Born in South Africa, designer Rich Mnisi started his own fashion label, OATH, in 2014 and later changed the label's name to be self-titled at the end of 2015. He graduated with a BA in fashion design and business management before fully launching his career in attempts to reshape pop culture and innovate fashion trends. In 2014, Mnisi was selected as one of the winners of at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Joburg AFI Fastrack Award, which pushed him to create his own label and later work with Design Indaba’s emerging creatives incubator in 2015.
With both his menswear and womenswear line, Mnisi works to create gender-neutral aesthetics and blur gender lines. His collaboration with young African artists allows him to create a contemporary feel that still uses traditional elements of design and execution. His use of vibrant colors, unique materials and beautifully shot editorials creates a feeling that is hard to replicate. His branding goes beyond fashion and also gives a clear statement on social ideology and concepts.
