Nelson Mandela’s Wearable Art by House of Mandela

The House of Mandela, the African family dedicated to the preservation of its history, culture, and family, has launched new apparel, which features interpretations of Nelson Mandela’s own and original artwork.

The initial collection, in partnership with Represent, features the interpretation of two original, charcoal drawings from Madiba’s Struggle Series, including ‘Struggle’ and ‘Freedom.’ Both designs include a print of his signature.

The garments exemplify the constant battle to be strong and staying true to oneself in the face of adversity, a theme as relevant today as it was during Nelson Mandela’s own fight for justice, a statement from House of Mandela reads.

The House of Mandela continues to raise awareness about social and racial injustices and believes this is an opportunity to expand that awareness through this original wearable collection, which includes tees, hoodies, jackets and pendants.

Explain the inspiration behind the art Mandela wrote then: “These sketches are not so much about my life as they are about my own country. I drew hands because they are powerful instruments, hands can hurt or heal, punish or uplift. They can also be bound, but a quest for righteousness can never be repressed. In time, we broke open the shackles of injustice, we joined hands across social divides and national boundaries, between continents and over oceans. And now we look to the future, knowing that even if age makes us wiser guides, it is the youth that remind us of love, of trust, and the value of life.”

For the 2021 commemoration of the UN-designated Mandela Day (18 July), which is also Madica’s birthday, the House of Mandela collaborated with the online retailer Kith for an exclusive apparel capsule collection created by Mandela’s daughter Makaziwe Mandela, his granddaughter Tukwini. Proceeds of the collection, which quickly sold out, will go to a number of organisations, aligned to Madiba’s principles.

They include #HashtagLunchBag – a volunteer organization that creates and donates bagged lunches that help provide food to local underserved communities; Black Girls CODE – a nonprofit organization whose mission is to increase the number of women of colour in the digital technology space; and the Innocence Project – a group of independent organizations that exonerate and support the innocent, and redress the cases of wrongful conviction.