African Creatives Creatives space 2019 was an exceptionally grand year for African creatives. During this time of year we feel nostalgic – and why wouldn’t we 2019 was one for the books. Especially for African fashion designers. As a growing industry, African fashion brands are gaining international attention. The focus of this article is on the inspirational achievements of South African art, design and fashion creatives for the year 2019. ‘’Fashion has always been a distinct way of storytelling. The stories of tomorrow are being woven today. ‘’ Exceptional Achievements in 2019 Thebe Magugu Design luminary, Thebe Magugu winning the LVMH prize for Young Designers. Hailing from the quaint Northern cape town of Kimberely, Thebe achieved a groundbreaking feat this year by winning the 2019 LVMH accolade. Previous winners of the prize include; Simone Porte Jacquemus of Jacquemus as well as Grace Wales Bonner of ‘Wales Bonner’, among others. We spotted Thebe at South African Fashion Week (SAFW) donning a bucket hat, it was good to see him at the New Talent Search showcase, supporting emerging young talent. That as well is a milestone. Richard Mnisi Richard ‘Rich’ Mnisi winning the illustrious Emerging Designer of the Year award. Accomplished, loved, and celebrated young top designer, Rich Mnisi inspired the country after winning the Emerging Designer of the Year at the Essence Best in Black Fashion awards, in September this year. Rich’s beautiful, contemporary works and garments are laden with cultural references and influences. The LISOF alumnus’ latest collection is entitled; ‘Milorho’, meaning ‘dreams; in his native language, Xitsonga. Manthe Ribane African Creatives Creatives space Matriarch of cool and creative multidisciplinary, Manthe Ribane curated the first-ever arteBOTANICA fest. At the helm of its creative direction, Manthe together with a creative collective introduced a new wave and era of artistic and fashion events with meaningful purpose. This year’s focus was on ethical fashion. As a multidisciplinary, Manthe continually raises the bar for curation and ideation in the country. Browse our article on an afternoon at arteBOTANICA for highlights of the inaugural event: https://blaque.co.za/an-afternoon-at-artebotanica/ Laduma Ngxokolo African Creatives Creatives space Multiple award winning Laduma Ngxokolo of MaXhosa Africa, opened up the beautifully curated MaXhosa flagship store in Mall of Africa, Midrand. The opening of this luxury store drew and garnered mass attention from social media platforms, with the MaXhosa Africa brand trending for several days on social feeds. Raising dialogue around high-end African luxury fashion. The brand is set to branch out into other parts of the country. ‘’We look forward to the next decade of transcendent, pioneering creative designs and fashion, coupled with economic growth of the industry.’’ Parting Note Loadshedding aside, 2019 was a phenomenal year for African talent! A rich and diverse country, South African fashion continues to grow. What is common with all the aforementioned designers is their authenticity, and homage to their cultural roots. Fashion has always been a distinct way of storytelling. The stories of tomorrow are being woven today. It is remarkable to witness. We look forward to the next decade of transcendent, pioneering creative designs and fashion, coupled with economic growth of the industry. African Creatives Creatives space Leave a Reply Cancel ReplyYou must be logged in to post a comment.