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You might be curious about why Thebe Magugu chose to shoot his latest two collections, Home Economics and Gender Studies, on scarecrows instead of models. The images make you stop in your tracks, which is crucial to being seen in our visually saturated world. But there’s more to Magugu’s choice than just aiming to stand out from the crowd.
For the designer, scarecrows signify strength and vulnerability, which are the characteristics he finds so valuable in the women in his life – the women to whom he dedicated these collections.
The appeal of the work lies not only in the beautiful design and wearability, but the genuine feminist design passion Magugu put into his clothing.
From an aesthetic perspective, Magugu’s Autumn/Winter 2018 collection is brilliant. It hits every fashion sweet spot, from saffron hues to pleated skirts, and has a balance of masculine and feminine design language.
There’s no denying the collection’s commercial appeal, and although the pieces fit perfectly into categories like “the suit” or “the pleated skirt”, they supersede those terms, igniting a sense of desire and overall pride in the fact that this collection is South African.
Magugu’s Home Economics collection is the first in a series of love letters to South African women, and is a landmark collection from the designer – so much so that the collection’s Girl-Seeks-Girl dress was sold out within 24 hours of going live, and is a collectors’ item any true style patriot cannot be without.
- Selected items from the Home Economics collection are available on spree.co.za
- This article was originally published on spree.co.za/the-thread
