By: uAsande Kubone.
Thebe Magugu’s first debut collection at Paris Fashion Week was, nothing short of exceptional. Last year, Thebe Magugu won the LVMH prize and was given an official presentation slot at the Palais des Tokyo.
The Kimberly born designer used his official presentation slot, to stage an exhibition. The exhibition was titled, Ipopeng Ext. Potraits filled up the space, visually representing the beautiful faces and spaces that, have contributed to the person he is today.
Thebe flipped the script when he opted to dress mannequins, instead of having models wear his tailored garments. These mannequins formed a part of his audience, dressed in his new autum/winter collection (Antum 1).
The screening was a series of images, shot in Kimberly (Ipopeng) where he grew up. Magugu has always found an intriguing way of using his clothes as a form of social commentary which goes beyond telling personal stories. Bold and signature pleats formed a large portion of his latest collection.
The use of photography and fashion merged together perfectly to pay homage to the people and places, which have inspired him and his work. Ipopeng Ext. a visual and stylistic representation of the world that Thebe Magugu used to bring Africa, to the world.
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