Stop consuming, start creating
In response to mass consumption, Khensani Mohlatlole proposes we craft to reclaim our identities
Author: Khensani Mohlatlole
How do we reconcile our relationship with leather?
How did a material that was entrenched in sustainable systems become the enemy of ethical fashion?
Wool, land and people of Morocco
These photos by Pierre Girardin show how craft, climate, and community are inseparable
Palestinian embroidery bears witness
Over 100 cultural and historical buildings, and countless homes in Gaza have been destroyed by Israeli attacks since 7 October 2023. Yet, in the apocalyptic wrecking of mosques, museums, and universities, a dress survived the bombing of the Rafah Museum....
The Story of Ambani Fish Leather
Next-generation leather has been all the rage in the last 20 years. Leather has always been a no-brainer material in human societies, maximising what we can get out of the animals we hunt and farm. However, industrialisation and mass manufacturing...
Superfine reveals the revolutionary power of tailoring
The 2025 Met Gala honoured Black designers and the invisible art of tailoring with quiet power and elegance. Informed by the exhibition Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, the event reminded us how fashion—especially when shaped by history and restraint—can be a...
How a design duo created their made-in-Nigeria fashion brand This is US
A husband-and-wife design duo were inspired by a chair. A simple, curved wooden design with red upholstery fabric that survived decades in Osione Itegboje’s family home was formative to their Nigerian brand This is Us. What is unique about this...
Thobeka Mbane drives inclusive fashion with purpose and power
As a culture strategist and stylist, it’s without a doubt that Thobeka Mbane is a tastemaker. For over a decade, she’s had a hand in engineering some of the most iconic images of glitterati such as Black Coffee, Elsa Majimbo,...
The living fashion history of the Kaapse Klopse
For over a century, the streets of Cape Town have become an explosion of song, dance and colourful costumes on the 2nd of January. Tweede Nuwe Jaar (Afrikaans for ‘Second New Year’) is an annual minstrel festival originating from a...
Ngande Textiles uses African batik to shed new light on ancient practices
In less than a month of operation, Ngande Textiles accumulated hundreds of thousands of views on Instagram, sharing the process behind the creation of one-of-a-kind African batik textiles. Founded in June this year by US-based Cameroonian designer, textile maker, educator,...
Back to earth with African mudcloth
Woven into African fashion is cleansing; confronting the stains of colonisation, erasure, and oppression. It’s a messy process and perhaps fitting that this is a story that can be revealed through mudcloth.
Fashion and identity in post-Apartheid South Africa
While the early democracy era placed a great emphasis on the Rainbow Nation, designers of now look to the past more than they look to a bright, new future, making the traditional cool again with their contemporary perspectives.
Designer Bubu Ogisi unmasks truths about African fabrics
In utilising waste materials, a product of an overly consumptive and decadent culture, designer Bubu Ogisi addresses colonialism and imperialism as evil spirits.
The Metaverse Could be a Catalyst for Greater Change in Fashion
As an emerging player in the global fashion industry, the metaverse presents exciting opportunities for Africa provided that our foray into cyberspace is guided by the decolonial practices guiding the zeitgeist. The ‘developing’ label on our markets does present an...
The basics and ethics of NFTs and fashion
NFTs have become a multi-billion dollar industry in less than a year, raising questions of ethics, sustainability, and ownership as we try to figure out whether these digital assets are a 21st-century gold rush or whether we’re facing another dot.com...