Heritage inspired at London2011

Local fashion trio Stiaan Louw, Heni Este-Hijzen and Laduma Ngxokolo show their work at the London Fashion Week.

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The South African trio Stiaan Louw, Heni Este-Hijzen and Laduma Ngxokolo will be showing their work at the London Fashion Week as part of the Ubuntu project.

Taking place at the Vauxhall Fashion Scout, the show is part of a three-year programme to promote South African design on the international stage.

Louw, Este-Hijzan and Ngxokolo are seen to represent a look South African look, drawing on traditional influences and a particular heritage aesthetic interpreted as a very modern look.

The Ubuntu project was started by Errol Hendrickse two years ago with the aim to grow talent from emerging markets across the world. Rather than being sales-focussed, the idea of this initiative is to introduce Louw, Este-Hijzan and Ngxokolo to the larger fashion industry.

The trio have been working on eight different looks, each strong in their own right, which will sit alongside each other. Louw will show pieces from his collection that was shown at Joburg Fashion Week earlier this year. Este-Hijzan is working on a collection inspired by the Ndebele tribes, titled “Black & White” while Ngxokolo will show his characteristic Xhosa-inspired knitwear.

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