There are many facets to Sindiso Khumalo: She is, foremost, a designer whose textiles are instantly recognizable for their bold colors and hand-drawn prints. She is a storyteller who weaves African and Black history into contemporary fashion, creating a compelling bridge between different eras of design. Beyond that, she is an architect by training, an environmentalist by ethos, and a global creative force who has shown on the world’s most important fashion stages.
Born in Botswana and raised in Durban, South Africa, Khumalo grew up surrounded by a blend of cultures, stories, and aesthetics that would shape her design perspective. Her mother, a textile artist, introduced her early to the transformative power of fabric. She studied architecture at the University of Cape Town — a discipline that continues to influence her fashion-making details — before moving to Central Saint Martins in London, where she honed her skills in textile design. This duality of storytelling and structure would become the defining tension in her work.
In 2014, she launched her eponymous brand from Cape Town. From the beginning, the brand was a conscious response to fast fashion, grounded in heritage, craft, and sustainability. Khumalo’s technique involves hand-illustrating prints inspired by African folklore, historical figures, and personal narratives, then translating them onto organic fabrics. It was this storytelling approach that captured people’s imagination.
One of her most resonating collections came in 2020, when Khumalo turned to one of history’s most formidable freedom fighters: Harriet Tubman. Inspired by Tubman’s journey from enslavement to leading dozens to freedom through the Underground Railroad, Khumalo created signature hand-drawn illustrations depicting motifs connected to Tubman’s story.
She has also spotlighted women whose contributions to African and global history have often been overlooked: figures like Charlotte Maxeke, regarded as the “Mother of Black Freedom” in South Africa, whose early 20th-century activism laid the groundwork for anti-apartheid struggles; Olive Schreiner, the South African writer and feminist whose radical works challenged imperialist and patriarchal narratives; and the unnamed women of the anti-apartheid movement, whose collective resistance and everyday courage remain the backbone of South Africa’s liberation history.
For a designer of her caliber, Khumalo is not only representing South Africa on the world stage but also challenging the industry to reconsider what African fashion means. Rather than falling into exoticism or trend-driven narratives, she presents Africa as both archive and innovation. Her recognition by the LVMH Prize, her showcases at Milan and Paris Fashion Weeks, and her inclusion in exhibitions like “Africa Fashion” at the V&A are evidence of her global stature. But more than accolades, her impact is seen in how she continues to expand the vocabulary of African design — rooted in sustainability, anchored in storytelling, and infused with architectural precision.
This year, Khumalo opened the doors to her first flagship in Cape Town—a significant milestone and a new chapter in the brand’s evolution. Situated in the dynamic Longkloof precinct, the flagship stands as a tribute to South African creativity. The space showcases works from ARRANGE Studio, Dokter and Misses, and Wunders, alongside art by Marsi van de Heuvel, creating an atmosphere at once intimate and intentional—an environment where design and artistry converge with purpose.
“I really wanted the space to tell a story of South African art and design,” Khumalo explains. “It really feels like me. We took a lot of care in curating the space to reflect the brand’s story and bring that narrative to life in a physical form. Everything you see in the store—the colors, the textures, the energy — is part of the world we’ve built.”
At the heart of the store is In Full Bloom, a collection that honors sisterhood and shared heritage. Inspired by the women in Khumalo’s life, both past and present, the collection unites Cape Town–crafted embroideries with hand-block prints from Jaipur, weaving together South African and Indian traditions. Staying true to her distinctive aesthetic, the prints serve as a vivid homage to color, informed by her travels through India and Morocco last year. The artisans she encountered—deeply rooted in their craft — left an enduring imprint on her creative process.
The collection introduces more accessible pieces like T-shirts and collar accessories, alongside her signature 1960s-esque silhouettes and painterly prints. “I’ve always thought of clothing as a kind of good luck charm,” she reflects. “I want our garments to bring joy and feel like little talismans that move with you through your life.”
With the opening of her Cape Town flagship, those talismans now have a home — a space where African craft, women’s stories, and sustainable beauty live in dialogue.
