Maxhosa Africa, Spring / Summer 2019

South African knitwear brand Maxhosa bt Laduma at Lagos Fashion Week 2018. The brand founded in 2012 by Laduma Ngxokolo was birthed from the designers urge to create a ready-to-wear capsule collection that reflected his Xhosa heritage. He was inspired by amakrwala, the tribe's traditional male initiation ceremony that marks the rite of passage from boyhood to manhood with the purchase of a new mature wardrobe—usually including a premium quality knit jersey. Informed by traditional Xhosa beadwork patterns, symbolism, and colours, Ngxokolo's signature aesthetic—contemporary, graphic knitwear—has amassed worldwide recognition and acclaim.