Five female South African designers got the enormous opportunity to showcase their talent at New York Fashion Week!
Global (04 October 2024) — Five South African female designers got to enjoy the pinnacle of fashion excellence as they showcased at New York Fashion Week last month.
Through the Give Her a Crown Platform—an initiative by The Change Collective Africa that uses art to challenge barriers around gender equality—female empowerment was all the rage for local fashion lovers as South African designers got to give the runway an iconic run with their talents on full display.
Their works were as thoughtful in curation as they were in ideation, inspired by the theme ‘Shifting Perspectives’ and the words of spoken word artist Qui Qarre.
The Crown Collection for 2024 was co-curated with Michele Roda, the New York-based African Fashion Council and designer Chuks Collins. These curated pieces are a convergence of fashion, poetry and storytelling—elements that speak largely to the beating hearts of our continent. Additionally, they help raise awareness by spotlighting young female creatives to watch.
Photo Credit: Lam Lai
Meet the Designers:
- Gugu Peteni—The founder of the inclusive streetwear brand Gugubygugu, who also earned praise in Paris earlier this year.
- Keneilwe Mothoa—A visionary melding fashion and interior design to celebrate African heritage.
- Manthe Ribane Liebmann–A multi-faceted artist who blends her skills from music to design to create unique and dynamic pieces
- Tsakani Mashaba—Through her brand HAMETHOP, Tsakani takes fashion lovers on a journey through African art, textiles and architecture.
- Thando Ntuli—MUNKUS’ creative force who draws inspiration from 1980s and 1990s South Africa to create nostalgic and expressive fashion.
Gugu
Keneilwe
Mnathe
Tskani
Thando
Reflects Chuks Collins:
“Bringing African fashion talent to New York is a unique opportunity to showcase the incredible creativity of these designers. I’m thrilled for the world to experience these powerful, transformative collections that challenge norms and inspire change.”
Meanwhile in Milan, South Africa’s most fashionable couple and the team behind House of Decorum got to take to the runway in Milan! You can read all about it here.
by 