Laduma Ngxokolo can pinpoint the exact moment he became a man - and how it inspired his unique fashion sense.
In 2004, he spent a month in the desert with a troupe of young men from his community - all part of a coming-of-age ritual traditionally observed by the ethnic group Xhosa from South Africa.
According to tradition, Ngxokolo and his fellow initiates were supposed to reenter society with new clothes after their month of absence .
"It was a British-style gentleman's style. look. So your typical look would be a hunter's cap or a hat and a jacket," Ngxokolo told the BBC.
But Ngxokolo decided to create his own outfits from scratch, those who more reflect the childhood by wearing "an accent color around the calf", around the neck, around the chest... and lots of stripes".
Having Having personally witnessed the lack of high-end Xhosa-inspired clothing companies, Ngxokolo began developing MaXhosa Africa – a designer brand dominated by colorful Xhosa knits and patterns.
Laduma Ngxokolo can pinpoint the exact moment he became a man - and how it inspired his unique fashion sense.
In 2004, he spent a month in the desert with a troupe of young men from his community - all part of a coming-of-age ritual traditionally observed by the ethnic group Xhosa from South Africa.
According to tradition, Ngxokolo and his fellow initiates were supposed to reenter society with new clothes after their month of absence .
"It was a British-style gentleman's style. look. So your typical look would be a hunter's cap or a hat and a jacket," Ngxokolo told the BBC.
But Ngxokolo decided to create his own outfits from scratch, those who more reflect the childhood by wearing "an accent color around the calf", around the neck, around the chest... and lots of stripes".
Having Having personally witnessed the lack of high-end Xhosa-inspired clothing companies, Ngxokolo began developing MaXhosa Africa – a designer brand dominated by colorful Xhosa knits and patterns.
Image source, Getty Images
