Twin sisters team up to launch clothing brand with traditional twist

By Katie Hirv ’22 | Photos by Julie Pagel Drewes ’90 and Chiefy Loma ’25

Twins Mary ’25 and Martha ’25 Tondoneh naturally have a lot in common. In addition to their DNA, the women spent their high school years studying in separate schools far from their home in Freetown, Sierra Leone. At Wartburg, they are together again majoring in biochemistry. And they both share a love of fashion.

Like many others, they found a way to focus their passion while spending an inordinate amount of time inside during the pandemic – Martha in England and Mary in Israel. Martha started with a logo, even though she wasn’t entirely sure what the design would represent, but the tie-dyed look inspired her.

“I was like, ‘Maybe I should do something with this.’ The tie-dye look is trending. The colors are beautiful and people like colors,” Martha said.

“In Africa, we wear lots of vibrant and bright colors. That’s a part of African culture. In Israel I noticed that I was the only person wearing more colorful clothing. It made me embrace that part of our culture,” Mary added.

With that, Mundaz Clothing was born.

“It’s actually our mother’s name in her tribal language, and it means ‘our own,’” Mary explained.

Though some designs look similar to the dyeing method popularly known as tie-dye, the dye and technique used for Mundaz apparel is native to Sierra Leone, where it is called gara. Dominique Cardon, a French researcher on natural dyes and author of Dyes and Tannins, wrote that “‘Gara’ is the Mandinka word for the traditional indigo dye found in many types of textiles in Sierra Leone.”

“When we started, it was a mess. We tried again a second time, and then we had to hire a professional who taught us to do it together,” Martha said.

Over the course of one month, they soaked up all they could about the process, learning through trial and error how to make the designs their own. Mundaz officially launched in October 2021 through word of mouth and the brand’s Instagram (@mundazofficial_sl) presence.

“After we learned, they started to turn out really nice,” Martha continued. “We might make one item for one order five times. We are perfectionists and that’s a blessing and a curse at the same time. We think about it from the consumer’s standpoint.”

While the women are studying in the States, their mom is in charge of production in Sierra Leone, in part because they don’t have the room or access to the products in Waverly, and the women handle the back end of the business.

As young entrepreneurs, Mary and Martha pride themselves on creating high-quality items for every customer.

“We take our time with what we do, and we’ll make sure our products are top notch and you get what you want. We’re very diverse and colorful, and very trustworthy, if I do say so myself,” Martha said.

As the twins look toward the future, they see continued success for Mundaz, as well as opportunities for additional experiences that allow them to use their education while following their passions.

Martha, who has paired her biochemistry degree with a business minor, hopes to someday launch her own skin care line. Mary is still deciding where her degree might take her and which of her many passions she will pursue. Until then, they will continue to set their sights on graduation and growing Mundaz.