Mandela and fashion

46664 shirts.

You know him as the former president of South Africa, in addition to being a Nobel Peace Prize recipient, as well as the person who aided South Africa in winning the rugby cup in 1995. Another project Nelson Mandela has taken on as of late in order to further promote and advance his country in the world deals with the fashion industry – yes, you read that correctly – fashion.

 46664 is the name of the fashion brand created by the Nelson Foundation and it is set to debut in August of this year. The brand name stands for Nelson’s inmate number at Robben Island Prison, where he was held for eighteen years for his anti-apartheid causes. The fashion line has a dual cause – one is to fight against HIV/AIDS prevention and the other is to promote South Africa’s textile and clothing industry. The apparel brand is the first global brand of its kind to originate in South Africa and there are big plans for the line – the goal is to make it as big as the other internationally renowned fashion companies. The fashion line will sell men’s and women’s clothes all with colorful prints, in the tradition of African style clothing, and will also feature a few accessories.