Local African Xhosa knitwear is about to network on the global stage as the fashions of Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University graduate Laduma Ngxokolo hit London Fashion Week this week.
The promising BTech textile student, whose work has received rave reviews from leading fashion designers since winning an international competition eight months ago, is one of only three South Africans who will have their work showcased in the British capital.
“It’s unbelievable. I am still trying to build a brand but some top designers already want to collaborate with me,” said Laduma on the eve of his departure to London where he will also exhibit his fashions and meet the international media at a cocktail reception at South Africa House.
Laduma’s heady journey to fashion fame was kick-started just ten months ago when he won the 2010 International Dyers and Colourists Award in London, followed by an appearance at the International Design Indaba in conference in Cape where his culturally-inspired knitwear was recognised for a “Most Beautiful Object in South Africa” accolade.
Since then the self-confessed workaholic has been bombarded with requests from both the media and hopeful clients. In order to assist Laduma in establishing his career, NMMU has launched a new creative and innovation hub to assist its talented art students with entrepreneurial skills, facilities and support.
“We would like to help Laduma with the manufacturing side of the business since he needs to devote his talents to creating and designing,” explained Head of the Applied Design Department, Mike Swanepoel.
For starters, this means Laduma will have more time to page through his Xhosa anthropology books for further creative inspiration. “I avoid commercial magazines because I do not want to follow the trends. I want to lead.”
Time out from the nitty-gritty of setting up a business is also why Laduma has been able to add a further five designs to his collection of Xhosa knitwear, including, for the first time, a cardigan-shawl for men. He will show ten garments in London along with a selection of beadwork.
To date, his designs have been restricted to a men’s range using a combination of mohair and lamb’s wool. Each garment takes up to four hours to make on hand-knitting machines.
In conjunction with NMMU, Laduma is also in the process of launching his own production label – MaXhosa – and website, africanknitwear.com
His hopes as he joins South African fashion designers Stiaan Louw and Hennie van Huyssteen in London, is that he attracts orders and international attention in “telling my story”.
Halala Laduma, Halala!
Alan Straton
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HALALA DUMA’S HALALA!