On Tradition, Symbolism, and (South) Afrikanness in Fashion Design: A Conversation with Laduma Ngxokolo

Abstract

In the South African context, since 2011, Laduma Ngxokolo has been a stand-out example of the precept of Afrikanness, garnering numerous national and international awards and accolades for his Afroluxe design ethos. As founder of the fashion brand MaXhosa Africa, he has transitioned from enfant terrible to respected international fashion and textile design visionary, constantly producing evocative and compelling looks that mine his Xhosa traditions and histories in the pursuit of producing culturally significant work for a cos-mopolitan audience. He imbues his work with references to Xhosa beading and symbols and the (“secret”) messaging embedded therein, the influence of bold traditional color combinations, brave pattern contrasts, and contem-porized garment silhouettes that mix Afrikan and Western sensibility. The essence of Afrika and the alluring mysteries surrounding cultural production that are embodied in tradition, histories, language, rites and rituals, symbols, and mythologies have become a signature aspect of contemporary Afrikan design. Across the continent, designers in general, and fashion designers in particular, are proudly infusing their work with ideas emanating from these issues, definitive of their individual groupings and ethnicities but also broadly encompassing of their Afrikanness. 2 Ngxokolo’s most recent collection, Lindelwa (We are the ones they have been waiting for) , shown in part at Rakuten Fashion Week in September 2021, signals a collaboration with Japan’s Tokyo Knit combine. Curious about the new trajectory, I engage the designer on this hybrid venture, his thoughts on Afrikanness, and the future of South Afrikan fashion design. Bruce Cadle : adamant that your work reflects aspects of your heritage, Xhosa traditions, and recognition of the symbolic values embedded in rituals, mythologies, your ancestors, and oral histories, right from the very beginning of your career.