Five Iconic Fashion Collaborations Between Nigeria and South Africa
From Phupho Gumede K styling all the Nigerian stars on ‘Young, Famous and African,’ to Burna Boy performing in custom Thebe Magugu, Nigeria and South Africa’s fashion scenes have always been in conversation.
Nigeria and South Africa have a rich, longstanding history of artistic exchange and collaborations. From music to film, art, fashion and even elements of pop culture, this ever-evolving relationship has spurned iconic pieces of art or unforgettable cultural moments. While amapiano may be the recent common ground between both countries — as it found a home in Afrobeats owing to artists like Davido, Asake, Focalistic and others and makes for a delicious, seamless melding of homegrown African sounds — fashion is also another unifying factor, constantly bringing creatives from Nigeria and South Africa together.
To understand the range and depth of fashion collaborations between South Africa and Nigeria, we’ve put together a list of memorable fashion moments between the countries that carry significant cultural weight.
Bonang Matheba wears Nigerian designers for Miss South Africa 2024
While hosting the 2024 Miss South Africa ceremony, South African media personality Bonang Matheba showed out in five looks, all made by Nigeria-based designers and styled by Nigerian stylist Dahmola.
The first look and perhaps the most talked about, was a mermaid-style dress with a winged, beaded corset designed by renowned Nigerian designer VeeKee James. James is known for her architecturally elegant and tastefully constructed couture pieces. According to Matheba herself, this gown is ‘Met Gala’ worthy, with its deconstructed form and sea green color, adding a new range to James’ notable works. It made OkayAfrica’s best-dressed list for the 2024 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards.
The second look was a shimmering gold number from Lagos-based designer SOMO. The short, beaded gown was complemented with gold, artisanal headgear.
Matheba’s third dress, a lush link gown with manufactured rumples and rose detailing was made by SHEYEOLADEJO. Although known for her bridal pieces, SHEYEOLADEJO reinterpreted the elegance and uniqueness of her work in Matheba’s dress.
For her fourth look, Matheba donned a strapless gown adorned completely with small, silver feathering. The look was made by Mazelle Bridal, the bridal couture arm of Mazelle Studios.
For her fifth and final look, Matheba opted for a silver, white and turquoise splashed dress with a soft, angelic sentimentality.
Toke Makinwa in Gert-Johan Coetzee
Nigerian media personality Toke Makinwa, at the South African premiere of Bridgerton in 2022, showed out in a Gert-Johan Coetzee emerald gown complete with gold trimming at the bust and an understated fascinator. The look was a continuation of a long running synergy between Makinwa and Coetzee, whose brand she has been wearing since 2017. One of which was a pink Japanese inspired piece from the Spring/Summer 2017 collection. There was also the 2019 high slit, champagne colored gown with a belted train and one sleeved top.
Burna Boy performs in custom Thebe Magugu
Like Burna Boy, South African designer and 2019 LVMH prize winner Thebe Magugu dedicates much of his art to shifting culture and drawing on the wisdom of the past. For Burna Boy’s performance at the 2022 DSTV Delicious Festival, the Grammy award-winning artist wore a custom Thebe Magugu Sisterhood Bandana Technicolor Bomber, lined at the collar with Dark Red Ostrich Feathers. The look, styled by Burna Boy’s close collaborator and sister Ronami Ogulu, was completed with a Sisterhood Bandana Crepe Safari Shirt. The striking fabric used to make the outfit features intertwined figures, holding hands and simulating an act of bonding set over a rich red background.
Swanky Jerry styling Pearl Thusi
Pearl Thusi and Swanky Jerry have had a strong and long collaborative relationship. For Thusi’s host duties at All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) 2019, Jerry, a renowned stylist and star of Young, Famous and African, styled the South African actress and star of the Netflix hit, Queen Somo. Styled in four looks including a deconstructed red gown, shimmering zebra print gown with a peplum top, a silvery dramatic sleeved dress with a modest train and a traditional Nigerian iro and buba, Thusi looked stunning and regal the entire night.
While hosting the same event in 2021, Swanky was also behind her memorable looks. Swanky also styled Thusi for the 2023 Soundcity Music Video Awards in a high slit, silver and blue, relaxed strap gown. Thusi, who was also a host that night, also rocked a see-through blood red pantsuit complete with a large red bow/train.
Phupho Gumede K styles the Nigerian stars on ‘Young, Famous and African’
While many might be aware of the striking and conversation-spurring outfits worn by the stars on the Netflix hit reality series Young, Famous and African, not many know that Phupho Gumede K, a South African stylist, is behind many of them. As 23-year-old Gumede told GQ South Africa in an interview, “I got offered the role to style the international cast of Young Famous and African (Annie, 2Baba, Diamond, Zari) for the first season and I immediately said yes. After the success of the show, the fashion (of the people I styled) was what everyone was talking about worldwide, so we had to do it again.” Gumede styling the cast of a show that brought famous creatives from Nigeria and South Africa is a testament to the unending flow of creative collaboration between both countries.
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