Ensemble
Designer
Thebe Magugu
(South African, born 1993)
Spring 2022
Coated cotton, polyester, and leather
Museum purchase
Object number2023.55.3
Thebe Magugu’s deeply personal Genealogy collection was inspired by family photographs and the fashion looks modeled by his grandmother, aunt, and mother – her office work clothes inspired this ensemble. He also recreated the printed seshweshwe cotton produced in South Africa as a commemorative cloth honoring the women in his family. His interpretation of commemorative cloth that typically documents important events and inspirational people takes a continentwide concept and makes it personal. He states, “It’s this idea of memory as a reservoir for optimism.”
DescriptionHeirloom print ensemble: Coated purple and blue printed fabric trench style raincoat with portrait logo medallion repeat, shawl collar, gun flap and back flap; Matching long sleeve snap front polyester shirt, snap cuffs; White and printed fabric layered pleated asymmetrical skirt, belt loops; Sisterhood belt: black leather belt with silver metal logo buckle, hook closureCollections
Exhibitions