Latest news with #MzukisiMbane
News24
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- News24
Africa's Dandy legacy - From migrant workers to Sunday best
If you've been paying attention to fashion, you've likely heard of Dandyism – a style movement making bold statements in tailored silhouettes and cultural storytelling. While the term isn't entirely new, it sparked renewed interest after the 2025 Met Gala, themed 'Superfine: Tailoring Black Style', a tribute to the elegance of Black Dandies. Though The Met drew inspiration from old-school Atlanta, the true roots of Dandyism are deeply embedded in African fashion history. One key origin point is South Africa in the 1970s, where Zulu migrant workers used sharply tailored, colourful outfits to challenge apartheid-era ideas of Black masculinity. The look – similar to 'Sunday best' – was more than fashion, it was resistance. Groups like the Swenkas, often referred to today as part of the Nkabi drip, embodied this rebellion. Their flair is finally being appreciated, as more people explore the links between style, identity and African subcultures. To explore this legacy, we spoke to fashion designer Mzukisi Mbane, founder of Imprint ZA, a brand rooted in Afro-Futurism and Pan-African storytelling. 'Dandism, for me, is about our ability to express ourselves,' Mzukisi explains. 'It goes beyond clothing – it's a language that tells our stories and reflects the political and social realities we face.' He recalls the vibrant, expressive fashion of 1950s Sophiatown, where colour, texture and tailoring were tools of self-expression. Mzukisi cites icons like Nelson Mandela, Winnie Mandela and Sol Plaatje as early inspirations. 'My biggest takeaway from Dandy style is the importance of fine tailoring,' he says. 'My mom used to sew at home and watching her –from fabric selection to final fit – shaped my love for fashion.' African fashion has long influenced global runways, though recognition often lagged behind. Today, African designers are finally being included in the global conversation. 'African styles have always been present on the world stage,' he says. 'But now, African designers and subcultures are being credited. Our stories are being told by us.' He points to moments like Marc Jacobs' SS2002 collection, which featured Shweshwe prints, and Louis Vuitton's 2012 use of Maasai fabric, which sparked debate about cultural appropriation. When asked which designers champion the dandy aesthetic best, Mzukisi's answer is personal. 'I might be biased, but I'd have to say Imprint South Africa. That's what our brand ethos is all about – celebrating glamour and telling the stories of our African ancestors using prints, fabrics, and history,' he says. 'Our motto is simple: 'Leave a mark.'' View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mzukisi Mbane (@mzukisimbane) If he were to style the ultimate African Dandy look today? 'I'd challenge traditional ideas of gender and masculinity – something bold, beautiful and unapologetic in a world that doesn't always welcome that kind of expression.' Show Comments ()
News24
28-05-2025
- Business
- News24
From Khayelitsha to international runways, Mzukisi Mbane on turning passion into award-winning success
Everywhere you spot him in public, best believe he's wearing a garment or two of his own. Designed and made by him, from scratch. You will never catch Mzukisi Mbane slipping. He is the epitome of 'making the world his runway'. When spotted by Drum at the Stella Artois Nedbank International Polo marquee, he rocked a modern navy and white scotch checkered suit. As the fashion in the marquee dazzled, he too was dazzled. For him, this is a way of delivering a pertinent message about fashion to the world. 'I grew up around the concept of fashion designers and fashion consumers being a different thing, and I saw how in the South African context that didn't work in terms of making the consumer be convinced that the clothes we make are clothes that can live in our everyday lives. So, I made it my point to make clothing that people can wear, no matter how outrageous and high fashion those clothes can be. And as a result, when clients see me at the studio or people who might not necessarily love my kind of fashion, there is a sense of respect and appreciation that comes with how honest and how realistic my love for what I do is.' He adds that his brand ethos celebrates African stories. 'It is a brand that is about people, a brand that is inclusive, and a brand that helped us all see ourselves differently and inspires us every day to wear our uniqueness with pride.' All this was appreciated at the SA Style Awards, where he was honoured as the most stylish designer in fashion. This is a celebrated addition to the many awards he's received over the years, including the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture's Best Cultural/Heritage designer in South Africa. The multi-award-winning fashion designer shares with Drum how validating and confidence-boosting this particular award is. 'I remember getting the news from Zebra Square sometime in February while I was in New York for New York Fashion Week. I was so excited, but because of the time zones and the fact that it was not yet announced to the public, I couldn't even share that excitement with my family and friends. But more than anything, the news just really made me feel seen and validated. It felt like someone was saying to me; 'what you do for the South African industry matters, and you matter'.' View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mzukisi Mbane (@mzukisimbane) Read more | Connie Ferguson receives iconic honour at SA Style Awards Growing up, he used to be a typical nerd, who enjoyed his creative expressions in his private time but remained a straight A student from primary school to tertiary. Taking us back to his very first fashion piece, he says he made a graphic T-shirt for his niece and seeing her wearing it often made him confident and comfortable to explore making clothes. 'My mom used to sew, so when I wanted to make clothing, she's the one who showed me how to use the sewing machine. And she also showed me how to respect the craft and do things right. I remember I would spend hours in a garment only to have her unpick it so I could redo it and do it right. Her thing was, if I'm going to do fashion, I have to make sure that I do it right, no shortcuts.' 'I've always known that I love fashion, I studied accounting in university, even then I looked more like a fashion student than a finance student. So, when I decided to explore fashion as a career, it didn't feel like I was doing something foreign; if anything, it felt like I was right at home. Waking up one day, asking my mom to show me how to use her old sewing machine, is literally how my life in fashion was born. I remember just sitting on that machine, terrified thinking of how my life was to never be the same, and I was going to tell my mom that this is actually what I wanted to do with my life,' he tells Drum. After this, he took a leap of faith by taking business management and entrepreneurship courses from Northlink College, Gordon's Institute of Business Science, and the SABS Design Institute. He admits that his love for entrepreneurship came in handy. 'I knew from the very beginning that I wanted to treat my passion for fashion as a business. I remember putting together a business proposal and entering a competition where they were looking for a South African who had that 'special ingredient'. I won the competition, and I received a R50,000 cash prize that helped me kickstart my fashion business. And over the years, I've always looked at improving myself, always taking an opportunity to learn and grow. From getting scouted as a fashion intern during fashion week 10 years ago and being one of the designers on the runway at SA menswear week, to getting opportunities to showcase my work all over the world, I use my talent to turn my brand into a sustainable business.' Read more | Lawrence Maleka gets real about fame and hosting Friends of Amstel The 36-year-old recently launched his latest collection, Imprint's 10th anniversary collection titled 'Ndibuyile – Our roots revisited', which explores the story of Imprint and where everything began. 'It's about the brand reconnecting with patterns, silhouettes, and styles that established the Imprint DNA and presenting them from a reimagined point of view. This collection is also about celebrating iconic styles, moments, and people who have been very monumental in telling and celebrating the Imprint story over the past 10 years. Our story started at SA Menswear Week, where we showed the first collection titled 'Our Root'. We have since grown and travelled the world, and now it's time to bring it home. So basically, what makes this collection different is that, unlike other collections that we have shown in the past, this one was not about introducing newness but rather revisiting what our people have seen over the years.' 'My story has a beginning, where it all began with a single root - my mother. As her son, I walked in her shoes, as big as they were to my tiny feet, until I could stand on my own and dance to her lullaby. I find myself: strong, beautiful, empowered, and grounded. I start to sing and dance to my beat, tiptoeing in the hopes that the seed I plant will sprout into its strength as an African,' he adds. This narrative for him has become the anchor and starting blocks of all his collections. The lastborn of five seems to have cracked the code of building a fashion brand. 'Originality and consistency are the two keys to building a successful anything. I always say to young designers who have just started or are looking to start a career in fashion that the reality is that the world doesn't need new clothes, that if we were to stop making clothes today, we would still have all the clothes we need already produced. So, it becomes very important when you do decide to make clothes that you look deep down and interrogate your intentions for that new clothing brand, understanding what you are about and staying true to what that is, as that's what allows you to stand out and have a brand that gets to live longer. ' From here onwards, Mzukisi is aiming to get into retail and solidifying his brand as a household name in the African continent.
