How Black-Owned Brand Farai London Won Love Island 2021
How Love Island's Bombshells Fell For Black-Owned Fashion Brand Farai London
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Of all the fashion brands worn by Love Island's 2021 bombshells, Farai London is a firm favourite. Launched by British-Zimbabwean designer Mary-Ann Msengi in July 2020, Farai is known for its signature dresses that feature vibrant, psychedelic prints, formfitting fabrics, cutout designs, and a sleek, silver ring detail. Although first seen on Megan Thee Stallion, Kylie Jenner, and Lori Harvey in summer 2020, Love Island's Millie Court, Priya Gopaldas, Clarisse Juliette, and Rachel Finni championed the Black-owned, East London-based womenswear brand throughout the ITV dating show.
Farai is of a new vanguard of London-based, midrange womenswear boutiques that design sleek dresses for wearers to feel "special, sexy, and spectacular". Similarly to clothing brands Poster Girl, Kai Collective, and Aune, Farai is founded by a 20-something British woman designer. Creative director Msengi learned sewing from her grandmother Farai Angeline Tapedza, whom the label is named after. The word "Farai" is also of Shona origin and means "happiness" in the Bantu language of Zimbabwe.
When speaking to Vogue about the inspiration behind Farai, Msengi shared that her grandmother "used to sell hand-knitted jumpers and dresses when she was my age, travelling from Zimbabwe, my home country, to South Africa to sell them." It's always been a dream of Msengi's to have a wardrobe full of clothes she designed herself, and she wants her customers — the Farai family — to feel like they are the centre of attention wherever they are.
Stocked at Selfridges, Revolve, and Farai London, keep reading to shop the brand's best dresses worn by the Love Island bombshells.
