Social media outraged by the price of this Rich Mnisi xibelani skirt
Social media is divided in opinion over the price tag of the recently released Rich Mnisi xibelani skirt.
Rich Mnisi xibelani skirt causes uproar
The skirt is part of a string of collections the high fashion designer launched on Tuesday. Models Susan, and Sarah Langa, looked dazzling in the xibelani skirt and waves blouse from Mnisi’s Hiya Kaya collection.
“The RICH MNISI Xibelani Skirt is crafted from 5km of 100% Merino Wool knotted onto nickel-plated d-rings attached to a leather waist belt,” production notes read on the sales catalogue.
Capturing all the attention, though, was the asking price of R59 999 for the xibelani skirt. People familiar with the heritage of the skirt were just not buying it.
I love Rich Mnisi but a Xibelani for 60k no ways 😭💔
— lala (@hlali_xz) February 2, 2021
If LV can put a R15000 price tag on a plastic face shield with their logo then why can't Rich Mnisi put a R60000 price tag on Xibelani?
— MR. THAMANA (@julius_thamana) February 2, 2021
Rich Mnisi neh😳, I'm definitely not the target market 😳😂😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/6NoY4KhM2Q
— Just Call Me Pres🦂 (@Pres98_) February 2, 2021
A little bit of education about this high-end xibelani skirt
While the outrage on social media over the seemingly exorbitant asking price for a traditionally affordable skirt is understandable, there may be a valid explanation for such a high price point.
Businesses that operate by the books often price their goods based on fair mark-ups. In the end, the purpose is to make reasonable profits to sustain employment and growth.
Therefore, to understand how a xibelani skirt came to be priced at R59 999, we looked at the cost of the materials used to make the product.
Of course, much of this is speculative since we weren’t privy to Mnisi’s books. Regardless, it helps to look at things from another perspective.
According to the high fashion designer, this xibelani skirt was made from 100% genuine calf nappa leather. Based on Buck Skin Leather‘s price estimations, a square metre of this upmarket fabric can cost about $6.12 (R91.53).
The skirt is also made of 100% merino wool, a fine and soft material that can trade for as much as $10 (R149.56 per kg).
Perhaps, the designer’s asking price is a consideration of two things: profit margins and a specific target market.
At the time this article was published, Mnisi had not responded to the outrage.
