Meet Nafiza Hafiz: The Sudanese Designer Using Fashion to Change the World

We're reflecting on the immense waves of change the British Council has created over the past 90 years. We recently had the honor of speaking with Nafisa Hafiz, a talented Sudanese designer, lecturer, and the Founder & Creative Director of NUCY, who has been personally touched by their work. It was a pleasure to welcome her to the podcast and learn about her journey as a graduate of the College of Fine and Applied Art at Sudan University of Science and Technology, which is also where she began her career as a lecturer.

She went on to share her inspiring journey of building her own fashion brand and explained how the British Council played a life-changing role in her success.

The Power of Art & Fashion as Expression

For Nafiza, art is deeply personal. As she explained, "for me fashion is the way that I express my concepts and express myself I do believe that art and fashion it has like a big deal of a positive change." For her, the art is in the message.

"For me the fashion is not a clothes," she said. "It's more than that. It's the way that we are expressing ourself, showing our identities and so on." This belief is the foundation of all her work.

Uniting Sustainability & Heritage in Design

Nafiza's brand is a testament to her commitment to both culture and the planet. As she puts it, "when I started my brand I was focusing on how can I unit the sustainability and the heritage together to positively impact the world around us."

She sees her mission as critical, noting that "the fashion industry is the third industry in the world that it's has a a negative environmental footprint." Her brand directly counters this by "using more friendly fabrics and less wasting of the fabrics."

Overcoming Obstacles with Self-Belief

Nafiza faced a unique challenge in her career path. "I am the first one who's like took this the decision of being an artist like taking it as a professional career," she shared. "It was a bit difficult for me and especially in my community because they don't look at the artist as like a successful person."

Despite the societal pressure, she made a powerful choice. "I choose the other choice of like following my dream and do whatever that I want." Her defining moment came when the British Council supported her. "It was the first supportive for me... because they believed on what I'm doing and they supported me a lot to achieve and to be even though to clear my vision to be more achievable."

A Global Leader Representing Sudanese Art

The British Council's support propelled Nafiza to an international stage. "I can say that recently I've developed myself and they have contributed in developing myself and my career," she said. This led to a significant opportunity. "I recently I've been invited to represent the Sudanese fashion industry in the bricks forum in Moscow. It started from the British Council."

Reflecting on their impact on a whole generation of artists in her country, Nafiza was asked to describe the British Council in a single word. Her answer was simple and powerful: "Supportive."

Nafiza Hafiz is a true inspiration, and her story is a reflection of the power of self-belief, creative expression, and the incredible support that can change a life. We can't wait to see what she does next.

What's a piece of art or design that has inspired you? Share it in the comments below!

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