As part of the V&A’s ‘Fashion in Motion’ series, South African fashion designer Thebe Magugu will conduct his first-ever catwalk display in London. It will feature pieces from his “Discard Theory” collection, inspired by materials abandoned in Europe and America.
It will be Thebe Magugu’s first fashion show held outside of Johannesburg, South Africa. In this popular city of Johannesburg, Magugu visited Dunuza, a well-known location for second-handed and used clothing, to create the 25 looks in this Fashion in Motion series.
Theme explains how Dunuza “acts as a nexus between local and global, throwing everything into a melting pot that produces a post-modern interpretation of what African fashion is, and I’m delighted that I can bring these looks to the V&A for Fashion in Motion this October.”
His designs incorporate African patterns, craft, and silhouettes to produce vivid, celebratory outfits that explore the history, culture, and politics of Africa. He works with luxury ready-to-wear collections, womenswear, and accessories. He calls the collection “trickle-up fashion,” which is an antithesis of the “trickle-down” notion, which portrays the fashion industry as being hierarchical and class-based. The show will also feature looks from Magugu’s Alchemy Autumn/Winter 2021 collection.
On Friday, October 7, there will be four free fashion displays in the Raphael Court at various times. On September 29, a limited number of tickets will be made available here.
See more of his work at www.thebemagugu.com
