Stephanie Bentum is a textile maker whose work has been travelling internationally through her collaborations with renowned South African designers, Lukhanyo Mdingi and MMUSOMAXWELL. Stephanie’s...
Q&A
Q&A: House of AKACHI designer Nneji Akunne says fashion can drive sustainable development
At House of Akachi, sustainability is a way of life. Founder Nneji Akunne's passion and determination for sustainable development is as clear as it is for fashion. She sees fashion as a pathway...
Q&A: Gugu Peteni of GUGUBYGUGU says African design is innovative and global
GUGUBYGUGU, a South African fashion brand based in Gqeberha, is unapologetic, bold, genderless, and experimental. “Fashion to me means a host of things – it’s about identity, it’s feeling, it’s an...
Q&A: Designer Thando Ntuli reflects on the latest MUNKUS collection
MUNKUS was founded, in 2019, by Thando Ntuli. Born in Soweto, she was called “Munkus” by her family, a name that she now attaches to a sense of home. As the creative director and owner of the brand,...
Q&A: Designer Awa Meité pays homage to Mali’s design traditions
Awa Meité is a recognised multi-talented fashion and textile designer, filmmaker, stylist, and painter. Based in Mali’s capital city Bamako, Awa’s label spotlights local artisans who are responsible...
Q&A: Jesmine Davids shares the making of Rebirth SA’s AW23 collection
Rebirth SA is a Johannesburg-based clothing brand established by founder and creative director Jesmine Davids, in 2018. “The brand is inspired by the streets for the streets practicing sustainable...
Q&A: Tsakani Mashaba says Hamethop resists the fashion establishment
Hamethop's embodies diverse realities through fashion and design, allowing those who engage with it to reflect on how they can define themselves. This is according to the Hamethop website. Based in...
Q&A: Sekayi Mwila Fundafunda crafts stories about “ourselves, about Africa”
Based in Lusaka, Zambia, Sekayi Mwila Fundafunda works as a sustainable fashion and innovation management professional. She is also the co-founder and creative director of MaFashio Co. a collective...
Q&A: Samantha Rayment showcases the work of local artisans through handcrafted rope bags
KELP by Ray is a Cape Town-based sustainable fashion brand that sells a range of high-quality cotton rope bags. Each bag is individually handcrafted by local artisans in the Mother City from locally...
Q&A: Sabelo Shabalala on why Richmanskyf merges streetwear and high-end fashion
Local designer, Sabelo Shabalala, is defying fashion’s rules and merging the worlds of high-end luxury with streetwear. The culmination is his boundary-pushing brand, Richmanskyf, which he describes...
Q&A: Teju Adisa-Farrar on using indigenous practices to shape the future
Based in the United States, Teju is an environmental equity consultant, speaker, and creator and host of the Black Material Geographies podcast. Teju’s lens includes sustainable fibre and fashion...
Q&A: Victoria Jenkins creates adaptive fashion that is accessible to all
Over 1 billion people live with some form of disability. Yet, this is not reflected in fashion design, media, runway shows, or editorials. Unhidden is an adaptive fashion brand championing universal...
Q&A: Madhu Vaishnav teaches slow fashion skills to change women’s lives in India
Slow fashion is a lifeline for women in the rural village of Bhikamkor in Rajasthan, India. Founded by Madhu Vaishnav in 2015, Saheli Women works with 75 skilled women who embroider and dye fabric...
Q&A: Tamburai Chirume on how women challenge the fashion system
Tamburai Chirume’s role in the fashion industry is constantly evolving and developing, but one constant is her focus on challenging the idea that sustainability and a regenerative fashion future is...
Q&A: How Kerry Bannigan uses fashion media as a force for good
New York-based Kerry Bannigan is a fashion disruptor in all of the best ways possible. After graduating from university Kerry knew she wanted to be an entrepreneur who could drive positive change....