Thebe Magugu to debut international catwalk show in London's V&A

South African fashion designer Thebe Magugu will present his first ever international catwalk show in London as part of the V&A's Fashion in Motion series.

The showcase will mark Magugu’s first fashion show outside of his hometown in Johannesburg, South Africa and present highlights from his 'Discard Theory' collection.

Magugu, who combines traditional African silhouettes with western styles and graphics, describes the collection as "trickle-up fashion," as he seeks to invert the theory of "trickle-down" luxury, which depicts fashion as a hierarchal and class-based industry.

To create the 25 looks in this Fashion in Motion series, Magugu visited Dunuza – a well-known site in Johannesburg for secondhand clothes discarded by Europe and America. Working with luxury ready-to-wear collections, womenswear and accessories, his designs interweave African motifs, craft and silhouettes to create vibrant and celebratory looks exploring the history, culture, and politics of Africa.

Magugu said in a statement: "For this collection, I thought about national identity politics, and how western influence has penetrated indigenous dress. Often, I see a woman in downtown Johannesburg wearing a shweshwe wrap skirt, a fabric often worn for traditional ceremonies, but paired with a Vodaphone or Manchester United tee.

"I found that Dunuza acts as a nexus between local and global, throwing everything into a melting pot that produces a post-modern interpretation of what African fashion is, and I’m delighted that I can bring these looks to the V&A for Fashion in Motion this October."

Having launched his eponymous label in Johannesburg in 2016, shortly after graduating from The London International School of Fashion, Magugu was the first African designer to receive the LVMH Prize for emerging talent (2019) and the winner of the International Fashion Showcase in the same year.

He has since produced several major solo collections rooted in the idea of education, with collections named after university subjects.

This Fashion in Motion takes place during the Africa Fashion exhibition, which displays a key look from Magugu’s Autumn/Winter 2021 collection, Alchemy.