Lesiba Mabitsela Studio

Lesiba Mabitsela Studio is a South African clothing brand and creative studio founded in 2015 and based in Midrand, Johannesburg. The studio produces limited edition, avant-garde apparel and uses innovative pattern cutting and drapery techniques to create garments that are transformable, trans-seasonal, and size-inclusive.

Resources and materials

• Uses natural, breathable fabrics such as wool, cotton and linen
• Off-cuts are repurposed into covered buttons, self-belts, tassels, bias binding, and patchwork fabric
• Designs avoid stretch fabrics and use Ma (negative space) principles to reduce waste

Making and manufacturing

• Garments are made by Lesiba himself following a made-to-order model
• Local manufacturing for larger orders is outsourced to a local seamstress
• Cutting techniques are designed to minimise fabric waste

Social and cultural

• The studio is collaborative, working with natural dyers and artisans like Sibabalwe Ndlwana, Stephanie Bentum, and Sheila Nakitende
• Participated in Electric South’s Design Futures Lab residency with the project BOTHO, exploring African philosophies and XR to reduce sampling waste
• Performance interventions like Reinstitute 19 critique fashion systems and cultural institutions, using garments to challenge colonial histories and gender norms
• A founding member of the African Fashion Research Institute (AFRI), promoting decolonial fashion education and digital storytelling from the continent

Product and design

• Designs accommodate multiple body shapes and sizes, focusing on hip-draping rather than waist-cinching silhouettes
• Garments are designed using philosophies from Ma and Kanga traditions, creating fluid, transformative styles
• Reduces waste through efficient cutting, fabric reuse, and product durability
• Genderless design

Packaging and distribution

• Uses cardboard tubes for shipping tote bags and t-shirts

2022 Nominee: Trans-seasonal Award