South African Fashion Designers Revive the Detritus of Western Fashion. – NFH

Khumo Morojele and Klein Muis, two aspiring fashion designers from South Africa, spend hours searching a secondhand street market in Johannesburg for clothing.The pair then upcycles what they discover into apparel or accessories that, in their opinion, show African style in a distinctive way.Unlike recycling, which typically entails disassembling the original material and turning it into something else, upcycling refers to reusing an object in a novel way without compromising the material it was built of.The two are currently working on a project called “Dunusa: Life of a Garment,” in which they source second-hand clothing that is frequently shipped from European nations to Africa and then disassembled and reconstructed into avant-garde and abstract apparel.On July 14–16, the collection will be on display at the “Forecast Forum,” an international arts festival in Berlin where budding artists can find mentorship.According to the 22-year-old Mr. Muis, “The question that we are trying to answer with the project is really the disparity between the north and the south… how certain parts of Africa become dumping grounds for European countries.”The two work together as well as with other African artists. They are collaborating with a shoemaker in Ghana on a project to transform used soccer boots into sandals that honor both African and European passion for the game.Because we value and truly connect with the possessions we own, it is consistently emphasized in our culture that we don’t squander anything.According to Mr. Morojele, a 20-year-old, ” We kind of want to represent it and transcend that in our clothing.Content courtesy of  Business World & NFH Like this:Like Loading…Related