One of my favourite PEOPLE, if not just designers, is South African Laduma Ngxokolo. Having watched his journey in business, design and excellence I continue to stand in awe of his work.
So seeing him present yet another amazing collection on Wednesday 16 September, with Maxhosa Africa wowing viewers as he showcased during a virtual NYFW I can only again salute him.
This beautiful colourful collection continued to tap into his play with usage of different fabrics, a play on the use of prints and his notorious use of traditional knitwear and mohair fabrics in continuous celebration of his Xhosa heritage. Proudly working with his siblings within this business, Laduma and his brand Maxhosa is founded, rooted on his African heritage.
The traditional Xhosa beadwork inspired Laduma to explore this heritage further and to use these same designs and patterns within knitwear, designer. He has now created a premium fashion brand that is globally recognised and sought out by top music starts like Beyonce, Alicia Keys, featured in Museum of Modern Arts and also part of the Bloomingdales presentations, used for the COming to America remake and inspiring Ruth E Carter in her research for the Black Panther movie’s Oscar-winning outfits.
Having featured his brand Maxhosa in my book Fashion Africa you can understand my personal feeling of pride and excitement FOR him. Knowing that this collection launching this year, this pandemic year and one full of challenges has seen him not only press through to present a fashion collection but to also excel in the pursuit of one of the dreams this designer has held for many years. The dream being the opening of his second store at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town. One that sits along side brands like Versace, LV and Gucci.
It is no wonder press are saying that MAXHOSA galaxy for the Spring/Summer ’21 show was a success.
Take a look for yourself in these pics below by Maxhosa Africa.
