Internationally acclaimed designer Thebe Magugu has launched his first full menswear collection.
The Ipopeng-born star flew down to Florence, Italy, to debut the collection at Pitti Uomo, a fashion show that usually takes place between London and Milan menswear shows and recently, Paris men’s pre-couture.
Inspired by Mandy Wiener’s book, “The Whistleblowers,” the Thebe Magugu Spring/Summer 2022 collection titled “DoubleThink looks at corruption and the whistle-blowers who challenge it.
“In many ways, the societal ills we wrestle with stem from the insidious actions of its leaders. In South Africa, we have regularised the daily tales of missing millions and economy-controlling families,” he said.
He said he chose to shine a light on the plight of whistle-blowers in South Africa in the hope to advocate for a change in legislation, organisational support and a change in social attitude.
Explaining the name behind the collection, he said: “The collection is titled ‘Doublethink’, a term coined in George Orwell’s seminal novel, 1984, which is defined as the act of simultaneously accepting two mutually contradictory beliefs. Corrupt politicians are conscious of the truth while telling carefully constructed lies – the art of knowing and not knowing.”
Magugu continues to come up with innovations in the fashion industry. As one of the top six finalists of the Woolmark Company, the winner of the LVMH Prize 2019 created an Anti-Viral Yarn Coat that is said to kill 99% of all viruses that land on its surface.