Thebe Magugu’s first full menswear collection debuted earlier this month at PITTI UOMO in Italy and looks at corruption and the whistleblowers who challenge it.
US singer Miley Cyrus wears a Thebe Magugu suit from his latest men’s range. Picture: Thebe Magugu/Instagram.
JOHANNESBURG – Fashion designers look to many different things for inspiration in their clothing lines. But South African fashion icon Thebe Magugu is no ordinary creator and his latest men’s range is a testament to that.
Magugu’s first full menswear collection debuted earlier this month at PITTI UOMO in Italy and looks at corruption and the whistleblowers who challenge it.
It was partly inspired by journalist Mandy Wiener’s book ‘The Whistleblowers‘, which shines a light on the plight of whistleblowers in South Africa, in the hope of advocating for a change in legislation, organisational support and a change in social attitude. Inspiration also came from cartoons by the infamous Zapiro, whose cartoons feature as prints in some of the garments.
“The collection is titled “Doublethink”, a term coined in George Orwell’s seminal novel, 1984, which is defined as the act of simultaneously accepting two mutually contradictory beliefs. Corrupt politicians are conscious of the truth while telling carefully constructed lies – the art of knowing and not knowing,” Magugu posted on his Instagram page.
“In many ways, the societal ills we wrestle with stem from the insidious actions of its leaders. In South Africa, we have regularised the daily tales of missing millions and economy-controlling families.”
The collection has received many positive reviews and a feature in Vogue magazine.
US singer Miley Cyrus has been spotted in one of the suits recently.
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