FIERCELY LOYAL
LOCAL FASHION
South African designers are carving out names for themselves on the international fashion scene. THANDO PATO speaks to some of them to find out what it takes to be a global player
MAXHOSA: LUXURY LOCAL KNITS
Maxhosa’s range of knitwear features bright prints.
Laduma Ngxokolo, founder of local fashion brand Maxhosa, believes his brand’s main competitors are luxury fashion brands like Louis Vuitton and Gucci. “From a pricing position, we are not far off from them, and in the retail space, our stores are adjacent to theirs,” he explains. Ngxokolo says that Maxhosa customers are not price-sensitive and can readily afford his range of knitwear for men and women. The brand’s main customer base is South African and most of the sales come from its stores in the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town, The Mall of Africa in Midrand, and from its studio in Johannesburg. Even online sales are mostly local, but the brand does have an international footprint. Besides featuring in the latest reiteration of Coming 2 America starring Eddie Murphy, they have been featured in international titles like Vogue, The Hollywood Reporter and Variety.
“WE ARE PROUD TO BE A SOUTH AFRICAN BRAND. WE CAN BOAST THAT NEARLY 90 PER CENT OF OUR CLOTHES ARE MADE IN SOUTH AFRICA, AS WE NOT ONLY HAVE A FACTORY IN PORT ELIZABETH, BUT WE ALSO SOURCE OUR RAW MATERIALS LOCALLY.” – LADUMA NGXOKOLO, MAXHOSA
Laduma Ngxokolo
Ngxokolo says Maxhosa is available on some international online stores and has featured instore at Bloomingdales in New York and San Francisco. “The long-term goal is to open our own retail spaces overseas rather than work through a merchant. But that is long-term, we are still focused on growing our market share here in South Africa. Though we are doing well, I believe there is still an untapped market in places like Durban, Mpumalanga and the North West that we must harness.” The brand has grown locally in popularity, thanks to its signature designs and prints, which he says are rooted in Xhosa heritage, but are also a celebration of other African cultures. “We are proud to be a South African brand. We can boast that nearly 90 per cent of our clothes are made in South Africa, as we not only have a factory in Port Elizabeth, but we also source our raw materials locally.”
MANTSHO: OFFERING EXCLUSIVITY AND UNIQUENESS
IMAGES: ROSS GARRETT, SUPPLIED
Johannesburg-based brand Mantsho and founder Palesa Mokubung made international headlines in 2019 when Mantsho became the first African brand to collaborate with Swedish retail giant H&M. The capsule collection was sold in 61 stores in 11 countries. Mokubung describes Mantsho as “a global brand that is based in South Africa with a solid international and local following”. Like Maxhosa, Mantsho recently had a selection of designs featured in the movie, Coming 2 America, which also stars local actress Nomzamo Mbatha. Mokubung says that the brand is uniquely South African because she is “consciously making sure that my pride is evident in the Mantsho prints and textiles, which all tell a story of my culture and heritage.” Available online and instore at her studio at Victoria Yards in Johannesburg, at the Africa Stores at Sandton City and Menlyn in Pretoria, Mokubung says that most of her sales are currently happening online due to the pandemic, which has also made customers more price-sensitive. “However, our clientele values quality, exclusivity and luxury and they’re more than willing to pay for it.” Mokubung says that the competition among local fashion brands is not stiff because the industry is so small. “There is enough space for all of us. We compete as colleagues, but not as rivals,” she explains. Palesa Mokubung
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