At the age of 21, Muano Ester Muano is establishing herself as a fashion designer whose creations are unique and deeply rooted in the African culture.
A resident at Shakadza village, Muano has maximised the first-hand, basic knowledge that she had garnered from her mother as a 12-year-old girl who used to watch her knit an assortment of woollen items.
"I observed my mother doing magic with her hands, where she would turn just woollen strands into a bed cover or tablecloth with the easiness of one who knew what she was doing," she said. "For a village girl, it was easy for me to learn the very skills that she was utilising to make those amazing creations, for we sometimes learn by only observing."
However, at some stage, she would ask her mother for more information on some areas or technicalities about knitting that she found difficult, and her mother gladly transferred the knowledge to her. "Today, I am proud to say that I have been using the knowledge that I got from her to expand mine, where I am now designing creations of my own with a unique feel and touch," she said.
So far, Muano decided to start working professionally during the lockdown as she had all the time at her disposal. "One couldn't just sit indoors, doing nothing, so I remembered that I had the salient skills of a creative designer, and that was when I decided to make use of them to earn bread," she said.
Muano knits a variety of products, which range from handbags, dresses, blouses, jerseys, and skirts to bikinis, bedding and tablecloths.
Muano is available on Facebook (Muano Nanoky) and, for orders, she can be reached on muanoester@gmail.com, Instagram (Knitting by Nanoky), 076 295 7219 (WhatsApp) and 076 295 7219 (calls).