The story behind the collection

When Mnisi began designing the collection, he was guided by what he calls “the feeling of nostalgia.” He thought of his grandmother navigating Sophiatown’s streets. Of pleats and blouses. Of silks and prints. The colour palette oscillates between earth tones and arresting brights. “When people see clashing colours, they can distance themselves from nature,” he explains. “But if you take a walk, this is all you’re experiencing. It’s a reminder of being grounded.”

Yet nostalgia is only part of the equation. “I think when we started with the design process, I really wanted to think of all the eras that Foschini has gone through and ourselves as well, but also just to be more specific – the ‘70s,” Mnisi explains. 

“It was a time of rebellion, again, in politics, in fashion, in how people saw themselves racially. So it really was a very powerful time for people to stand up. And I really think that’s what fashion is right now, to be honest, if you look around, if you go on Instagram, people really are just standing up for whatever they believe in. And people are super confident. I think the ‘70s really played a huge role in how we interact today. So it was a very good point of reference,” says the designer. 

The collection also embodies “becoming” – that perpetual state of transformation that has defined Foschini’s relationship with South African women for a century. “This collection carries that spirit: this is the girl I am, and this is the girl I want to be,” says Mnisi. 

If nostalgia anchors the collection, “becoming” propels it forward. For both Foschini and RICH MNISI, fashion has always been about evolution. “This collection carries that spirit,” says Mnisi. 

The culture of communal excellence

There’s a Tsonga phrase Mnisi learned from his mother: Manyalong, Mekete, le Mafung– weddings, celebrations, funerals. The three occasions where one must show up and show off. “The beautiful thing about clothing then was that it was communal,” he recalls. “The aim was to outdress each other, yes – but we all had to do great.”

It’s this philosophy that underpins both the collection and the auction. Luxury, in Mnisi’s conception, isn’t about exclusivity. It’s about how something makes you feel. “When celebrities wear our clothes, it’s humbling,” he says. “But what moves me most is seeing an everyday person styling RICH MNISI with their own closet. That’s when I know we’ve done something meaningful.” 

Legacy as intention

Move Africa, the beneficiary of the auction, equips young creatives with skills to turn talent into opportunity – a mission that mirrors Mnisi’s own journey. For Foschini, it also aligns with its Force for Good initiative, designed to drive meaningful social impact across the continent.

“Legacy is the echo of intention,” Mnisi reflects. “This collaboration allows me to hold hands with history, and this auction extends that legacy, giving back to the communities that shaped us.”

On 30 October, garments inspired by nostalgia and shaped by becoming will take on a new life as catalysts for possibility. Fashion, at its most elevated, has always been this: beautiful, wearable, and meaningful.

In addition to the exclusive one-of-one RICH MNISI pieces on auction, select lots from across The Foschini Group will also be available to bid on, further amplifying the movement of purpose. 

From @home, a Bugatti Breakfast Pack, including a kettle, toaster, juicer, and blender, valued at R18 396, brings Italian design and precision into the everyday.

Markham will offer a made-to-measure suit experience, including a shirt, tie, and shoes, to the value of R5 000, allowing the winning bidder to tailor their own expression of contemporary menswear.

From the jewellery division, a new brand launching this November, introduces a bespoke jewellery piece valued at R30 000. Honouring TFG’s century-long heritage while looking to the future, this lot marks a historic and collectable moment for bidders.

And from Totalsports, a signed striker’s jersey, captured during the 2016 Presidents Cup, celebrates South Africa’s enduring sporting legacy.

Together, these lots reflect the breadth of TFG’s brands, each contributing to a collective purpose: transforming style into social impact.