i-D travels to Johannesburg, the adopted hometown of visionary South African designer Thebe Magugu. Ahead of his SS23 show at London’s Victoria & Albert Museum, Thebe takes us on an intimate tour of his studio and production facilities, discussing how his upbringing in a style-conscious family in Kimberly first fuelled his love for fashion, and the processes behind his intricate designs. He also iterates his principle mission as a fashion creative: to create self-sustaining infrastructures for African luxury fashion designers, both of his generation and of those to come.
He reminisces on his move to South Africa’s largest city and fashion capital to complete his studies at STADIO, the country’s most prestigious fashion educational establishment. Thebe also contemplates the struggles and sacrifices that his trajectory to becoming a designer who regularly presents during Paris Fashion Week has entailed - and, in fact, still entails. He recounts, for example, his experience of winning the LVMH Prize, and how it radically transformed his business, but also exposed him to unexpected pressures and incidences of racism. His outlook, however, remains optimistic, as evidenced by his ambitions both for his brand and for the future of South Africa’s burgeoning fashion industry.A global platform for emerging talent, i-D celebrates fashion, culture, individuality and youth.