Meet Belange Mutunda, CEO & Founder of Belange Handmade

Moving to the United States to Pursue Her American Dream

Driven by her passion and desire to refine her skills, Belange moved to the United States in 2015 to study fashion design. She attended the Des Moines Area Community College Fashion Institute (DMACC DFI) from 2016 to 2018, where she earned an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) in Fashion Design and Merchandising as well as an Associate in General Studies (ASG). While studying full-time, she worked part-time in retail as a Sales Associate for companies like brands such as Banana Republic, Old Navy, and Levi’s, and she gained valuable retail and merchandising experience. She further expanded her knowledge by completing courses in business and marketing.

Belange’s dedication continued at Iowa State University (2018–2020), where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Apparel, Merchandising, and Design, focusing on Creative and Technical Design. There, she excelled academically and demonstrated leadership as a teaching assistant. She held roles as an Undergraduate Pattern-Making Teaching Assistant (AMD 225) and a 3D Designer Teaching Assistant (AMD 310) within the prestigious College of Human Sciences’ Apparel, Merchandising, and Design program. In these positions, Belange championed innovation by teaching herself a 3D virtual fashion tool called CLO3D and introduced this tool into the fashion program during the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic. She developed all CLO3D teaching modules in the form of video tutorials and taught the program in AMD 310. Her achievements were recognized with multiple business grants from the ISU Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship, awards, accolades, and extensive media coverage from Iowa State University. Belange’s relentless pursuit of excellence culminated in her being named the Fall 2020 University Student Marshal and Graduating Senior of the Year, graduating Magna Cum Laude with a GPA of 3.80.

Seeking even more expertise, Belange went on to complete a Master's of Professional Studies (MPS) in Fashion Marketing at LIM College in New York City in 2022, graduating with the highest honors and an outstanding GPA of 3.97 (Summa Cum Laude). This experience equipped her with knowledge in fashion marketing, specifically in licensing, which led to her to secure a lifetime licensing partnership with SHEIN, the world's largest online retailer, in Spring 2023. Belange has designed 5 capsule collections that have been distributed globally by SHEIN though their SHEINX Incubator Program. 

Educator, Scholar, and Industry Professional

In 2024, Belange returned to Iowa State University to begin her PhD in Apparel, Merchandising, and Design and to serve as an Instructor of Record. She has taught 189 undergraduate students in the Fashion, Design and Merchandising program across multiple sections since Fall 2024 and independently develops all lectures and teaching modules, labs, instructional materials, and course content.

She currently teaches the following courses:

• FDM 2100: Computer Application in Digital Design
  In this course, Belange teaches Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, and the integration of generative AI for creative workflows. Students learn technical design, digital illustration, visual communication, and portfolio building. Belange also leads the partnership between FDM 2100 and Make A Wish Iowa. Students create original graphic designs and pitch them to the organization. Selected designs are produced and sold across the state. This gives students real experience with licensing, community collaboration, and creative production.
• FDM 2450: Aesthetics and Brand Image
  In this course, Belange teaches the elements and principles of design, the five Ps of branding, and branding strategies used in the fashion industry. She redesigned the entire course into a semester long experiential branding project that gives students an opportunity to apply aesthetic and branding concepts in real time. Students function as a branding agency and mirror professional roles based on their academic pathways. They collaborate in cross functional groups and develop a full brand expansion proposal for a real local business. The project is also a competition in which students pitch their final proposals to a panel of academic and industry professionals. Students consistently report increased confidence in applying course concepts, stronger information retention, and improved perceived career readiness after completing the project. This structure has now been adopted by the department and continues to expand each semester.

Belange has also trained and supervised over 22 undergraduate teaching assistants across the fall 2024, spring 2025 and fall 2025 semesters so far. She created a structured mentorship model that prepares emerging educators and creative professionals for early career responsibilities. Her TAs learn how to guide students during class, lead discussions, support individual sessions, develop classroom learning activities, apply critical evaluation, and maintain professionalism. They keep weekly skills growth journals that Belange reviews to support their development and confidence.

Students and Teaching Assistants Testimonials