In a riot of colour and pattern, South Africa’s award-winning designers Laduma Ngxokolo of MaXhosa Africa, Thebe Magugu and David Tlale presented their spring/summer 2025 collections on Friday at Paris Fashion Week (PFW).
Held at the American Church in Paris, MaXhonaissance featured nearly 100 ready-to-wear pieces inspired by the Renaissance art movement and the rebirth of Africa.
“The collection is a marriage between ‘MaXhosa and the Renaissance’, themed around a new era for the brand,” founder and creative director Ngxokolo told the Sunday Times.
“The materials in the new collection take on a more organic pattern design approach. For the past 18 years, we’ve been using a very strong and geometric aesthetic for our pieces. The women’s line has dominated our collection, and it’s a spring/summer showcase, so we’ve been experimenting with new shapes and forms, taking on a new renaissance.
“We also have our signature bright colours in high contrast formats, which include pastels, as well as monochrome black and white.”
“My mother is my biggest inspiration. She was the one who raised the four of us, she was a fashion/network designer. Back in the '70s and '80s, she was an entrepreneur, so MaXhosa as a brand is something that I credit to her as the founding mother.”
As part of the official PFW schedule from the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode (FHCM), MaXhosa Africa searched far and wide for the perfect venue for the show, before deciding on the American Church in Paris.
“The church is ‘Renaissance-esque’ in terms of aesthetics, and it’s a neo-gothic church with iconic imagery from the Renaissance era, which captured the essence of our theme. It was the perfect place to apply and interpret the inspiration into a bold statement pattern form,” Ngxokolo said.
Most of the models showcasing the collection were flown in from South Africa.
“Denetric Malope, born in Limpopo, is one of the most exciting South African talents on top international runways like Louis Vuitton and Hugo Boss. Simône (Theunissen) is from Cape Town, Boity (Boitumelo Thulo) flew in from Joburg, and we’re honoured to have many other talents as part of our show.”
Born in Gqeberha, Ngxokolo, 37, drew inspiration from Eastern Cape traditional Xhosa art and culture, creating award-winning high-fashion knitwear designs that have been worn by celebrities including former US first lady Michelle Obama, singer Alicia Keys and superstar Beyoncé.
MaXhosa Africa opened its seventh South African store this week, after launching their New York boutique in December 2023.
Kimberley-born Thebetsile “Thebe” Magugu, 31, presented a runway show of bold designs in red, black and cream entitled Reparations at Palais Brongniart, as part of the Tranoï Showroom with Creative Africa Nexus (Canex).
“My collection is inspired by my reconnection with my estranged father, who has roots in Malawi,” Magugu said. “It’s joyful and optimistic, with a focus on Afro-modernity. There is juxtapositioning in fabrics and silhouette, just like how complicated he is.”
Vosloorus-born David Tlale, 49, who also exhibited select pieces from his latest collection at the Tranoï Showroom, said his new designs celebrated 21 years in business and the continuing journey overseas.
“We used South African fabrics, from weaving into jacquard, prints, chiffon, organza, very feminine, with black, beige, and a bit of green mixed with prints,” said Tlale. “Tranoï and Canex have has been an excellent forum for introducing our fashion platform to buyers and media across the globe.”
While Magugu’s latest collection was inspired by reconnection with his father, Ngxokolo credits his collection to his late mother, Lindelwa.
Paris Fashion Week has had its fair share of challenges. MaXhosa encountered significant expenses to transport the garments and a last-minute logistics issue at the venue caused an unexpected delay.
“I flew over with nearly six suitcases filled with accessories, shoes, clothes, props — and paying excess baggage charges has become a normal routine of the game,” said Ngxokolo.
“Securing venues for a fashion brand have been super difficult in Paris, because the well-known brands have already locked into five-year contracts with all the top venues.”
Ngxokolo added: “If South African designers want to exhibit at Paris Fashion Week, my top tip would be to make sure you are ‘resource ready’ — you need a significant budget to execute the show. We self-fund our presentations, and we manage some of the costs by partnering with sponsors.
“You have to allocate a large budget for travel, accommodation and logistics for all those involved — on top of designing an entire original collection that exceeds the standard. It’s an investment-heavy exercise, but we’re excited to be here at Paris Fashion Week for the second time, to celebrate the Renaissance — one of the most important eras in the history of art.”
