“African fabrics AREN’T even produced on the continent!” and more, with Thabo Makhetha-Kwinana
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- čas přidán 15. 06. 2024
- We are pleased to welcome Lesotho-born, South Africa-raised fashion designer, Thabo Makhetha-Kwinana, as a guest on our channel’s podcast.
Thabo is well-renowned for her incredible designs, which are centred around her Basotho culture.
In fact, in 2016, Jackie Burger, the editor-in-chief of Elle Magazine South Africa, at the time, nominated one of her Basotho-centred designs as the Most Beautiful Object in South Africa. And Thabo has not only been featured in Elle magazine, but also in Vogue and in Marie-Claire.
In this video, we discuss a range of topics, including the importance of fashion in Africa, the unique relationship between Lesotho & South Africa, the history of the Basotho blanket and even the dynamics of post-apartheid South Africa. This is a conversation you don’t want to miss.
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LINKS:
Follow us on Instagram: bit.ly/4bXdR3i
Listen to this episode on Spotify: bit.ly/3P3AOZ0
Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts: bit.ly/3Iihljp
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Thabo’s Top 3 African Fashion Designers:
- Thebe Magugu: bit.ly/49Wr7Dq
- Maxhosa (by Laduma Ngxokolo): bit.ly/3IpqDda
- Abantu in Africa (by Thandazani Nofingxana): bit.ly/3uTxBnI
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TIMECODES
00:00:00 - Intro
00:01:52 - Why is fashion so important to Africa’s future?
00:04:46 - Lesotho’s unique relationship with South Africa
00:08:50 - Why did your family move to South Africa + earliest memories of life in SA
00:14:19 - Did you always want to become a fashion designer?
00:15:36 - How did your fashion become as cultural as it is now?
00:19:52 - Was your culture taught to you or did you have to discover it on your own?
00:23:21 - Is South Africa still segregated in 2023 & has it progressed enough since apartheid?
00:31:24 - The impact of Thabo’s parents creating a bubble for her to grow up in
00:32:50 - Thabo’s activism + humans losing basic respect for each other
00:38:25 - What is a Basotho blanket? The history of Basotho blankets
00:41:23 - Why did you centre your designs around the Basotho blanket?
00:44:22 - Africa still doesn’t own its own fabrics!
00:45:29 - Cultural appropriation + whether individuals can appropriate fashion
00:49:05 - Why don’t Africans buy from local designers?
00:50:18 - What is the real impact of fast fashion on Africa + what does sustainability mean in this context?
00:53:52 - The business of fashion & the journey of a designer
00:59:05 - Building a team as invested in your values as you are
01:02:23 - What is the moment you’re most proud of across your career?
01:04:38 - What’s your favourite item you’ve designed?
01:08:14 - Top 3 African designers you’ve got your eye on
01:12:15 - What is the one thing that will transform Africa over the next few decades?
Thank you for watching! Hope you enjoy the conversation. We are now Spotify & Apple Podcasts, so click on the following links to listen to this episode on the go 😄:
Listen to this episode on Spotify: bit.ly/3P3AOZ0
Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts: bit.ly/3Iihljp
Follow us on Instagram for short clips, and more: instagram.com/newafricaofficial/?hl=en
P.S. Apologies for the slight latency in certain parts of the video. We experienced some slight technical difficulties during this video's production, but we are working hard to bring you better and better quality of content with each video!
I can never get bored of listening to talks like that! They are so meaningful and true!!
Thanks for your support Bernard! 🙌🏾
Do you know the documentary
MAMA BENZ AND THE TASTE OF MONEY
It's a must watch for every African.
No, we haven’t heard of it, but we’ll definitely check it out 🙏🏾
'promosm'
Who are you gals?
Watch this video & take a peek at the video description - it'll start to make a bit more sense then 😉: czcams.com/video/omRrZVHyvQc/video.html
@@NewAfricathanks
Suggesting that Lesotho could be mistaken for a South African city is weird & a bit embarrassing coming from an African person