Thebe Magugu’s New Dresses Pay Homage to Eight South African Tribes

One of South Africa’s most acclaimed fashion designers, Thebe Magugu has always taken inspiration from his country’s beauty and traditions. For his newest collection, he designed a series of eight dresses, each of which are inspired by the tribes of South Africa. Zulu, Tswana, Swati, Vhavenda, Pedi, Xhosa, Tsonga, and Sotho. “I wanted to memorialize the main eight cultures that we have here in South Africa because I so deeply appreciate my own,” says Magugu, who is of the Tswana tribe. Although each dress in the collection—which will be available in early June on Magugu’s website and select retailers—is graphic and summery, Magugu wanted each to have its own individual flair. The Tswana-inspired dress, for instance, depicts two subjects beating on a drum that they made, a nod to the tribe’s tradition of beadwork and handiwork.

SOURCE: VOGUE