What Makes a Brand African? Rethinking Made in Africa Fashion

What Makes a Brand African? Rethinking Made in Africa Fashion IMG 9727

While African fashion has reached greater heights—the question of what makes a brand “African” resists easy answers. It can’t be answered through surface-level aesthetics or generic motifs, but instead, it demands a deeper interrogation of history, structure, and power. At first glance, one might say an African brand is one founded or designed by an […]

Ilkhe du Toit on Material-First Design and the Journey of Salt

Ilkhe du Toit on Material-First Design and the Journey of Salt Photographer Liezl Zwarts. Retouching Flecks Studio.Model Lethabo Sara Khunou Katlego Gontse Masike. Jewellery Designer Helaina du Toit. Stylist Bernadine Venter. Make Up Artist Nombuso Ngcobo.2.jpg

Image credit: Liezl Zwarts. Ilkhe du Toit’s collection Salt begins with a contradiction. The designer grew up on a sheep farm in South Africa where her family exported wool to European mills, surrounded by raw fiber that would eventually become garments. Yet the connection between the two felt invisible. “I didn’t understand how wool became […]