Two young, up-coming South African women taking fashion by storm

June 11, 2021July 10, 2021 agn 0 Comments

Designer focus

As the world continues to take more seriously fashion and textile design that hails from Africa, we wanted to introduce you to two young, up-and-coming female fashion designers from South Africa.

First up is world conqueror Palesa Mokubung. If you know South African fashion, you may know Palesa Mokubung’s womenswear label, Mantsho. She holds the distinction of being the first—and thus far only—African designer to have collaborated with a global retailer: Her capsule collection for global retail giant H&M pairs a uniquely African aesthetic with an international sensibility.

Mantshois a label that is known and lauded for its eclectic designs and distinctive prints and textiles. Mokubung offsets earthy tones with bright, bold colors, while her inimitable prints draw the eye. Following a collaboration with a retailer such as H&M, we cannot wait to see what Palesa Mokubung has in store for the world.

Another rising female South Africa designer, who is not yet as established but every bit as talented, is Cindy Mfabe. Mfabe is the 2018 winner of the South African Fashion Week New Talent Search, a design competition for young, unknown fashion neophytes. She released her debut collection a little over two years ago, immediately making an impression in South Africa—and further afield.

Style — *Designer Palesa Mokubung*
*Source: Instagram*

Having been featured by Vogue Italia, amongst a number of others, Cindy Mfabe takes a highly artistic approach to her designs. Her debut collection, for example, took inspiration from a series of portraits by South African painters. “I focused on the subjects’ stillness and calmness, despite the chaos that surrounded them. Throughout the collection I tried to capture juxtaposition by creating designs with exciting details while maintaining the overall minimalist feeling,” she told The Sunday Times. Mfabe’s designs are characterized by a juxtaposition between the masculine and the feminine, between luxury and classic simplicity. Her latest collection honors her mother, capturing her mother’s purported free spirit in bold colors and flowing lines.