This interview is two years in the making. Scheduling and travel delayed our plans– but timing, it turns out, was everything.
This year marks a decade of the Thebe Magugu brand in global fashion. His work reads less like a label and more like a layered cultural archive – one that threads together memory, identity, and contemporary African expression.
Since winning the LVMH Prize in 2019, Thebe has expanded his practice beyond garments into interiors, cultural spaces, and, DJing.
From the global resonance of the Heirloom shirt to the immersive world of Magugu House, his work continues to challenge what a fashion brand can be. His recent collaboration with Mount Nelson, A Belmond Hotel, Cape Town, where he launched his own suite, marks another evolution, translating his design language into space while opening new conversations between heritage and modernity.
Here, the 32-year-old reflects on 10 years of building his world – from Kimberley to international runways – and the expansive future still unfolding.
A Decade in the Making
YLA: When you look back at the past decade, what moments stand out as defining milestones?
Thebe: Winning the LVMH Prize in 2019 was obviously transformative, but there are quieter milestones that mean just as much to me – opening Magugu House in Johannesburg, seeing the Heirloom shirt travel the world on different bodies and in different contexts, and recently unveiling the Thebe Magugu Suite at Mount Nelson.
These moments all represent an expansion not only of the business, but of me as a creative – especially as I detach from rigid ideas of what a fashion designer should be. As a creative, I like to stretch my output across various disciplines – whether it’s interiors, applied arts, or literature.
Scaling A Global Perspective
YLA: Winning the LVMH Prize was a landmark achievement not only for you, but for African fashion. How did that moment reshape the trajectory of your brand?
Thebe: It changed the scale of possibility. Suddenly, the work was being seen through a global lens. It gave us the resources to build stronger infrastructure, but more importantly, it affirmed that deeply local stories can resonate globally.
However, there was also a responsibility. African fashion is often reduced to something quite one-dimensional, and I wanted to show, through my work, the nuance and sophistication of what South African and African fashion really look like – removed from the auto-exotic gaze, and instead a true reflection of who we are in the contemporary.
YLA: How did the Valentino collaboration for Vogue influence the way you think about storytelling in fashion?
Thebe: It was a beautiful moment, because Valentino has always represented a certain level of couture storytelling and history. What excited me was the idea of cross-cultural conversations – Pierpaolo (Piccioli, now Creative Director at Balenciaga) was looking at 16th-century European women, and I began thinking: who were our 16th-century women in South Africa?
That led me to figures like Queen Nandi Bhebhe – our own royalty. It shifted my thinking towards positioning African narratives within global historical frameworks.
YLA: How has your storytelling approach evolved over the past decade?
Thebe: In the beginning, it was very research-heavy – I wanted to honour histories and document them carefully. Over time, it has become more layered and intuitive.
I’m now interested in how those stories can live across different mediums – clothing, interiors, exhibitions, even hospitality – and how they relate to me as an artist. Exploring myself has become equally important as I interrogate who I am as a person, not only as a business.
Beyond Fashion: Magugu House
YLA: What vision guided the creation of Magugu House?
Thebe: The space was always conceived as a cultural home rather than a traditional retail environment. I wanted people to feel like they were entering a living archive of contemporary African creativity.
There’s fashion, but also art, conversation, music, and film screenings – it’s about community and intellectual exchange. In South Africa, we have a very strong mall culture, and this is something I actively wanted to push against, because it doesn’t allow for immersion into a universe in the way an independent, standalone space can.
YLA: You partnered with Weylandts for elements within Magugu House. What made that collaboration feel like a natural fit?
Thebe: Weylandts has a thoughtful approach to craftsmanship and materials, which aligns with the way I think about design. The collaboration felt very organic.
Working with Anna and her team – from Astrid Kingsley to Elouise Thompson – was a real learning experience. They all have such a sharp design eye, but also understand that spaces should tell stories – just as garments do.
Memory, Heritage, And Identity
YLA: Your Heritage Capsule collection revisits themes of lineage and cultural memory. What inspired this collection?
Thebe: The Heritage Capsule came from a garment I created for myself four years ago. I was thinking about the fact that I am Sotho, but for practical reasons, I can’t wear a heavy wool blanket and a mokorotlo straw hat to work every day.
So I asked myself: what if I lifted a motif from the blanket and printed it onto a breathable silk fabric? That’s how Heritage was born. I love that it’s a reinterpretation of culture, especially for a younger generation that may struggle with “as is” culture, but connect with an interpretation that fits their own zeitgeist.
YLA: The Heirloom shirt has become one of your most recognisable pieces. Why do you think it resonates so deeply?
Thebe: It’s personal. Each shirt carries a story chosen by the wearer, so it becomes something intimate rather than purely decorative.
In a way, it turns fashion into a form of memory preservation. Many people have used it to immortalise loved ones who have passed – for example, when Michelle Obama honoured her mother, or Lupita Nyong’o her grandmother. It’s about ensuring that those legacies are never forgotten.
Designing Space and Experience
YLA: The Thebe Magugu Suite at the Mount Nelson marks a new chapter. What was the design brief?
Thebe: The brief was to interpret my design language within the context of the Mount Nelson’s historic environment. I approached it as a conversation between past and present – what I’ve described as an Afro-English aesthetic. It was about inserting a contemporary African narrative into a space that carries a strong British heritage.
YLA: Can you tell us about the moodboard behind the suite?
Thebe: The moodboard was layered – Basotho symbolism, the mokorotlo hat as a sculptural reference, archival photography, and familial tones, like what I’ve called “luxury stoep red” or “imphepho greens”.
There are handcrafted elements throughout – carved wood, pleated textiles, textured surfaces – which speak to the hand. There aren’t any straight lines in the space, because the human hand can’t create a perfect straight line, so everything feels freehand and slightly asymmetric.
There’s also a custom rug that resembles the tracks of a rhebok, as though the animal walked through the space and left its memory behind. I wanted the suite to feel intimate, but deeply narrative.
Collaboration and Creative Community
YLA: When you consider collaborations, what qualities do you look for in a creative partner?
Thebe: Curiosity is the most important. I’m drawn to partners who are genuinely interested in cultural dialogue, not just commercial outcomes.
The best collaborations feel like two worlds expanding into each other. Increasingly, I think in terms of partnership rather than collaboration – because collaboration can feel fleeting, whereas partnership suggests longevity.
YLA: You have a long-standing relationship with Moët & Chandon. What does it represent for you?
Thebe: It represents celebration, but also longevity – something I aspire to. Moët has an incredible heritage, yet it continues to evolve. That balance between history and modernity is something I deeply relate to.
YLA: How have your relationships with fellow South African creatives shaped your journey?
Thebe: They’ve been incredibly important. Designers like Rich Mnisi and Wanda Lephoto, and artists like Muneyi, remind me that creativity here is expansive and interconnected.
That’s part of why I created Magugu House – to provide a platform for both established and emerging voices. Our industry is still quite young, so collaboration is essential.
The Future of the Universe
YLA: How have the women in your family influenced you?
Thebe: My mother has been a huge influence. Many of my collections are letters to the women who shaped my understanding of identity, dignity, and strength.
I’ve also been deeply inspired by their sense of sacrifice – the way they give of themselves to ensure the well-being of others. That selflessness is something I carry with me.
YLA: Where do you find inspiration today?
Thebe: It often begins with research – a historical figure, a political moment, or archival imagery. But inspiration also comes from quieter places: conversations, music, or something I read that lingers.
I’ve become less rigid about where inspiration comes from. As long as something sparks curiosity, I follow it.
YLA: What draws you to music and DJing?
Thebe: Music instantly creates an atmosphere. When I’m designing, playlists help me build the emotional world of a collection. DJing offers a different kind of connection – immediate and real-time.
In fashion, feedback comes later; with music, you feel it instantly. I enjoy navigating both.
YLA: What are you listening to right now?
Thebe: At the moment, I’m listening almost exclusively to Gqom – it feels like what fashion sounds like to me.
Artists like General C’mamane, Goldmax, and Thela are on rotation.
YLA: What does downtime look like for you?
Thebe: Right now, the most luxurious thing is an uninterrupted afternoon, which is rare. I also enjoy DJing at night in my room, building future sets, or reading. I’m currently reading George Orwell’s 1984.
YLA: What do you miss most about home when you travel?
Thebe: The warmth of South African conversation. There’s an openness and humour here that I really miss – we’re actually quite silly, in the best way.
YLA: What excites you about the next decade of Thebe Magugu?
Thebe: I’m excited about expanding the universe further – into spaces, publishing, and cultural programming. Fashion will always be central, but I’m interested in building something that lives across disciplines.
I’m no longer interested in limiting myself. There’s this idea that you must be one thing, but creatively, I don’t believe in that.
Quickfire with Thebe Magugu
Favourite movie of all time
Black Swan – it warns that perfection is such an impossible and deadly philosophy.
Signature scent
Moon Glory by The Harmonist
Voice notes or texts?
Texts (even if I don’t immediately respond)
One song you could listen to forever
Ride by Lana Del Rey
