2 days ago
Fashion label Imprint ZA partners with Women for Change in star-studded campaign
This Women's Month, the runway transforms into a rallying point for change.
Fashion house Imprint ZA has joined forces with advocacy organisation Women for Change for a campaign that refuses to separate style from purpose.
At the core of the campaign stand powerhouse women Zikhona Sodlaka, Pabi Moloi, Penny Lebyane and Lerato Sengadi, the initiative goes beyond the glamour of the catwalk. In the campaign, each ambassador wears a one-of-a-kind garment, custom-designed to honour her personal strength, journey and legacy.
More than a runway moment
For Imprint ZA founder and designer Mzukisi Mbane, this collaboration is deeply personal.
'I've always used my platform to advocate for issues I feel strongly about,' he says. 'I've seen first-hand the power, strength and resilience of women – but I've also seen their pain, victimisation and violation. This campaign is about recognising and empowering the women in my life.'
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Known for emotive, deliberate and unapologetically powerful prints, Imprint ZA's work has always carried meaning. But this time, the message is urgent: women are not just statistics, victims or symbols – they are human beings.
'The world has victimised and isolated women for so long that people have forgotten they are human too,' Mzukisi says.
'They deserve soft love, a soft life, protection, support – to be seen, heard, valued. And above all, they deserve to live.'
Balancing fashion with truth
Blending couture elegance with unflinching social commentary is not new for the fashion brand.
'[In 2024], at the Durban July, I collaborated with the HIV and AIDS organisation Forever Wena,' Mzukisi recalls.
'I created prints carrying HIV and AIDS educational symbolism, messages some saw as 'too much' for the public – but transformed them into garments that still resonated. For me, balance comes from sensitivity and thoughtfulness, making advocacy meaningful rather than performative.'
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Marvels of Mzansi: A print with a pulse
This campaign also debuts a signature design Marvels of Mzansi, which a visual love letter to South African women across time, culture and legacy.
The richly layered print features hand-sketched portraits of the four celebrity ambassadors, intertwined with faces of women from every walk of life, political trailblazers, human rights defenders, music and film icons, and everyday heroines. Among the women is Mzukisi's own mother.
Beyond Women's Month
For the designer, this is more than a seasonal campaign. It's a statement that advocacy and artistry can live in the same space – that fashion can confront injustice without losing beauty.
'For me, advocacy is not an accessory,' Mzukisi says. 'It's woven into the fabric of what I do.'
