It’s been two months since Thando Munku Ntuli, the rising South African womenswear designer, was crowned the recipient of the 2022 South African Fashion Week New Talent Search. Since then, the designer and entrepreneur has been busier than usual in both her professional and personal life. “I’m doing my dissertation on textile printing and launching a service to help local designers,” Ntuli tells AMAKA, referring to the CMT factory she’s planning to launch. “I also had my wedding recently,” she continues.
Born and raised in the township of Soweto in Johannesburg, Ntuli graduated in 2019 with a fashion degree from Fedisa Fashion School in Cape Town – the same year she established her label, Munkus. Inspired by the 1980s and 1990s South African style, as well as the female forebears who came before her, she describes her creations as “intergenerational.”
Exploring the idea of home, Ntuli’s collections consist of exaggerated silhouettes in modest lengths that emphasise movement, comfort, and femininity. Skirts and shirts are splashed with bold graphic prints and presented with overlays that can be stripped down to create straightforward or dynamic looks. “My style closes the gap between age groups, what you’re allowed to wear and how comfortable you should be in certain clothing,” she explains. Below the designer chats about her journey and goals.
Could you tell us about your fashion journey?
I went to North West School of Design but switched to Fedisa Cape Town where I ended up graduating. As someone who grew up in a township in Johannesburg, moving to Cape Town made me feel different and motivated me to include more of my culture and life in my work.
After graduation, I worked in kidswear as a junior buyer at Truworths but I realised that corporate wasn't for me and that I couldn't go as far as I wanted to go creatively. I decided to leave to focus on my brand.
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What would you like to change about the industry?
I’m in the process of establishing a CMT (manufacturing factory) right now for designers, and I'm going to focus on denim and heavyweight fabrics. I would like to produce my brand from CMT as well but the point is to [empower ourselves] by doing it locally.
For me, it’s about giving back to the community and being an example and model that people can look up to and aspire to be. I'm hoping that as Munkus develops it will grow within the community and that it’s bringing up designers at the same time.
What does Youth Day mean to you?
Youth Day this year made me think that I need to get my life together. My mentality when leaving corporate was that if anything was to go wrong, corporate will always be there but I can’t get back my twenties and my youth. Being a millennial or Gen Z, we have so much access to the world and information and if we make good use of it we can live the lives of our dreams.
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What has been the biggest lesson for you since you started your label?
I’ve realised that your foundation is important. Trying to be everything at once can slow you down. Understanding how to run a business and having a small team and sharing responsibilities so you can focus on things you’re good at is key.