While the likes of Laduma
Ngxokolo and Maria McCloy specifically come to mind, here are the brands that
really started it all.
Sun Goddess
While one hears far less about the brand
that became synonymous with the traditional wedding, thanks to their
Afro-centric couture, there is no doubt that they, along with likes of Bongiwe
Walaza were among the first to successfully harvest imagery and symbols related
to indigenous South African cultures for fashion.
Stoned Cherrie
Who can forget the Drum era imagery that
Stoned Cherrie emblazoned on t-shirts in their early days, something that
popularised the brand established by Nkhensani Nkosi? Stoned Cherrie went on to
become a force within South African fashion, at one point even retailing through
Woolworths and Foschini, before they eventually closed up shop a few years
ago.
Loxion Kulca
Kasi street culture is also indigenous to
use, no? Whether or not you agree, few brands have managed to successfully use
the influence of township street style in fashion like Loxion Kulca was able to
do at the turn of the century. While they’ve subsequently, over the last few
years, tried to make a return, with shows at SA Fashion Week and the like, it
was in their early days that Loxion Kulca managed to capture the attention of
South African youth by celebrating a culture that is familiar with them.
