Studio Stories of Near is a result of founders Nsimba Valene Lontanga (Congolese) and Zinzi de Brouwer (Mozambican/Dutch) who met through happy coincidences and kindred dialogues. All our motives are driven by social impact and a deep desire to elicit and empower the people behind fashion products. This is a philosophy that we carry in our luggage. We believe that the voices of people and communities that remain unheard, also come to see a deserved compensation and recognition for the fruits of their labour.

Africa lies deep in our roots and has awakened our senses to intuitively explore the continent. Using fashion as a tool to bridge communities and cultures, we want to elevate untold stories of the continent to a global audience. Our tools are driven by empathy and transparency, always placing the human touch central to our actions. Considering a visionary outlook towards Africa, co-creation is fundamental in what we do. We uncover visual narratives that will inspire others to zoom into what is happening in this vast and diverse continent. We can be seen as visionaires, story-makers and concept developers driven by social change and led by human rights as an anchor.