If ever there was a shining example of a woman with a determination that is impossible to extinguish, it’s Harmonie Mbunga, the founder of the sustainable African fashion brand, VALOYI. While her dream to pursue fashion has always been strong, she went through many a trial and tribulation on her way to success. For as long as she can remember, she has always had an interest in fashion, which worked out well for her collection of dolls, who were always dressed in the trendiest garments in town, and even owned their own, modern furniture, all of which were custom-made for them by Harmonie. Following her primary and high school years, during which Harmonie often appeared in fashion shows organized by her respective schools, she went on to study for a BA in Fashion Design in 2009.

“I found myself having to drop out after the first year as I could not afford to carry on. I am grateful for everything I learnt in that first year though, as it was absolutely priceless and I gained so much practical  knowledge – from sewing, pattern making, drawing, art and fashion history, business – that I use to this day,” Harmonie told Fashionomics Africa.

She went on to work in retail and often feared she’d never get out, but her dream of becoming a fashion designer persisted, so she used the money she earned at work to start her own unisex streetwear brand, MADHUMAN, in 2013. “I made a few cool samples, of which I still have a few to this day, before quickly running out of money and having to face the reality that I was trying to bite off waaay more than I could chew,” she laughs. “So that ship sank before it even left the docks,” she admits. But that didn’t stop her from trying again.

“My second attempt was a summer-oriented clothing brand I named MIGA/O (fem/masc slang for shortened word amiga - friend in Portuguese), in 2014/2015. I got a bit further with this one. Labels were made, garments went into production, I did a cute photoshoot of the clothes - which only consisted of three different styles! See! I'd learnt to scale it down and not bite off more than I can chew – debuted it on Facebook, and got a store to sell it in. This dream all came crashing down when it turned out my seamstress was not the greatest I could have found. She was unreliable and a chain-smoker who would deliver my products not sewn well and reeking of cigarette smoke! It was horrid. She took forever to make my clothes till then eventually disappeared with more than half of my production. That experience broke me- to the core! I was so gutted and became so despondent that I didn't ever want to do fashion again,” she recalls.

It wasn’t until she started thinking back to her retail days with Lush Handmade Cosmetics – the first one to have opened on African soil – that she realized she needed to find the right story to tell in order to establish a solid brand people would want to learn more about.

“We all know they make the most amazing and coolest handmade cosmetics products on Planet Earth, but what I fell in love with most was their brand ethos, beliefs, and practices. Which is something that is tangible in all aspects of their business and products. They advocate for human, environmental, and animal rights, they are so bold about it and are not afraid to get their hands dirty and be really loud about what they believe in. They strongly focus on sustainable development, implement fair trade practices in all their sourcing and buying of ingredients, as well as producing, they support small scale farmers all across the world, and showcase as well as document their stories to share with their staff and customers. Amazing, mind-blowing stuff! I learnt so much from Lush and adopted new ways of thinking, it really fed and grew me as a person.”

“I realized that, if I wanted to create a fashion brand, it was going to be one that in some ways resonated with that: strong beliefs, strong goals, strong products, that make a tangible difference on this planet we live on, and on people’s lives. I asked myself, what is it that I believe in most that I could market and create a fashion brand around. And the answer was, Africa and its unending potential to be something so much more amazing than what the world perceives of it. So, the idea of VALOYI was born,” Harmonie explains. “I knew quite a bit about traditional African clothes and curios, as my mother, who is also a Fashion Designer, used to trade and sell them. So, I thought, why not showcase and teach the world of their beauty and significance through modern fashion. I went to work with the bit of money I had. I started designing and figuring out and coming up with ideas. I knew it would take me a while to get to the point of traveling Africa and documenting artisans doing their work and creating beautiful products with them - especially without some sort of funding - but I just knew I had to start.”

VALOYI, the name of which was inspired by a strong woman of a South African tribe, who stood up for herself and fought against the rigid systems of male Afro-cultural/traditional patriarchy, has a strong mission statement. Through the VALOYI brand, Harmonie aims to do her part in keeping the century-old heritage skills of African artisans alive by creating a new path for their skills to continue to be passed on for generations to come.

“Major worldwide media has always propelled an image of inferiority for Africa. So much worth was brutally stolen from the heart of Africa through slavery, colonization, and wars, leaving our soils and its people stripped, stricken, and in serious need of healing and recuperation. For a continent of people who have been through so much, we are growing, healing, and thriving. The world's eyes on Africa are becoming more focused. I see what is happening and I truly believe that Africa is the future, and I'm excited for it. But little to none of this growth is shown via worldwide media. The same narrative of poverty, charity, sickness, and turmoil continues to be propelled. It's changing, but slowly. We, as Africans, need to reclaim our soil and our narratives in order to help it heal. Through VALOYI, I want to do my part in showing and teaching fellow Africans and the world about the richness in craftsmanship found on this massive and beautiful continent. Documenting these skills, telling the artisans' stories, I want to ensure their longevity through sustainable development, all while creating beautiful and high-quality goods that carry these arts, reinterpreting them through new and engaging aesthetics which everyone can enjoy and appreciate.”

Having first launched in April 2018, VALOYI is currently focused on handbags, but this, Harmonie ensures us, is just a stepping-stone. “I still dream of my summer brand, so as VALOYI grows, shoes will be added, then swimwear, beachwear, and then it will eventually evolve into a full unisex apparel brand. The speed at which this happens will depend on capital and funding. This has been the main challenge for my one-woman-show: entrepreneurship – particularly within a creative field – is not for the faint-hearted, that’s for sure! But having just launched my online store, I can now reach a bigger audience with the brand.”

We’re super excited about Harmonie’s new venture via VALOYI and look forward to seeing this exciting new brand grow in future.