Exclusive By Nico Abote – In the heart of Harare’s creative renaissance stands Danayi Madondo, a Zimbabwean fashion designer, textile artist, and multidisciplinary visual storyteller whose work continues to reshape how African narratives are expressed through cloth. As the visionary behind Haus of Stone, Danayi has carved a signature aesthetic defined by slow fashion, regenerative design, and deeply immersive storytelling rooted in Zimbabwean heritage.

Her runway presentation at Zimbabwe Fashion Week (ZFW) 2025 was one of the most anticipated showcases of the season. True to form, she delivered a collection that felt less like a runway and more like a spiritual passage, a sensory tapestry of Zimbabwean memory, tactile culture, and contemporary artistry. Danayi’s ability to merge fashion with narrative, craft with philosophy, and heritage with futurism has positioned her as one of the continent’s most compelling creative forces.

With a growing global footprint and an unwavering commitment to sustainability and collaboration, Danayi continues to push the boundaries of what African fashion can represent on the world stage. In this exclusive conversation, she opens up about her ZFW 2025 collection, the ethos behind Haus of Stone, the realities of building a fashion ecosystem in Zimbabwe, and her expansive vision for the future.

Below, my exclusive interview with Danayi Madondo (DM)…

NA: Your brand Haus of Stone is known for its immersive storytelling and sustainable design. What inspired the collection you will be presenting at ZFW this year, and how does it reflect your creative ethos?
DM: This collection, NGANO (meaning ‘story’ or ‘tale’), is a tapestry where cloth serves as a portal, connecting one dimension to another. It is an interwoven ode to the tactile storytelling at the heart of Haus of Stone, reflecting the inherent nature of our people: their resourcefulness and adaptability expressed through fabric. These stories, meticulously crafted over time with thought, thread, and manifestation, reveal how we can capture our experiences through design. They illustrate how remnants of our past are passed forward, profoundly influencing future ways of being and shaping the world to come.

NA: Could you walk us through your design process for this collection, how you choose fabrics, motifs, and how you integrate elements of Zimbabwean heritage into modern fashion?
DM: Haus of Stone is a slow-burn brand, rooted in utilizing fashion as a vehicle to share a nuanced and contemporary African narrative. I like to weave diverse global and local traditional handcrafts, resulting in texturally rich textiles crafted through a regenerative design approach that minimizes textile waste. I am also huge on utilizing natural materials such as linen and cotton—especially cotton, which I introduced to the brand in 2024. This is part of my move towards having a 100% Made in Zimbabwe brand for the world. The drive is to make everything homegrown, from cotton grown in Zimbabwe, woven in Zimbabwe, designed, and manufactured in Zimbabwe to the world.

NA: Sustainability has become a central theme in your work. What specific sustainable practices or materials are you implementing in this collection to make Haus of Stone stand out?
DM: I always say sustainability wasn’t something I endeavored for my brand to be; it was something that was ingrained in me. To sustain an independent brand, one has to think and move sustainably in the way you design, the materials you utilize, and the resourcefulness of what you have available. As mentioned, I focus a lot on waste reduction, which has formed our Tere patchwork collection. We work extensively with natural materials, preferably sourced locally. Ultimately, I think our strong visual narrative and approach to design as a spiritual conduit for cultural preservation and evolution is what makes us stand out, because we go beyond the commerce to the spirit and soul of design.

NA: ZFW’s Emerging Designer section often highlights innovation and fresh perspectives. How do you see your participation this year contributing to the growth of Zimbabwe’s fashion ecosystem and younger designers?
DM: As someone who has been privileged enough to showcase on multiple runways across the world, I must say showcasing at ZFW 2025 was one of the most sentimental experiences. It is important for brands such as mine to be known and supported by their own people, and for locals to know that there are designers in their own backyard who can service their needs. We will never fully be able to realize our ambitions in a silo. So, when designers collectively come together and support platforms like ZFW by showcasing, we are essentially saying we are in it together as an ecosystem. Designers have a role to play, fashion platforms like ZFW have a role to play in amplification, and media, government, and the list goes on—all have a pivotal role to ensure that the fashion ecosystem grows and thrives.

NA: As a visual storyteller and textile artist, you often merge fashion with art and narrative. What story are you telling with this ZFW runway collection and how did the audience feel when they saw it?
DM: I believe I answered the story component in the first question. In terms of the feeling, I want the audience to walk away with a sense that is transcendent—an out-of-body, elevated experience.

NA: Zimbabwe’s creative industry faces unique challenges around production capacity, supply chain, and global visibility. What obstacles have you encountered as a designer, and how are you navigating them through your work?
DM: The main obstacles are continued visibility (which is tied to marketing) and investment capital to meet demand and manufacture. I’m growing my business slowly due to these challenges. At present, I am seeking investment, because the business of fashion truly needs capital injection; otherwise, it can become hand-to-mouth and extremely slow progression. The business of African fashion needs deep investment across education, infrastructure, and capital injection if we are truly going to become a global force.

NA: Collaboration has been key in your career, for example, your interdisciplinary work with art, film, and craft. For ZFW 2025, are there any collaborations or mentorships behind the scenes that helped shape your collection?
DM: For this particular showcase, I collaborated with local accessory designer Regis Chinimona of Africa Reflections, who makes gorgeous accessories out of bone and wood. I enjoy collaborating and reimagining my designs alongside other incredible Zimbabwean creatives. Since one of our pillars at Haus of Stone is collaboration, more often than not, there is always someone I collaborate with.

NA: Looking ahead, what is your vision for Haus of Stone over the next few years?
DM: I truly see Haus of Stone evolving beyond being a fashion brand. I see ourselves leaning more into a space that serves as archive & memory, a platform that helps other creatives to tell their own unique narratives, and a support system for the culture when it comes to the education of fashion, the business of fashion, and the marketing and exposure of brands, particularly through our platform Haus Of Stone Showroom. A beacon of the alternative.

Nico is an award winning filmmaker, media professional, creative strategist, lead consultant at Abote Media and co-founder of 263 Africa Media. With over 20 years of experience spanning Africa and North America, he specializes in digital storytelling, content strategy, and film production.
Nico currently serves on several boards including Vice President – LOUD Art Society (Calgary, CA), Chengeto Africa (Southern Africa), Blackstar Int. Film Festival (Ghana), a mentor with TEF (Nigeria), Zimbabwe Fashion Week, and Hunhu Council of Fashion (Zimbabwe) boards. He advocates for positive & uplifting narratives through media and the arts.