GETTING TO KNOW THANDI NTULI

Soweto born and bred, Thando Ntuli is a fashion storyteller like no other.

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The evolution of South African fashion is the embodiment of our country’s rich history, punctuated with traces and trails of where we came from. Thando Ntuli is the founder and designer of MUNKUS, an intergenerational brand with retro-inspired garments designed with the modern woman in mind. In 2022, she won the SA Fashion Week New Talent award, and was also a member of the Design Indaba’s Emerging Creatives Class of 2022.

Thando’s brand is tied into storytelling, where the past collides with the present. She chats to us about the importance of comfort in her designs and the matriarchal influence she experienced growing up. where I graduated with a BA Honours in Fashion Design, focused on sustainable textile printing. Right after I graduated, I was offered a job as a footwear buyer for boys – I felt like I was still too young for corporate so I decided to bank on myself instead, and that’s how MUNKUS started.

HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE YOUR ROLE AS A DESIGNER?
I believe my role in society is not only to create beautiful and innovative clothing but also to address pressing issues in the fashion industry, such as sustainability and accessibility. I aim to provide resources for emerging designers to help with our textile industry problem, investing in the creative and developmental process to encourage more amazing work to come from ‘home’. My goal is to shift the fashion industry towards a more responsible, inclusive future.

HOW DO YOU AVOID THE PRESSURE OF FAST FASHION?
I think fashion repeats itself anyway. My brand is inspired by my mom, my grandmother and great-grandmother – the people who surrounded me – and I wanted to create something that would work for me and them. I wanted MUNKUS to close that limiting age gap. The idea of my brand is layering; it pushes away from fast fashion. I also work with silhouettes that are close to South Africa’s history, and who we were in the 80s and 90s.

WHAT’S NEXT?

I am currently building my team, because the truth is I learnt to be a designer – not to run a business. All the business aspects of MUNKUS need to be delegated to people who understand business operations, which will allow me to be creative. I also have a collaboration coming up; I’m not allowed to talk about it yet, but it’s something close to South Africans and their love for food.

Follow THANDO
Facebook: Thando Ntuli Sommie (MUNKU)
Instagram: @himunkus
X: @Munkus_

Interview: Sindeka Mandoyi
Photo: Supplied