Farai Simoyi
Born (1983-10-01) 1 October 1983
London, United Kingdom
EducationWest Virginia University, USA
Occupations
  • Fashion Designer
  • Television personality
  • Entrepreneur
Known forFashion design
TelevisionI've Got Nothing to Wear, Fashion Designer/Participant in Netflix's Next in Fashion

Farai Simoyi (born 1983) is a British–Zimbabwean fashion designer,[1][2] television personality,[3] educator, and entrepreneur.[4][5] She appeared on the first edition of the fashion design competition series Next in Fashion in 2020.[6][7]

Early life

Farai Simoyi was born on 1 October 1983 in London, England. She lived her early childhood in Harare, Zimbabwe, where she attended early primary education at Groombridge Primary School before moving to West Virginia in the United States of America. She completed her primary and secondary education in the USA before proceeding to West Virginia University. She attained her Fashion Design & Merchandising degree at West Virginia University and studied design at Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti in Milan, Italy.[8]

Career

Farai Simoyi began her career in fashion design in 2005. Over the years she rose to prominence through designing and consulting for celebrity brands, which include Beyonce, Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj, Justin Timberlake, Rachel Roy, Anne Klein, and Robert Rodriguez.[9][10]

In 2010 she debuted her brand Farai Inc[11] at New York Fashion Week 2010,[12] where she was identified as a ‘Breakout Designer’ by Time Out New York,[13][14] She then went on to establish The Narativ House in 2017 which houses ethically-sourced artisan brands[15] from around the world with an emphasis on sustainability and traditional craftsmanship through human-centered design.[16]

Television

In 2007, Simoyi had her television debut on TLC’s design competition series I’ve got nothing to wear. In the series, design contestants were paired up with a client that had an entire closet of clothes yet still complained, “I’ve got nothing to wear”. The designers would invade the closets of their clients and pull garments with plans to upcycle them into new, revived garments.[17]

Simoyi's second television appearance was in 2020 when she appeared on the first season of the Netflix fashion design competition series Next in Fashion in 2020.[18][19] She was the only African on the show which featured eighteen international designers.[20] On the show, Simoyi was partnered with an American fashion designer, Kianga "Kiki" Milele.[21] The two designers worked with each other at The Nicki Minaj Collection. The designers appeared in 5 episodes and exited after the 5th episode.[22][23]

Academia

In 2020, Simoyi became the Program Director & Professor of B.S. Fashion Design and M.S. International Fashion Design Management for the Kanbar School of Engineering & Design at Thomas Jefferson University. Simoyi launched one of the first undergraduate 3D Virtual Fashion Design curriculums in Philadelphia, utilizing software such as CLO3D.[24]

Volunteering

In 2022 Simoyi became a Fashion Scholarship Fund Equity Committee member in partnership with the Virgil Abloh "Post-Modern" Scholarship Fund. The Fashion Scholarship Fund Equity Committee works directly with the country's most talented young students from diverse backgrounds and awards over $1 million each year in scholarships to help students succeed in all industry sectors, including design, merchandising, marketing analytics, and business strategy. Simoyi is also an advisory board member for the Council for International African Fashion Education (CIAFE) representing North America and board member for the Philadelphia Fashion & Garment Industry Task Force (PFGITF).[25][26]

Awards and recognition

Notable positions

  • Senior Designer – Nicki Minaj Collection 2013–2016[34]
  • Head Denim & Woven's Designer – Beyonce, House of Deréon 2007 – 2010
  • Curator at NYNow Fashion Runway 2019[35][36]
  • Fashion Contributor – Start by WGSN 2020[37]

References

  1. ↑ Gundan, Farai. "Zimbabwean Designer Behind Nicki Minaj's Fashion Line; Farai Simoyi". Forbes.
  2. ↑ "How a New Generation of Black Fashion Designers Are Reclaiming the Industry". Other Suns. 10 July 2020.
  3. ↑ "Next in Fashion: meet the designers". Radio Times.
  4. ↑ "The Narativ House x Brooklyn Kettle". Black-Owned Brooklyn. 30 September 2021.
  5. ↑ "Zimbabwe fashionista on Beyonce". BBC News.
  6. ↑ Cho, Brendon (2 February 2020). "'Next in Fashion' is entertaining, but problematic". The Michigan Daily.
  7. ↑ "Next in Fashion's Eliminated Designers On the Fight for the Soul of Streetwear". Jezebel. 3 February 2020.
  8. ↑ ZW, Youth Village (14 April 2015). "10 Things You Didn't Know About Farai Simoyi". Youth Village Zimbabwe.
  9. ↑ "This Brooklyn Entrepreneur Opened A Boutique Spotlighting Designers From The Diaspora". 24 October 2020.
  10. ↑ Rocque, Starrene Rhett (17 September 2020). "Farai Simoyi: Fashion Entrepreneur You Need to Know". American Urban Radio Networks.
  11. ↑ https://www.bronzemagonline.com/hightlights-of-farai-simoyis-ss12-nyfw-runway-show/
  12. ↑ "All out at Farai Simoyi". 25 November 2010.
  13. ↑ Staff, VIBE Vixen (19 September 2011). "Farai Simoyi's Spring/Summer 2012 Collection".
  14. ↑ "Farai Simoyi Presents Her Fall Collection At The AFWNY tagged Bohemian Luxury Travels to Africa, Europe, & New York". 6 July 2012.
  15. ↑ Neophytou, Nadia (12 January 2021). "Bed Stuy's The Narativ Provides a Platform for African Artisans To Tell Their Stories". Brownstoner.
  16. ↑ "#LadyCreative: Meet Farai Simoyi, CEO & Founder of The Narativ House – Leading Ladies Africa".
  17. ↑ Company, Adiree (25 April 2020). "Q & Africa | Farai Simoyi".
  18. ↑ Carlin, Shannon (18 October 2019). "Every Contestant From 'Next In Fashion' Deserves Your Attention". www.refinery29.com.
  19. ↑ "'Next in Fashion' on Netflix: Where To Buy All the Contestants' Collections". Newsweek. 5 February 2020.
  20. ↑ EST, Kevin O'Keeffe Thursday 30 January 2020 at 3:00 am (30 January 2020). "Next in Fashion's Best Moment is a Window Into Fashion's Race Problem". primetimer.com.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  21. ↑ "Behind the Runway with Kianga Milele and Farai Simoyi | Black America" – via www.youtube.com.
  22. ↑ Anyinsah-Bondzie, Melchi. "The 8 most controversial fashion moments of 2020, so far". Insider.
  23. ↑ https://www.fastcompany.com/90460529/farai-simoyi-from-netflixs-next-in-fashion-weighs-in-on-that-controversial-streetwear-episode
  24. ↑ "Farai Simoyi Becomes Director of Fashion Design Program at Thomas Jefferson University – Haute Fashion Africa (HFA)". 4 October 2020.
  25. ↑ https://phillystylemag.com/farai-simoyi-brings-style-to-philadelphia
  26. ↑ "A Designing Woman". magazine.jefferson.edu.
  27. ↑ "BHM: Fashion's Next Best Designers". 29 October 2020.
  28. ↑ Nige, Sir (18 August 2018). "Top designer Farai Simoyi and Taps Mugadza among shortlisted nominees for Zim Achievers USA awards".
  29. ↑ "20 Most Influential African Women Entrepreneurs". 16 January 2016.
  30. ↑ "33. Farai Simoyi – GC4W Top 100 Women in the World". 27 July 2017.
  31. ↑ "Zim fashion designer joins Bonang, Beyonce in top 100 list". B-Metro. 2 December 2018.
  32. ↑ "Ladybrille's 20 Influential African Women Entrepreneurs & Leaders in America to Watch in 2016 – Innov8tiv". innov8tiv.com. 11 January 2016.
  33. ↑ Jeche, Nyasha (20 August 2015). "Ten Zimbos Up for Africa Entertainment Awards USA".
  34. ↑ Radio, Nehanda (30 June 2015). "Nicki Minaj designer set for Zimbabwe Fashion Week UK".
  35. ↑ Giachinta, Jenn (31 January 2020). "NY NOW Announces Winter 2020 Market Happenings and Agenda | NY NOW". nynow.com.
  36. ↑ Giachinta, Jenn (10 October 2019). "Meet Designer Farai Simoyi | NY NOW". NY Now.
  37. ↑ "START by WGSN | Introducing Farai Simoyi" – via www.youtube.com.
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