South African Designer Wins LVMH Fashion Prize

At just 26-years-old, Thebe Magugu is the first African to win the LVMH fashion prize. According to organizers of the fashion prize, Magugu beat more than 1,700 other applicants to the 300,000 euros ($331,272; £269,887) prize money.

The Judges praised Magugu for the "originality of his use of cut, color and materials, the innate femininity of his easy-to-wear pieces, and his incorporation of the South African story.

In addition to the prize money, the young South African designer will receive a year's mentoring by the luxury goods company.

The LVMH Prize is a prestigious award for young fashion designers launched in 2013.

Magugu is a Johannesburg-based designer of women's wear. He said his Spring-Summer 2018 collection, called Home Economics, "explored the condition of the female force in South Africa". He uniquely fuses feminism, womanhood, and politics in his pieces.

He is known for his contemporary style and use of local suppliers. He launched his womenswear label in 2016 after studying fashion design, photography, and media at the LISOF School of Fashion in Johannesburg.

Thebe Magugu is originally from Kimberley, South Africa

"Winning the prize means the world to me. €300,000 [goes] a very long way.

"The unemployment rate is 30 percent of the youth in South Africa. That is massive. I want to do my part", said Magugu.

Earlier this year, Magugu won the overall award for curation and fashion content at the International Fashion Showcase, supported by the British Fashion Council.

Below are some of his designs:

Big congratulations to Thebe Magugu.

Header Image Credit: Fashion Network UK