Khanyisile Masina was raised by two entrepreneurs – her grandparents – in the east rand of Johannesburg. Her grandmother operated an upholstery business from their garage. “My cousins and I were always hovering around her and I became interested in design”. But Khanyisile credits her time (2014 to 2026) in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, as the inspiration for her fashion career. “I was always with fashionable people who aren’t scared to express themselves through style. It forced me to level up my personal style.” Khanyisile studied fashion design at Tshwane University of Technology.
Khanyisile was one of four young fashion design residents at the recent Nike Airmax Residency in March 2026. She was mentored by acclaimed South African fashion designer Thebe Magugu at Magugu House in Johannesburg for two weeks. At the end of the residency, the designers exhibited their final garments at Keyes Avenue in Rosebank, Johannesburg, on 28 March.
Twyg asked Khanyisile to reflect on her design practice, motherhood and what she learnt during the residency.
How do you approach design?
I design for myself. I’m usually alone when I design. I make things that I like and that look and feel good on me. I use draping as a design technique as it helps with creating an easy and an intuitive flow state. I want to dress as the higher version of myself – a woman who is powerful in a soft way; a woman who wears her heart on her sleeve; a loud, unapologetic woman. I want to feel authentic and I want people to feel my heart and vibration. I design for anyone who relates to what my heart tries to communicate.
Do you have a central theme in your work?
My main theme is confidence in the rawest, vulnerable and most authentic form and what it takes to become confident. I’d love to be known for being confident. My community understands this. Honesty goes beyond any market. I know people want to feel encouraged and empowered by real stories.
Describe the garment you made during the residency?
Image: Courtesy Khanyisile Masina
Image: Courtesy Khanyisile Masina
It is a dress about rebirth. I recently became a mom and I’m always trying to explain or relive the birth process because I forget how it felt initially. My grandmother said that as time goes by my brain will forget. With this dress, I wanted to relive what it felt like to give birth and to become a mother.
There are many elements I wanted to show and highlight. I like exaggerated silhouettes and I explored using a hatchback on the dress which means a lot of things to me. In this instance it would mean Matrescence [the process of becoming a mother] which is a metamorphosis but in pregnancy it is a deep, intense shift a woman goes through. It’s not just physical, it’s mental, emotional, and identity… everything. From pregnancy into early motherhood, you’re literally changing in every way and there’s no better way to translate that through creating a silhouette that represents a “cocoon phase” of intense physical and psychological change, just like a caterpillar turning into a butterfly, adapting to care for new life.
I like using upholstery leather. I love the way it looks and it usually goes in the direction I need it to when I drape. Initially I wanted to use that but it wasn’t practical especially for the weight of the dress so Thebe suggested I use a fabric that frays – something that met my design halfway because I wanted to insert feathers into each panel. We ended up using tweed which worked beautifully.
How did the mentorship shape your thinking?
Image of Thebe Magugu: Courtesy Nike South Africa
Thebe is the reason I’ve been wanting to explore storytelling more deeply in my work. Being around him and hearing his perspective has been so interesting. His approach to women is soft, gentle and very feminine. It made me think about my work differently. I have a very strong opinion about how women should be represented. Because of our stories and the pain we share, I always want to communicate that women are powerful, bold, STRONG. But being around Thebe reminded me that their softness deserves to be expressed just as much.
What did the residency mean to you?
Image: Courtesy Nike South Africa
Image: Courtesy Nike South Africa
It was the best way to start my year. It brought my soul back to life. Everyone involved put their heart into it. Being around that energy helped me remember why I love doing this. Its resources and the opportunity to be in the right rooms where I have learnt things that could potentially take my career to the next level. I have been invited to talks where I learnt about textiles etc. I have been missing this as a designer.
What feels possible now?
Image: Courtesy Nike South Africa
This residency gave me insight into the industry, especially through the people I met – the mentees and everyone who came to the exhibition. It made me realise that even learning just one thing matters, because that one thing can shift how you think and take you to the next level, and then to the next. It really showed me that I can’t ever stop learning.
I’ve also been thinking about how something as simple as encouragement can shift a person completely. It can get someone out of bed, push them to move, and that movement can open their mind to something bigger – to even changing the world. But it always starts with community. A community that reminds you that your voice matters, that you’re valuable in any space you step into. This is what I’m learning now: my voice is important, even if it feels small. Someone, somewhere, needs to hear it. I have to stay in motion… and I need community to hold me.
- Khanyisile was one of four young fashion designers selected to participate in the Nike Air Max Residency in March. Over two weeks in Johannesburg, the emerging designers worked closely with Thebe Magugu at Magugu House. At the end of the residency, they showcased their final designs. The other designers are Lindokuhle Mdluli, Siphesihle Mkhabela and Thato Mengwai
- You can follow Khanyisile on Instagram here
- Images supplied by Nike South Africa
- This is a sponsored post
