Laduma Ngxokolo: Color, Culture, Fashion 

Laduma Ngxokolo is a South African fashion designer who is known for his great designs and knitwear. He founded his knitwear brand MAXHOSA AFRICA in the year 2012. Laduma's mother taught him how to use a hand-operated machine and knitting when he was just 15 years old. His mother has since passed away, but he didn't forget her efforts and continued designing and making knitwear. Laduma is an award-winning creative artist and designer, and his work has a huge fan following in South Africa and the west.  

Maxhosa Africa is a globally recognized brand that has been invited to showcase multiple international platforms, including New York Fashion Week. Most unique about the brand is its exceptional craftsmanship, authentic design work, and garments' quality. 

The brand emerged from an academic thesis on Xhosa's clothing while Laduma was doing his final year project at Nelson Mandela University. He studied Xhosa's culture and heritage and then realized that he could develop a knitwear collection that would reflect the Xhosa heritage. He knew the collection would be unique and would create a spark among fashion lovers.  

Laduma struggled a lot initially as he didn't have enough fortune to set up his brand. Another significant challenge for Laduma was going into the market with South African-made products compared to the high-level craftsmanship in Europe. But he knew his work was explicit as it involved Xhosa's heritage work combined with the modern design.  

Laduma's new Spring/Summer 2021 collection is exquisite as it is colorful and cool to the eyes. It includes cool summer outfits that can be worn everywhere. He said about his new collection, "I wanted to showcase happiness so that people can feel excited about summer because happiness is a new Luxury."  

There's also a lot of buzz and excitement around Maxhosa's signature designs that can be seen worn by Eddie Murphy and other cast members in the popular sequel Coming to America 2.  

There are many celebrities in Hollywood that love to wear clothes by Maxhosa Africa. Beyonce loves the work of Maxhosa and is often seen wearing the clothes by the South African brand. Other celebrities include Alicia Keys, Swiss Beats, and the great Raphael Saadiq. On the premiere of the blockbuster movie Black Panther, John Kani and his son were spotted wearing Maxhosa by Laduma.  

Ngxokolo's great work has been displayed and archived in the MOMA: Museum of Modern Art in New York, SMITHSONIAN Museum, and in other museums in Hamburg, Berlin, and Switzerland. The Laduma Ngxokolo has great plans for the future. He does not want to be limited to fashion only and wants to expand his business into education, food, hospitality, and beverage. Laduma is just getting started, and we believe that he will continue to shine.

Anifa Mvuemba: Luxury Womenswear, Without Limits  

Maryland-based Congolese fashion designer Anifa Mvuemba launched her fabulous ready-to-wear brand Hanifa in 2011. She describes her brand as being inspired by "a woman's journey to a life without limits." The Hanifa designs flatter the curvy, confident, and vivacious woman. Hanifa has sizes that go up to size 20, making the brand very popular among plus-sized women in America and worldwide. Hanifa clothes have bright and bold colors, unique textures, and captivating designs.  

Social media went crazy when the new Hanifa Pink Label collection launched in a virtual fashion show. The fashion show video used 3D models on the runway with a phantom model theme. Anifa Mveumba's creative show display got her brand many press reviews and exponentially increased her popularity. The Pink Label Congo collection could be remembered as one of the most popular fashion shows on social media in 2020. 

The Hanifa Capsule Collection was released in February 2021. It is an eight-piece collection that is about optimism, passion, and freedom. You can find stunning pant sets, a silky zebra-patterned wrap dress, maxi sweater dresses, and a feather mini skirt in the collection.

In addition to the Capsule Collection and Pink Label Congo Collection, Hanifa has two other collections; the Essentials and Hanifa Resort.  The Essentials focus on comfortable knitwear, silky long dresses, and vivid jumpsuits. The Hanifa Resort is a collection for the summer beach, offering bikinis and swimsuits. 

We can't wait to see what's coming up next from the Hanifa brand.