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3 African designers using shweshwe

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Designer Maria Mccloy's brogues and high tops made it on to The Most Beautiful Objects in South Africa list for the Design Indaba conference.
Designer Maria Mccloy's brogues and high tops made it on to The Most Beautiful Objects in South Africa list for the Design Indaba conference.

A new generation has taken shweshwe cloth and is using it in a vibrant and exciting way. Here are three designers who have given it a modern twist and renewed our love for it:

MARIA MCCLOY

Designer Maria McCloy has been using the shweshwe print in her shoe and bag designs. For her collaboration with retailer Woolworths, she created stylish leather brogues that have a beautiful and bold touch of the cloth. This year, brogues and high tops designed by McCloy made it on to The Most Beautiful Objects in South Africa list for the Design Indaba conference, which takes place in Cape Town from February 21 to 24.

“I love the brogue because it’s me as a shoe,” McCloy says laughing.

“It’s a brogue, which has British origins, mixed with shweshwe. The shoe represents two cultures and was created to be cute and comfortable.”

BONONO MERCHANTS

Bonono Merchants is a Lesotho-based fashion collective started by Chere Mongangane and Lemohang Mpobane. Their moonbags, caps, jackets and other clothing items are a subtle, yet vibrant, addition to the modernisation of the print. Says Mongangane: “Shweshwe is one of the most celebrated fabrics used in the culture of the Basotho people. In Sesotho we say ‘re batho ba morena’, which loosely translates into ‘we are the people of the king’, because King Moshoeshoe was loved and worshipped by his people.”

Mongangane says although the brand sources its fabric from Da Gama Textiles – making it feel like they are importing their own culture and heritage – there’s hope that locals will print quality shweshwe fabric themselves.

“There are young fashion entrepreneurs like House of Thethana, who are working very hard to change this narrative, but it may take us a while.” 

SHWESHWEKINI

Shweshwekini Active Wear founder and designer Refiloe “Mapitso” Thaisi (25) is making things happen for herself. Thaisi got tired of having to fit into swimwear that never really satisfied her, so she explored creating shweshwe swimwear.

“I did my research and when I could not find anything online or from local designers, I knew this was my opportunity to explore and run with the idea.” She has created active wear and swimwear for men and women, sourcing fabric from Cape Town.

“I get to continue with the legacy that has been passed down for generations and am keeping the cultural element alive while continuing the story behind it.”

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