Trends may come and go, but elegance will always remain in style. These pandemic years have allowed us to pause, reflect, and examine what is truly essential in our lives. For many, this lens has extended to our clothing and consumption habits.
We have learnt the importance of investing in local designers and focusing on quality over quantity. We call this Essential Elegance.
Abu wears Thebe Magugu fine ribbed knitted dress in merino wool and navy beret with steel sisterhood emblem from Counterintelligence SS21 & baby blue wool suit jacket from Art History SS19
Asanda wears MMUSOMAXWELL Bishop Sleeve Cotton Shirt Dress from Imbokodo ‘21 & Kirsten Goss accessories
Abu wears MMUSOMAXWELL navy V-neck wool tailored jacket and trousers from Umethulo ‘22
Abu wears pink Erre woven and quilted mohair jacket, Kirsten Goss accessories & Crystal Birch pink felt bucket hat
Asanda wears pink Erre Bougainvillea Coat Dress from Winter 2022 and Kirsten Goss accessories
Essential Elegance highlights looks that focus on subtle shapes and luxurious fabrics by fashion labels that elevate classics while upholding a signature look. These designers prioritise quality, integrity, and longevity.
Beyond these virtues, the editorial highlights the essential principles of the featured labels and how they echo social and cultural energies. These garments are more than clothing. Through storytelling inspired by communities and histories, they reinforce fashion’s ability to transport us to different worlds.
Thebe Magugu
With his sublime ability to capture the complex history and rich diversity of our country in multifaceted garments, Thebe Magugu seeks to construct clothing that can be described as modern relics or familial heirlooms drawn from memories of the designer’s upbringing.
The editorial features pieces from the eponymous label that offer versatility and longevity. The baby blue wool suit jacket from the Spring/Summer ’19 collection, Art History, offers versatility with elasticated pinch and pull touch points that allow the wearer to create different silhouettes from this singular garment.
The sleeveless fine knitted dress from the Spring/Summer ’21 collection, Counterintelligence, is a garment that will age gracefully and transcend seasons.
MMUSOMAXWELL
Designing duo Mmuso Potsane and Maxwell Boko seek to challenge traditional narratives around women in society, especially in African culture. Featured in the editorial are looks that elegantly blend culture and modernity. They appeal to the sensibilities of contemporary African women honouring their cultural heritage.
This is exemplified by the ultra-sleek navy V-neck tailored suit from Umethulo 2022 collection and Bishop Sleeve shirt dress from Imbokodo 2021 collection. The latter is a reinterpretation of the traditional mourning attire in a sophisticated modern silhouette and the former pays homage to ecclesiastic black matriarchs with a shirt dress with references to cleric attire.
ERRE
With a firm belief in the transformative nature of power dressing, ERRE (pronounced ‘air’) creates beautifully-made trans-seasonal pieces. Each garment is made-to-order, ensuring they produce only what their clients consume.
With a clientele of highly empowered women, such as actress Terry Pheto and Princess Charlene of Monaco, the label designs with an emphasis on colour and boldness that celebrates feminine energy. The featured looks offer bold, figure-flattering silhouettes and 2022’s most popular colour, pink, in luxurious mohair and ever-enduring cotton twill.
CREDITS
Fashion Editor | Tandekile Mkize
Photographer | Andile Phewa
Fashion Assistant | Qaqamba Sibiya
Models | Asanda Mgwaba and Abu Ngcangata
Wardrobe | Thebe Magugu (sourced from Merchants On Long), MMUSOMAXWELL, and ERRE
Accessories | Crystal Birch and Kirsten Goss
Shoot Location | The Muholi Art Institute
- Cover image: Asanda wears Thebe Magugu navy beret with steel sisterhood emblem from Counterintelligence SS21
