular garment or collection that moved you profoundly? What

inspires you outside of fashion?

NYOKA will always be emotional for me because it felt like the moment where

everything aligned, personal history, fear, beauty and storytelling. Outside of

fashion, I am inspired by music, travel, conversations and everyday rituals.

Sometimes inspiration comes from something very small, a memory, a texture, or

the way light moves across a space.

What have collaborations taught you as a creative and entrepreneur?

Collaborations teach you balance. You learn how to protect your creative

identity while also listening and adapting. They push you to translate your

world into different contexts and reach audiences you might not otherwise reach.

From an entrepreneurial perspective, collaborations have taught me about scale,

accessibility and how to build bridges without diluting the essence of the

brand.

How does RICH MNISI exist between accessible and aspirational fashion?

I don’t really see it as a divide. I see it as a conversation. Luxury and

accessibility can coexist when the intention is clear. Collaborations allow the

brand to reach people who may not enter the world through our core collections,

but who still connect with the story and energy. The goal has always been to

create emotional access, not just financial access.

What does reaching the 10-year milestone feel like?

It feels surreal and grounding at the same time. When I started, success felt

like a distant idea, something external. Now it feels more internal, it is about

longevity, community and impact. The biggest difference is realising that

success is not a destination. It is something you continuously redefine as you

grow.

What has been inspiring you lately, and what can you share about the future?

Lately I have been inspired by movement, by the idea of fluid identities and

spaces that feel both ancient and futuristic. I am interested in expanding

beyond fashion into objects, environments and experiences that allow people to

live inside the world of RICH MNISI. The future feels multidisciplinary, more

immersive and more global while still deeply rooted in home.

RICH MNISI

shop.richmnisi.com

@rich_mnisi