Cape Town fashion designer Emily Dorcas Tshiebua Mutombo is determined to ride the coattails of her iconic knitwear range to the top of the fashion industry.
Mutombo, who studied at the Elizabeth Galloway Academy of Fashion and starting her brand, Emelia D, in 2019 as a second-year student, is on a mission to ensure that her garments make a statement on the fashion scene.
The 24-year old, who was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, recently opened her own studio and manufacturing warehouse in Parow where she employs a small team of workers to bring her creations to life.
“This is a dream I’ve always had, and I’m determined to make it happen today at 24,” she said.
Her knitwear journey began in 2021 when she decided to challenge herself with a medium she had no experience working with.
“When I decided to specialise in knitwear, it was something my academy did not teach me, I had never done and I had to outsource my own learning,” said Mutombo.
“What I love about knitwear is that it can be a relaxing process and stressful sometimes, but I love working with natural yarns like wool and mohair which are manufactured here in South Africa,” she said.
She said while there are challenges with regards to obtaining raw material, the experience has been invaluable.
“It gets difficult to get what you need at the time you need it and getting natural fabrics at an affordable price can be impossible, and this then makes sustainable fashion even more expensive and it becomes accessible to a certain group of people who can afford it,” she said.
Like many businesses, Mutombo’s enterprise was heavily impacted by Covid-19 but a chance to showcase her work at the Neighbourgoods Market in 2021 gave her the boost she needed.
“I had never heard of or been to this market, but I saw it as an opportunity to restart my brand with an existing clientele and without me having to convince people to buy my brand again,” she said.
“This was an exciting time, but also stressful because it was something I did not expect, I only had R3 000 to my name to restart my brand.
“But I enjoy trading at these markets because, firstly, the traders are all really kind, and I get to have conversations with all kinds of people from around the world knowing and purchasing from my brand“ , She said.
Mutombo said her first stab at making iconic and unique garments began with a coat she made while still a student that got her nominated as a finalist for the Twyg Sustainable Fashion Awards in 2019.
The garment featured 1 066 handmade flowers and took her three months to complete.
“My lecturer was very kind to give me time to complete my coat as she understood that it would be a masterpiece,” added Mutombo.
The garment has since featured on a number of publications, including “Vogue Portugal” as part of a collection in 2020.
“This was the first time I was exposed to the world of publication and styling that I fell in love with, and I wanted my first collection to be published as well,” she said.
“I made it work, I am a girl on a mission right now and I will make sure that 2023 is a fabulous year for my brand and growth will be visible.”
She said while her knitwear collection embraced her best-selling items, her business also included other materials.
“I have enough garments for everyone and have worked very hard to perfect my quality and only give my best.”
Solomon WaMwamba, a fashion photographer based in Cape Town, met the designer at the Old Biscuit Mill in Woodstock and worked with her on two projects.
“She’s an amazing young African designer who is seriously killing the fashion game. I was blown away by her designs, they are elegant, on-trend, and just gorgeous,” he said.
“She has an incredible eye for detail and she is going to make a real impact in the fashion world.”
Weekend Argus.