Nomzamo Mbatha collaborates with global sports brand Puma
For the first time Puma, a global sports brand, has collaborated with a young black woman from Africa to create a collection.
CAPE TOWN, March 15 (ANA) – Dream bigger than your surroundings, says South African-born actress Nomzamo Mbatha, who has just launched her debut Puma collection in the African market, Shandu.
Shandu is an ode her grandmother and the tribe into which she was born in KwaMashu, a township in the north of Durban, South Africa.
Mbatha is part of Puma’s “She Moves Us” campaign, which celebrates women who have moved culture and sports forward.
“Women have always been the backbone of society and we are now standing together. Seeing others do this through ’She Moves Us’ makes me excited to do the same and that’s why representation is so important,” Mbatha told magazine Puma CATch-up.
She said the collaboration with Puma was a defining moment for her career.
Mbatha said it was her grandmother who always pushed her to open her eyes to the world and know that her dreams were attainable.
Her grandmother taught her to stay humble but bold, and how to remain true to who she is and where she comes from.
“That’s exactly why this collection couldn’t have been called anything other than Shandu. It is a tribute to my family and clan, and a thank you to them for helping me break barriers,” said Mbatha.
On Friday, the collection launched in the African market. It features soft sorbet colourways that make a strong statement.
The collection is made up of footwear, apparel and accessories for women.
“I want women to feel empowered and sexy,” Mbatha said.
She said she wants women to wear the clothing pieces with pride, because for the first time Puma, as a global sports brand, has collaborated with a young black woman from Africa to create a collection.
“You cannot be what you cannot see and for as long as we can see it, we too can be it,” she said.
– African News Agency (ANA); Editing by Yaron Blecher