Halala! To South Africa’s Thebe Magugu, who continues to move upward and onward in the international fashion world, as he presented his collection at Paris Fashion Week. And what is so special about this designer, is his tribute to his South African upbringing so powerfully evoked in his designs.
He is the first African to win the LVMH prize (Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy). The prize was launched in 2013, and each year, two fashion designers, and three fashion school graduates from anywhere in the world, are eligible to win prizes. Thebe Magugu was the winner receiving the top Young Fashion Designer Award in 2019, R5 million prize money and a mentorship from LVMH.
At Paris Fashion Week, instead of models on a catwalk, the artist and designer showcased his Autumn/Winter 2020 collection – titled Anthora 1 – in a project is called Ipopeng Ext., a homage to his Northern Cape township. (Ipopeng means ‘to beautify yourself’ in Setswana). Collaborating with the designer to bring this project together was South African photographer Kristin-Lee Moolman and stylist Ibrahim Kamara.
Thebe lets us into his creative world as members of his family, such as his uncle and his cousin, and community members from Ipopeng, model his collection in his own home and around Kimberley. He uses for instance a pattern on a coat from his grandmother’s tablecloth. He successfully unifies his love for high fashion design and his strong roots in these outfits.
Magugu also has a new logo, which is imbued with his respect for the female figures in his life: “Our new logo is an emblem of sisterhood, designed to adorn our ready-to-wear collections as an homage to the matriarchal figures that have supported and inspired me throughout my life, studies and career.”
See also: South African Designer Mercia Ramagaga Shines at London Fashion Week
Take a look at some of Thebe Magugu’s previous designs:
Each one beautifully crafted:
Delicate fabric exquisitely put together:
