Thebe Magugu’s adidas collection is an ode to the women in his life
ACCLAIMED fashion designer Thebe Magugu’s adidas is an expression of his love for family and a celebration of his African heritage and culture.
The collection takes inspiration from memories of Magugu’s family and childhood to bring a bold collection featuring performance and lifestyle pieces.
Inspired by the energy of the women in his life – his mother, aunt and grandmother – the collection carries themes of femininity, inclusivity and kinship.
The campaign imagery evokes nostalgia with his mother Iris Magugu and aunt Esther Magugu as proud models.
Speaking to IOL Lifestyle, the Kimberly-born star says he still has “pinch me” moments whenever he sees his mother displayed on the billboards across Joburg.
“The fact that when you drive in and around Rosebank, my mother is on the billboard … it doesn’t get any better than that,” said Magugu. “And these full circle moments I really appreciate, because there are so many sacrifices she made for me to be where I am today.
“They (mother and aunt) started forming part of my artistic universe last year … for Paris Fashion Week, I recorded this roundtable conversation … We were going through family photos because I wanted to create a collection inspired by the family photos, like those ’80s and ’90s aesthetics … we were sitting around the table discussing the looks and how they would inspire me.
“So I’m infinitely inspired by the energy of the women in my life and the heritage of my native land. Bringing together such personal stories through design and blending them with adidas’ iconic performance and lifestyle pieces has been an amazing process.
“The collection celebrates all the positive influences around me and a sense of community that is so important to me. I hope it inspires the same joyful feeling in those who wear it.”
Themed “Finding Beauty”, each garment features an abstract selection of bright and punchy colours including impact orange and yellow, accents of shocking pink, backgrounded by pulse lilac.
The debut and original collection which was unveiled this Women’s Month features the celebratory and joyful artwork of a woman dancing, designed in collaboration with local artist and illustrator Phathu Nembilwi.
“I was approached by adidas at the height of the pandemic, a very difficult time for everyone,” said Magugu.
“When we were designing the collection, we wanted it to be very optimistic and look to a time when we will all be together again and celebrate. So to convey that message, I enlisted the help of a frequent collaborator of mine, Phathu Nembilwi.
“I told her we need to create an illustration that is quite joyful. So we decided on an illustration of a woman dancing because that was the very last thing you could do at that time. So that was the inspiration for the first part of the collection.
“And the idea of finding beauty in my work, I’ve realised that things that used to sort of be embarrassing to me, growing up, I now try to turn those
things on their heads and move them into a luxury space.
“That’s how I approach fashion now, in a way, trying to remove the ‘shame’ attached to these things. For example, my mother had tapeit (vinyl sheet flooring) in the kitchen that I hated so much. Now, I look at it in hindsight and appreciate the floral print on it.
“And for the collection, we did a custom Thebe Magugu adidas tapeit.
“I love taking those ideas of home and how I grew up and I always say it’s this idea of turning kasi (township)
realities into luxury signifiers. And that’s what I try to do with the brand. And I’m hoping people would recognise that familiarity.”
The collection covers sports including running, swimming, training, tennis, football and cycling alongside a set of casual lifestyle garments.
United by a shared passion for inclusivity and kinship, the collection includes a three-piece modesty swimwear set made in part with recycled materials and chlorine-resistant fabric that is lightweight, in inclusive sizing (XS-4XL) and gender-neutral pieces.