THOUGH an all-round artist, versed in the art of dance and theatre, for 24-year-old Mwanza Glenn, it is fashion that truly fuels his passion for life. Now, after almost six years of building his brand, Wanza’s Designs, locally, Mwanza is ready to branch out into the regional markets.

“I believe that my brand is known; I no longer have to do fashion shows to present a collection. So, locally, I am now focusing on getting into retail. When that is settled and I start getting income coming in, then I can invest in branching into regional markets,” Mwanza told The Buzz.
That would mean hosting fashion shows, and getting his name recognised abroad, of course, a journey that Mwanza is eager to embark on.
Now, with a new store location about to open on Regent Street, and with his designs currently being sold at the recently launched Makeda’s Boutique while he is also in negotiations with three other boutiques interested in featuring his clothing, it seems as though the next step for Mwanza is within arm’s reach.
TOUGH DECISION
Upon reflection, Mwanza says that it was tough at first when he first quit his job as at Qualfon to focus on his fashion designing. “When I sent in my resignation… that was in August, and Guyana Fashion Week was in October, and I knew I had to be a part of it. “So I had just about one month to get everything together,” he said.
The young designer soon found out that getting sponsorship as a young artist now starting out was harder than he imagined.  “I remember calling sponsors, and people just kept telling me to call back. Everywhere I turned, they would tell me something different.
“But this one business; I’ll never forget. It was the proprietor of Classic Styles who gave me US$20.
“And it might not seem like a lot, but that was the only sponsorship I received. And, honestly, I can’t  thank him enough,” Mwanza said.
Luckily, he was able to launch the line that year. ‘Blaque Buzz’ was a collaborative effort with another designer, and despite the lack of sponsors, it was launched; and so was Mwanza’s name, by extension.
SIGNATURE DESIGNS
Since then, Wanza’s Designs has grown in popularity and repute, and Mwanza is well known for his signature custom-made African designs.
And while he embraces this niche, he is also interested in expanding his line, and he has, so far.
“A lot of my styles, people tell me that they still see an African flair in them, even if it isn’t African wear.
“So, it is almost as if it’s embedded in my work. In fact, people see me as an African designer up to now; people still come to me for custom-made African wear. So I am branching out into broader fields.
“And sometimes that is met with skepticism, because people always want what they know. But I want to show them what I can be, and other qualities I possess. “So, it’s kind of hard getting there, but it’s a journey,” he said.

Over the years, Wanza’s Designs has been recognized on various platforms, having been a finalist in the 2009 Facts 3 Student Designing Competition, second runner up in Sonia Noel’s Designer Portfolio 2012 and a representative at Mission Catwalk in Jamaica in 2013. Mission Catwalk is the Caribbean version of the critically acclaimed reality TV show Project Runway. In 2015, Mwanza was the recipient of the Guyana Cultural Association of New York Youth Award for his participation in various types of the Arts, including fashion designing. “I didn’t even know there were people looking at what I was doing, so it was very honourable to know that my work was recognised,” he said.

OTHER ASPECTS
As he embarks on other aspects of development in his own craft, Mwanza says that he is interested in providing support to younger designers, to help them in ways he wishes he’d done when he’d just started. “I want to host a three-day workshop, where up-and-coming designers can meet and get support from those who have a bit more experience in the industry.
“I think that if I had something like that when I had just started, I would have been so much better off. But I want to do something like that in the near future,” he said.
Of course, that, too, will call for sponsorship, but Mwanza has learned a lot from when he first began, and is sure that he will be able to pull off such a venture, so as to make a meaningful contribution to the local fashion industry.