Thebe Magugu pays tribute to his family in his SS22 collection

The Thebe Magugu tri-colour crushed cotton blouse with in-built coin foulard and a full-circle pleated skirt inspired by Iris Magugu. Picture: Paul Samuels.

The Thebe Magugu tri-colour crushed cotton blouse with in-built coin foulard and a full-circle pleated skirt inspired by Iris Magugu. Picture: Paul Samuels.

Published Oct 21, 2021

Share

One thing about Thebe Magugu, he loves his hometown and will always pay homage to it through his collections.

On his latest collection, titled “Genealogy SS22 - A Conversation with the Magugu Family,” the designer made clothes inspired by all the people close to him while growing up in the small township of Ipopeng.

The Kimberley-born designer has a black and white pleated skirt and a red, black and red blouse inspired by his mother’s old look.

Taking to Instagram, Magugu explained that the two-piece was inspired by Iris Magugu’s (his mother) Yves Saint Laurent’s S/S 1980 wool day-suit.

“My mother Iris Magugu had a sacred skirt suit inspired by Yves Saint Laurent’s S/S 1980 Wool Day-Suit. For SS22, the look becomes a tri-colour crushed cotton blouse with in-built coin foulard, a full-circle pleated skirt featuring a vintage studio portrait of the Magugu family from the early ’60s with slash marks that reveal a siren-red base, & a black knitted bralette. Paired with the Sunday Best Boots. The Gele head-pieces are done in collaboration with milliner Crystal Birch,” explained Magugu.

As part of his SS22 collection, he also pays tribute to his aunt, Esther Magugu, a model in her heyday. He has red flared pants with a front slit and a matching turtle-neck dedicated to Esther.

“My aunt Esther Magugu opted out of the strict dress code of an ornamental and stuffy dress by arriving in her bizarrely-themed Technikon School Gala in a double jersey turtle-neck and a stretch cotton pair of flare-leg pants. For SS22, it becomes a merino wool key-hole coin-front turtle-neck with strap detail, slit-front knitted trousers and a pair of couture-feather gloves. Paired with the Sunday best boots,” he said.

He also honours his grandmother, Matiego Magugu, who was a nurse, by creating a blue mini-dress.

“My beloved late grandmother Matiego Magugu was a nurse at Kimberley Hospital, whose uniform was a knee-length utility shift dress that came in a cobalt blue and a guava pink. For SS22, her ensemble becomes a Raglan Sleeved Mini Crepe Dress with extended cuffs and a pleated back panel.

Not only did he dedicate his SS22 collection to his family, but also close neighbours.

“The recently late Oucie’ Tshidi, our closest family friend & neighbour for close to 40 years, had a cherished velvet paisley-print pleated set in jewel tones, & wore it almost religiously. For SS22, it’s interpreted as a bandana print in CMYK-tones, split between a crepe & solid-colour silk skirt, with a crepe printed blouse with slitted raglan style lines & exaggerated cuffs. Paired with the Sunday Best Boots. The Gele Head-Pieces are done in collaboration with milliner Crystal Birch,” he said.

Below are more of the Thebe Magugu SS22 looks dedicated to his family.