On Sunday, at a grandiose country resort, some 200 guests were seated inside a massive tent draped with white curtains, the sun peaking through the ceiling and onto their faces. They had flown in from New York, Miami, Atlanta, Dallas and Los Angeles, which is not unusual for the typical big city fashion show. But this was in Middleburg, Va., an hour away from the Washington airport.
That’s the kind of ride-or-die community that Anifa Mvuemba, 32, the founder of the clothing brand Hanifa, has cultivated. Guest lists at fashion shows usually include celebrities, influencers and media, but this one largely comprised longtime friends, supporters and family members, including five siblings, who were willing to travel for the show.
Hanifa has a fervent fan base, loyal to Ms. Mvuemba’s vibrant dresses and knitwear. It can sometimes be hard to be creative with color while getting dressed, to divert from blacks, whites and neutrals and find bright pieces that are cool and chic. But she made it easier, appealing to people who are willing to invest in quality pieces that don’t cost thousands. In her fall 2023 collection, tops start at $125 and pants at $169.
Now, Ms. Mvuemba is expanding into the bridal space. She inadvertently closed Bridal Fashion Week, which took place Oct. 10-12 in New York, presenting her debut collection outdoors at the Salamander Resort and Spa, a Black-owned, women-owned luxury resort in Middleburg.
The event, which was set up like a wedding, began with welcome drinks indoors. Women in matching pink custom Hanifa jumpsuits greeted guests, many of whom were dressed in cocktail attire from Hanifa’s previous collections.
Then, guests walked over to the tent for the runway show, stopping along the way to take selfies in the sun as a string quartet played renditions of John Legend’s “All of Me” and Taylor Swift’s “Love Story.” The theme of the show was “Love at First Sight,” and Opemipo Olowomeye, a writer, read a love poem out loud…
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