 |
| MaXhosa Knitwear by Astrid Arndt |
Every now and
then something great is born. Something wonderful and new is discovered and all
of a sudden, there’s a breath of fresh design making its way to consumers.
MaXhosa Knitwear, is just such discovery. Possibly seen as an alternative
creative solution to the high price of consumption and its effects on cultural
rituals and their longevity, one can see Laduma Ngxokolo’s design solution to a
cultural and economic challenge as the work of someone who sees the
forward-thinking upliftment opportunities design presents when you ask the
world, “what can I do for you?” We
take a moment to chat to the young creative and find out just a little bit more
about the creative director behind a brand taking South Africa and the Xhosa
culture to new horizons.
What is a textile and fashion
entrepreneur? What do they do?
LN: Textile and
fashion entrepreneurs guide the development process of clothes or textiles from
fibre to finished products. My design/production process starts from fibre to
assembled knitted garments, so that is why I prefer to establish myself as new
generation textile and fashion entrepreneur.
As a textile and fashion entrepreneur, as
you like to be known, why choose mohair and wool as the immediate medium to
showcase your talents over, let’s say, silk or leather?
LN: Firstly
because mohair and wool are one of the commodities we possess in South Africa,
being the biggest mohair producer in the world and Port Elizabeth being the
trade capital of those commodities. Above all that, they are special fibres
that have good properties like: longevity, good colour fastening and are
breathable, which make them perfect for knitwear.
 |
| MaXhosa Knitwear by Astrid Arndt |
 |
| MaXhosa Knitwear by Astrid Arndt |
In almost all articles of you, there is a
prominent mention of your late mother, Lindelwa Ngxokolo, who was also a
knitwear designer herself. What is it about the work she created with her hands
that resonated with you enough to encourage the decision for you to follow in
her handprints?
LN: I consider
myself as an extension of her philosophy, Xhosa people would say in this
instance ‘ndiy’ncance ebeleni’ (I was
breast fed what I do from her). I
grew up helping her a lot with her handcraft work like crotchet, hand machine
knitting and beadwork. My mother was a great patriot of Xhosa anthropology, she
used to read anthropology books to us as bed time stories. So she has been a
big influence in my career path.
Your sister, Somikazi Ngxokolo, received a
fashion design award herself. How has she influenced your work ethic and helped
you get to where you are now?
LN: My sister
together with my mother where fashion enthusiasts way before I was attracted to
fashion. They bought a lot of fashion books, so we predominantly spoke about
fashion at home. I have always been interested in the fine art of fabrics since
I started doing textile design at Lawson Brown High School in PE and my sister
has always been there to assist me to take my work from fabric to fashion after
I play around with the surface design.
Your speciality submission to the South
African Society of Dyers and Colourists was what started this incredible wheel
turning in a dynamic pace. Your submission was titled, “The Colourful World of the Xhosa Culture”. Talk us through this
work and the process of putting it together.
LN: The criteria
of the competition was to demonstrate an imaginative, creative and original use
of colour in either fashion, while considering sustainability and environmental
impact of the product. I entered the competition as part of my BTech project at
the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in 2010. The brief came at a time
where I was trying to find my BTech topic and which ended become
‘Xhosa-inspired Knitwear for Amakrwala’, fortunately
at that time there was an exhibition displayed by the Nelson Mandela
Metropolitan Art Museum in PE for the 2010 soccer world cup. So I did some
research about the profound history of traditional Xhosa bead and found motifs,
colours and techniques and implemented to the judges how my interpretation of
tradition Xhosa aesthetics can be turned into knitwear classics and how they
can be made using material that is at my disposal while considering the
environmental impact they could have.
What do you believe was or were the key
factor(s) in your submission that attributed to you being awarded the
international accolade?
LN: It was the
background story behind my project, I think it was rather based on my own voice
instead of general context. I re-interpreted traditional Xhosa motifs into a
modern interpretation to suit the Xhosa initiates market that is being
influenced by modern trends and lastly my implementation of using South African
merino wool and mohair to manufacture my knitwear in order to create
sustainable jobs.
What were the major technical challenges
that you’ve had to overcome to successfully take your idea from seed to
wearable knitwear?
LN: I couldn’t
access any technology support in the country that I could use to make my vision
a reality, so I had to think of ways of bending hand machine-knitting
techniques that where at my disposal, so that they could work for my design
style.
Just how far-reaching is the dream or
vision for MaXhosa Knitwear?
LN: Although the footprint of the brand
is knitwear there is a lot quite a number of products that I am aiming to
branch into, at least the brand has a handwriting that recognizable by. My
vision is to sustained my brand for the next decades so that it serves as a
reminder to next generation of where we come from as people, at the same time I
want my brand to be relevant to the social development of the community it
emerged from.
 |
| MaXhosa Knitwear at London Fashion Week / Image by SDR Photo |
 |
| MaXhosa Knitwear at London Fashion Week / Image by SDR Photo |
 |
| MaXhosa Knitwear at London Fashion Week / Image by SDR Photo |
The jet setter that you are, in 2011, you
along with Stiaan Louw, showcased your designs at London Fashion Week. Can we
expect a similar showcase on our shores any time soon?
LN: Yes sure,
either late this year or early next year.
What is your opinion on menswear in South
Africa?
LN: I think most
of it is a range of styles that are filtered down from overseas mainstream
fashion, but I think there is a huge potential to grow indigenous distinctive
styles locally, there are a few designers in SA that you can tell that they
design from a blank page.
Do you see potential for a knitwear market
to emerge?
LN: The overseas
market already has a big luxe knitwear market, we haven’t got a significant one
yet locally, so I think there is still a potential to grow one in South Africa.
Is there opportunity/potential to develop talent
to cater to the industry of menswear from youth in the less urbanised provinces
such as Eastern Cape and maybe Mpumalanga, for example?
LN: Yes there
is, I think that there is a potential of getting deep-rooted distinctive
craftsmen and designers, we’ve seen that from musicians that come from the
Eastern Cape.
 |
| MaXhosa Knitwear at London Fashion Week / Image by SDR Photo |
 |
| MaXhosa Knitwear at London Fashion Week / Image by SDR Photo |
 |
| MaXhosa Knitwear at London Fashion Week / Image by SDR Photo |
What kind of influence do you see MaXhosa
Knitwear having on menswear in South Africa?
LN: I vision MaXhosa
Knitwear as a footprint that will set a clothing range that will dress South
African men from head to toe in the future. I would like my work to be
appreciated for its aesthetics, quality patronage and rather them feeling
obligated to wear them because they are proudly South African.
When you qualify and finally become a
fully-fledged textile and Fashion Entrepreneur, what kind of change or
influence would you like to see yourself become?
LN: I would like
to contribute in economic growth in the South African fashion and textile
industry. Above all that I would like to change the mindset that indigenous
African fashion cannot make a significant influence in the mainstream fashion
industry, and most importantly, preserve African heritage cultures for the
coming generation
World of design VS Design for the world.
Which is your viewpoint and why?
LN: Design for
the world is my viewpoint, I believe that design should be meticulously
developed or modified to suite the challenges of the world.
Do you think if enough young
entrepreneurs, such as yourself, band together and tackle socio-economic
challenges creatively, we could see visible results, like maybe the rise of
local mohair and wool mills?
LN: Yes
definitely. Given the support by the government we can tackle socio-economic
problems by creating sustainable jobs, however, I think that should be done in
an ethical way to make sure we don’t come back to the situation that is being
faced by SA fashion and textile industry.
 |
| MaXhosa Knitwear at London Fashion Week / Image by SDR Photo |
Who do you consider to be a South Africa
renaissance man?
LN: I do consider myself so because I
live in a new South African spirit that is influenced by modern times that
gives me freedom to express what I feel. On the other hand as I move forward
into the future I go back to the past and collect the pieces that define me as
an individual so that I can move comfortably into the future so that I know
where I come from.
What can we look forward to next from MaXhosa
Knitwear?
LN: A new
collection will come either late this year or early next year. However my aim
is to position MaXhosa Knitwear as a heritage brand that can survive decades.
 |
| MaXhosa Knitwear photographed by Ross Adami |
What’s next for Laduma Ngxokolo?
LN: I am
currently working on collaborations with local home textile developers on
products such as blankets and rugs, basically trying to extend into lifestyle
products.
Whatever the future holds
for Laduma and his MaXhosa brand, one can be sure it will involve plenty of
original thought and design and insights into creating opportunities for fellow
South Africans. With a mind so worldly at such a young age, it’s evident that
he works from a place that seeks to help and develop those around him as he
grows and nurtures his own personal dreams. We can only keep a good eye on his,
support the brand as it progresses and continue to believe that the young
talent being produced in South Africa will really make a difference soon
enough.
