MaXhosa Africa Makes Its Mark With Paris Fashion Week Debut
Chief Creative Director Laduma Ngxokolo reaches into his bank of past ideas for a set of pieces that center the South African fashion brand’s authenticity.
MaXhosa Africa is one of the most unique luxury fashion brands, not just out of Africa, but within a global scope. Founded by Laduma Ngxokolo, MaXhosa is heavily influenced by Xhosa tradition on multiple layers, culturally and spiritually. Fused with forward-facing designs, the brand has helmed pieces and collections that are loudly South African, featuring patterns, symbols and colorways that span across various types of fabric.
Ahead of opening its first pop-up store in the U.S. next month, MaXhosa presented its AW 2024 collection for its debut at the Paris Fashion Week this past weekend. Titled “My Conviction,” the new collection is a cumulative marker of the eleven years since Ngxokolo founded MaXhosa, evident in the multiple nods to past collections, albeit with newer, slicker touches.
In the pieces for “My Conviction,” you can glean elements from the royalty-inspired theme of SS2020’s “SiziiKumkani NeeKumnkanikazi/WE ARE KINGS AND QUEENS,” the urban glamor of SS2022’s “We Are The Ones They Have Been Waiting For,” as well as the earthy spirituality of AW/SS2022’s of “ALKEBULAN.”
“I revisited some of the ideas I had in the past and changed them a little bit,” Ngxokolo said to Haute Couture Newsof the decision-making process for the new collection. “I’ve had a calendar of designs for the past 15 years that I’ve created, some have never been seen before or most of our customers don’t know them, so I took some of those ideas and infused them into the new collection and updated some of them.”
Looking back to previous years ensures that the authenticity of MaXhosa shines through in “My Conviction,” continuing the luxury institution’s aim to, “to showcase culture, the greatness and beauty of the African continent.”
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