Famed designer label MAXHOSA AFRICA showcases latest ranges
Legendary South African fashion and lifestyle brand MAXHOSA AFRICA was at Decorex Cape Town this year, off the back of showing at Paris Fashion Week in March 2024. Known for their incredible use of pattern and bold colour palettes, MAXHOSA AFRICA’S designs translate the beauty, culture, language and aspiration of African people into products that are at the forefront of African luxury as well as heritage fashion, lifestyle and textile design.
In the past 13 years, the brand has won numerous honorary awards around the world, but ‘accolades don’t mean much to me if I am not truly living and progressing my conviction, it is the greatest source of purpose that makes me feel alive,’ says the uber-talented “Profounder” and Chief Creative Director, Laduma Ngxokolo.
He and the MAXHOSA AFRICA team was present at the exclusive MAXHOSA AFRICA outdoor seating area at Decorex Cape Town. The installation was designed to showcase their astonishing latest collection of umbrellas, cushions and other homeware items with soft furnishings.
The team will also be curating the brand’s latest lifestyle range of woven rugs and cushions – all made locally in South Africa – in the exclusive VIP lounge, set to offer trade guests a sanctuary in which to relax during the busy fair. While the VIP lounge is intended for architecture, interior design and decor professionals, it can be viewed by members of the public and is located on the show floor.
MAXHOSA AFRICA is a local success story par excellence. What started off as a fashion label, has since branched out to include stand-out homeware solutions, and the way the brand has flourished on the global stage, is one of the greatest points of pride for South African design as a whole.
MAXHOSA AFRICA was founded in 2010 by Ngxokolo and originated in the desire to explore knitwear design solutions suitable for amakrwala (Xhosa initiates). The vision began by creating a modern Xhosa beadwork-inspired knitwear collection suitable for this market.
Laduma having gone through this process, felt compelled to develop premium knitwear in celebration of traditional Xhosa aesthetics. Through accessing and playing with reinterpreting the astonishing power of traditional Xhosa beadwork patterns, symbolism and colours, MAXHOSA AFRICA was born. The designs showcase the beauty, culture, language and aspiration of the Xhosa people. MAXHOSA AFRICA allowed this tradition to evolve into a contemporary form that resonates with fashion markets worldwide.
‘Since I started my journey into the fashion industry in 2011, when I established a fashion brand that is known as MAXHOSA, my conviction was quite straight forward. My ultimate objective as a design professional was to establish a luxury institution that aimed to showcase culture, the greatness and beauty of the African continent. While doing so, play a major part in growing the African fashion economy,’ Ngxokolo says.
‘It gives me a great sense of fulfilment to wake up every day and realise that I am living my conviction, and still be humble enough to know that we are only in the beginning stages of the journey of our conviction. Through a simple, yet dynamic concept of initially reinterpreting traditional Xhosa beadwork patterns and motifs into modern fashion premium pieces, that we later infuse subtly with other African aesthetics, we have built a cultural luxury institution that is a home to 300 professionals that are in permanent job positions, who passionately serve in our production, retail and operations departments and facilities,’ he continues.
Don’t miss out on the opportunity to witness Ngxokolo and MAXHOSA AFRICA’s conviction in action and experience the latest South Africa design triumph in person! Follow @maxhosalifestyle (homeware) and @maxhosa (fashion) on Instagram.