Anifa Mvuemba Announces Hanifa Pauses Production Indefinitely
Anifa Mvuemba, the celebrated founder behind the Black-owned fashion label Hanifa, has announced that she is halting production indefinitely. After almost 15 years of redefining contemporary fashion and inclusive sizing, Mvuemba shared that she is stepping back to focus on her mental health and family following a turbulent season of business challenges.
The decision follows a difficult period for the brand after its annual Hanifa Friday sale in November 2025. While the sale was a massive success, unexpected production delays from manufacturers led to significant shipping backlogs. The situation traveled to social media, where disgruntled customers took to TikTok and Instagram to voice frustrations over missing orders and a lack of communication.
For Mvuemba, the crisis hit at an incredibly vulnerable time. The designer had just given birth in December and was forced to cut her maternity leave short to manage the public relations fallout.
“I just had a baby. I didn’t fully process any of it because I went straight from postpartum into crisis management,” Mvuemba told The Cut. “There were nights where I was sobbing in one room and then wiping my face to go be the best mom I could be for my children in the next room.”
Despite the brand fulfilling every order from the sale and issuing refunds where possible, the personal nature of the online backlash took a heavy toll. Mvuemba noted that the margin for grace is often much thinner for Black women in leadership.
“Founder-led brands operate under a different kind of scrutiny. And when you’re a Black woman, the margin for grace is thinner. That reality is exhausting,” she wrote in a statement.
Since its launch in 2011, Hanifa has been a trailblazer for fashion. The brand gained global acclaim for its innovative 3-D virtual runway show during the pandemic and its commitment to dressing women up to a size 3X.
Now that Hanifa paused production, Mvuemba admits she does not have all the answers regarding the brand’s long-term future. However, she is choosing to embrace the uncertainty rather than rushing to “prove resilience” at the cost of her own well-being.
“Right now, I’m reflecting. I’m protecting what matters to me in this season,” Mvuemba shared. “And I’m allowing myself to be human in the process.”
