One thing about Thebe Magugu, he loves his hometown and will always pay homage to it through his collections.
On his latest collection, titled “Genealogy SS22 - A Conversation with the Magugu Family,” the designer made clothes inspired by all the people close to him while growing up in the small township of Ipopeng.
The Kimberley-born designer has a black and white pleated skirt and a red, black and red blouse inspired by his mother’s old look.
Taking to Instagram, Magugu explained that the two-piece was inspired by Iris Magugu’s (his mother) Yves Saint Laurent’s S/S 1980 wool day-suit.
“My mother Iris Magugu had a sacred skirt suit inspired by Yves Saint Laurent’s S/S 1980 Wool Day-Suit. For SS22, the look becomes a tri-colour crushed cotton blouse with in-built coin foulard, a full-circle pleated skirt featuring a vintage studio portrait of the Magugu family from the early ’60s with slash marks that reveal a siren-red base, & a black knitted bralette. Paired with the Sunday Best Boots. The Gele head-pieces are done in collaboration with milliner Crystal Birch,” explained Magugu.
As part of his SS22 collection, he also pays tribute to his aunt, Esther Magugu, a model in her heyday. He has red flared pants with a front slit and a matching turtle-neck dedicated to Esther.
“My aunt Esther Magugu opted out of the strict dress code of an ornamental and stuffy dress by arriving in her bizarrely-themed Technikon School Gala in a double jersey turtle-neck and a stretch cotton pair of flare-leg pants. For SS22, it becomes a merino wool key-hole coin-front turtle-neck with strap detail, slit-front knitted trousers and a pair of couture-feather gloves. Paired with the Sunday best boots,” he said.
He also honours his grandmother, Matiego Magugu, who was a nurse, by creating a blue mini-dress.
“My beloved late grandmother Matiego Magugu was a nurse at Kimberley Hospital, whose uniform was a knee-length utility shift dress that came in a cobalt blue and a guava pink. For SS22, her ensemble becomes a Raglan Sleeved Mini Crepe Dress with extended cuffs and a pleated back panel.
Not only did he dedicate his SS22 collection to his family, but also close neighbours.
“The recently late Oucie’ Tshidi, our closest family friend & neighbour for close to 40 years, had a cherished velvet paisley-print pleated set in jewel tones, & wore it almost religiously. For SS22, it’s interpreted as a bandana print in CMYK-tones, split between a crepe & solid-colour silk skirt, with a crepe printed blouse with slitted raglan style lines & exaggerated cuffs. Paired with the Sunday Best Boots. The Gele Head-Pieces are done in collaboration with milliner Crystal Birch,” he said.
Below are more of the Thebe Magugu SS22 looks dedicated to his family.