Anifa Mvuemba, founder and owner of Hanifa, has hit a pause on the fashion brand’s production amid pre-order woes.
Mvuemba sent an email confirming the production shift to customers. In the message, she informed her based on the constraints that led to her decision.
“We’re pressing pause. The last season stretched us in ways I’m still processing,” Mvuemba wrote in the email obtained by The Grio. “There’s been a lot of learning. A lot of responsibility. A lot of growth happening in real time.”
While the site will still keep up with normal operations, no restocks are on the horizon for the near future. Instead, the company will focus on fulfilling current orders and instilling better communications with its community.
“Fulfillment will continue within our standard processing times, and everything currently available is ready to ship,” added the founder. “We won’t be restocking at this time. There isn’t a set timeline for when we’ll move again. I’m allowing space for clarity instead of rushing into the next chapter.”The Black-owned luxuryhas received some backlash on social media after several customers noted delays in their pre-ordered items. Some patrons also took part in their Hanifa Friday sale last November. However, many did not receive their items until months later, in February.
Amid the fire, Mvuemba posted another vulnerable snippet into how keeping up with Hanifa has drained the new mother of two. In the post, “Why I’ve Considered Shutting Hanifa Down,” the founder spoke candidly about how manufacturing issues and other delays nearly jeopardized her business.
She continued,”When timelines started shifting, some customers should have known sooner. 1000%. Two things can be true at the same time. We did not abandon our customers. And we did not execute perfectly. Both are true.”
After months of online complaints, Mvuemba has chartered a course to make things right for her dedicated customers. She says, as of now, that all customers have finally received their orders. However, she still plans to shift the image of her brand.
“I owned it. Accountability, to me, is more than saying sorry. You have to do the work to make it right. We did that, and we plan to continue doing it. …I also believe you can hold someone accountable without being cruel,” she emphasized.
However, she still notes the disproportionate criticism aimed at Black women founders. She noted the “exhausting” backlash that made her contemplate leaving the industry altogether.
“Founder-led brands operate under a different kind of scrutiny,” added Mvuemba. “And when you’re a Black woman, the margin for grace is thinner. That reality is exhausting. “
While she has no timeline on when new styles will drop, Mvuemba is more focused on keeping her peace and providing good customer service for her business as it stands.
“I don’t want to rush just to prove resilience. I
don’t want to pretend everything is fine just to keep going…I don’t know exactly what the future of Hanifa looks like at this very moment. And for the first time in 14 years, I’m okay with saying that out loud. “RELATED CONTENT: Black Brides-To-Be Going Gaga Over New Hanifa Bridal Line