Anyango Mpinga

Anyango Mpinga is an award-winning fashion designer, born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya. Formally trained in media studies, she graduated with a B.A. in social communication with a minor in radio production, and worked in the media industry as an event and public relations manager before she pivoted paths. In 2011, Mpinga was inspired to take her love for Fashion beyond just a hobby, and began her clothing line.

Speaking to Vogue Italia about her transition into the Fashion industry, the designer shared, “I wanted my work to stand for something meaningful and have a positive impact on my immediate environment... [and] subsequently create work from it that anyone in any part of the world can connect to and wear is the very reason I found my place in fashion.” In 2015, she relaunched eponymously as part of Africa’s growing slow fashion movement, which emphasizes a more conscious consumption of fashion products; focusing on a clean, transparent supply chain that is both sustainable and ethical.

Mpinga’s influences are drawn from spirituality, her travels, the arts and her rich multicultural background. Speaking to Vogue Italia about what drives her, the designer explained: “My love for Africa and my desire to get people to understand and fall in love with it as much as I have, and not just because I am from here. There is so much beauty and richness to discover and explore.”

As the Kenyan-based brand continues to evolve, the designer has been recognized internationally; in 2016, she received the She Trades Collective (ITC Geneva) International Design Award, and in 2019, she was selected as a finalist for Camera Moda’s Green Carpet Fashion week for her contribution to sustainable design.