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South African Fashion Designers Making Waves Around The World

South African Fashion Designers Making Waves Around The World

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The fashion of a country reflects its unique blend of culture, history, and lifestyle. Considering South Africa’s rocky past, it isn’t surprising that it didn’t make a huge impact on the global fashion scene in the past. This is changing though as a new generation of citizens born into South Africa’s new democracy showcase their optimism while simultaneously respecting their roots. Poet and writer Mankayi said it best in a W Magazine interview: “We want to keep the township vibe of ubuntu — humanity, humility, collectivism. We’re trying to find a balance between where we come from and what we want to be.”

The world is finally taking notice of South African fashion and these top designers are leading the way. Here are 10 South African fashion designers making waves around the world.

Sources: WMagazine.com, Women24.com, CityPress.co.za, TheSouthAfrican.com, HauteFashionAfrica.com, DavidTlale.com, BlackCoffee.co.za, Gertvandemerwe.com, StyleScoop.co.za, Erre-Fashion.com, Thulasindi.com, ContourMagazine.com, Dagama.co.za

completefashion.org
completefashion.org

1. Laduma Ngxokolo

Under the label MaXhosa, Laduma uses fashion to pay tribute to his Xhosa heritage. His pieces are strikingly modern though with the geometric designs on hip cardigans, fitted dresses, and skirts made out of mohair and merino wool. The knitwear has gotten considerable recognition across Africa and Europe.

iol.co.za
iol.co.za

2. Gavin Rajah

When Gavin Rajah’s designs go down the catwalk, they get attention. He is especially noticed in Paris and London for his use of color and the way he experiments with fabric.  His dresses are incredibly wearable though and very elegant and sophisticated.

hautefashionafrica.com
hautefashionafrica.com

3. Abigail Betz

It didn’t take long after her debut for Abigail Betz designs to start appearing around the globe in Young Designer Emporium stores. She is mainly known for her ultra-feminine wedding dresses and for her unique take on classic and vintage styles.

huffingtonpost.com
huffingtonpost.com

4. David Thale

In 2003, David Thale launched his brand and promptly won the Elle New Talent in South Africa award. Since then, Thale has earned himself numerous other prestigious awards, including some on the international fashion front. Thale isn’t afraid to be daring and dramatic, and his gowns often combine distinctly African elements.

hautefashionafrica.com
hautefashionafrica.com

5. Jacques van der Watt

You can find Jacques van der Watt’s designs under the Black Coffee label in fashion magazines around the world. His designs are a lesson in geometry with the way that different pieces and patterns are intertwined together. They are often considered art pieces that evoke an emotion and are often presented as installations.

hautefashionafrica.com
hautefashionafrica.com

6. Gert van der Merwe

The word most commonly used to describe Gert van der Merwe’s dresses is  “breathtaking.” They are classic, elegant, and timeless yet still have a cosmopolitan edge.

erre-fashion.com
erre-fashion.com

7. Erre

The Erre label — pronounced “air” — is the brainchild of Natasha Jaume and Carina Louw. In their own words, Erre is “a new kind of power dressing.” Though they experiment with various types of fabric, they are mostly known for pushing the boundaries of traditional leather, using dramatic cuts and shapes.

elle.co.za
elle.co.za

8. Thula Sindi

Thula Sindi creates clothes that would make any woman feel sophisticated, elegant, and ultra modern. His designs are always beautiful, using flowing layers or materials such as satin, but still have that urban edge because of the dramatic cuts and twists in them. Even though Sindi’s designs seem luxurious, they are easy to wear and affordable.

mg.co.za
mg.co.za

9. Palesa Mokubung

The word “bold” doesn’t begin to describe the designs of Palesa Mokubung. As the designer said in an interview with I Magazine, “I am inspired by spirituality, love, sex, war and South Africa – the label has evolved from these concepts.” What is most intriguing about Mokubung’s designs is the way she seamlessly fuses styles together, such as a 15th century renaissance-style dress combined with 1940s patterns, or a 1950s cutsie dress done in traditional African prints, or a modern elegant dress with warrior-style “spikes” jutting out of the shoulders. No wonder that Mokubung’s clothes are considered works of art. They’ve even been featured in European art exhibitions.

mg.co.za
mg.co.za

10. Bongiwe Walaza

South African fashion style is associated with strong, bold prints. We can thank fashion designer Bongiwe Walaza for modernizing these prints in a way that remains true to African roots yet is utterly urban. What women love about Walaza’s designs is that, though incredibly daring and bold, they still are very wearable. Walaza’s collections capture the attention – and praise – of the media from New York to India and Hong Kong. Through her work with Da Gama Textiles, she helped popularize shweshwe fabric around the globe. Shweshwe has been described as the denim, or tartan, of South Africa. It’s printed dyed cotton fabric widely used for traditional South African clothing. Originally dyed indigo, it’s now manufactured in a variety of colors and designs characterized by intricate
geometric patterns.