How a young woman from Congo built a global fashion brand — and is now helping others turn creativity into careers
Long before her bold, floral fashions were reaching customers across the world, Belange Mutunda was finding her footing as an immigrant student in Iowa — where she learned English, mastered patternmaking at Iowa State University and discovered entrepreneurship through programs like Pi515.
After graduating, she left Iowa briefly to expand her brand and earn a master’s degree in New York. While there, she began searching for freelance partnerships that could take her designs beyond her micro business. One posting stood out: a global fashion retailer looking for independent designers.
“I thought it was a scam,” she said with a laugh. “But I’m like, let me email and see what happens.”
Within weeks, four of her designs were accepted into the SHEIN X Designer Incubator Program. Her debut pieces launched in September 2023, and one retro-style jumpsuit remains a top seller. Since then, she has collaborated on multiple collections for SHEIN under her Belange Handmade label, known for patterns inspired by the lush landscapes of her African roots. Vibrant colors bring the feel of tropical locales.
“It’s been amazing,” said Mutunda, a native of the Democratic Republic of Congo. “My designs have now reached so many countries — places I’ve never been.”
Today, Mutunda lives in Ankeny, teaches at Iowa State and is pursuing a doctorate in apparel, merchandising and design — a chapter that brought her back to the place where she says she found mentors, support and room to grow.
From Congo to Iowa
As a 17-year-old in Congo, Mutunda was on track to become an engineer, studying math and physics in preparation. But she had always been drawn to making things by hand.
Just months before graduation, she taught herself to sew using YouTube videos, books and online resources and began creating and selling handmade accessories from repurposed materials like plastic bottles and scrap fabric.
“Transitioning to fashion wasn’t very difficult,” she said. “All the math I learned is what we use in fashion. For example, creating a pattern is geometry.”
In 2015, at just 19, she moved to Iowa to study fashion design and merchandising at Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC), starting with a semester of English classes.
After DMACC, she transferred to Iowa State University where she focused on the creative and technical sides of fashion — from patternmaking and garment construction to business fundamentals. She graduated in 2020, then moved to California, Maryland and New York.
But even after living on both coasts, Iowa never left her mind. Ever the student, Mutunda began exploring doctoral programs.
I looked at programs all over the country, but I always felt like Iowa was calling my name back.
So, in November 2023, she returned to Ankeny and made the decision to continue her studies at Iowa State.
From Mentee to Mentor
After her first major collections took off, Mutunda found herself returning to the place that shaped her most: Iowa.
Back in the classroom, Mutunda continues to leverage the mentors and programs that helped turn her creativity into a sustainable business. She credits the Iowa State University Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship for providing early support — from funding to start-up resources — and one mentor in particular: Nancy Mwirotsi, founder of Pi515, a Des Moines nonprofit that empowers youth through technology and entrepreneurship.
“Nancy took me under her wing,” Mutunda said. “She taught me how to write a business plan and register my company. She introduced me to some of my biggest customers.”
Now, Mutunda pays that mentorship forward as an instructor, encouraging hundreds of students, entrepreneurs and fellow creatives to understand the business side of their dreams.
“Passion can only take you so far,” she said. “You need to know the basics of financial literacy, legal setups, all of those things.”
Finding Her Village
Returning to Iowa meant more than new opportunities — it meant coming back to a community she loves.
“When I came back, I realized that Iowa was truly home because everywhere that I lived always felt like something was missing,” she said. “I feel like my heart was complete.”
In Ankeny — in the same apartment complex where she first lived a decade ago — Mutunda now balances life as a designer, educator and mom. Iowa’s affordability and slower pace give her space to focus on what matters most.
“I love that it’s quiet, so I can create,” she said. “Now as a parent, I love it even more. My little one has friends, daycare, church. And when my family visits, it’s a place to rest, relax and recharge.”
“Iowa is truly home for me,” she said. “I have my whole village here.”
