Part of the Project
From the Series
After receiving numerous accolades and winning the hearts of fashion lovers at home and abroad, it is only fitting that a shawl designed by South African designer Laduma Ngxokolo of the Maxhosa By Laduma fashion label would be nominated as the Most Beautiful Object in South Africa (MBOISA) 2016.
The shawl’s nominator, designer and curator Tracy Lynch puts beauty’s ability to inspire at the centre of her creative pursuits. “When I started looking for the Most Beautiful Object in South Africa, when I started looking for a piece that I found really spoke to me, I found this particular piece – the shawl,” says Lynch.
Lynch explains that Ngxokolo was inspired by traditional Xhosa culture, hailing from the Eastern Cape. The shawl seamlessly combines heritage, tradition and fashion. “The way he [Ngxokolo] does it is so contemporary, inspiring and powerful that I found I really needed to bring more attention to his work,” she adds.
Ngxokolo describes his creation as unisex and adaptable, with versatility complementing its beauty. But for Lynch, the garment’s real treasure lies in its ability to express South African heritage on an international scale in a contemporary and exciting way.
