Johannesburg - Beyoncé has given her stamp of approval to a South African fashion designer.
The Formation singer, hubby Jay Z and baby Blue Ivy visited the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum in New York City last week, and shared photos from their trip on her website.
One of the pictures shows the work of Laduma Ngxokolo, a textile and knitwear designer from Port Elizabeth, best known for his men’s knitwear range inspired by traditional Xhosa beadwork.
There are two designs from the Maxhosa by Laduma SS16 collection and it will be on display in the Big Apple until August.
What Beyoncé is to music, Laduma is to the traditional fashion industry, so her compliment is a match made in heaven.
And with her legion of followers lapping up her every move, Laduma could soon be a force to be reckoned with on the international fashion scene.
The designer launched his label in 2011 with a desire to explore knitwear design that would be suitable for the amakrwala (Xhosa initiates) traditional dress.
Laduma said he “felt that he needed to develop a premium knitwear range that celebrates traditional Xhosa beadwork aesthetics, using South African mohair and wool”.
He recently won the 2015 Vogue Italia Scouting for Africa prize to showcase his collections at the Palazzo Morando Show in Milan, Italy.
So don’t be surprised if you see Jay Z and little Blue Ivy in a Xhosa-inspired jersey one of these days.