Johannesburg-based designer Thebe Magugu has added another big award to his tally as honoured at a United Nations Event—this time for the designer’s dedication to positive impact in fashion.
New York, USA (02 October 2023) — South African designer and trailblazer Thebe Magugu is no stranger to accolades in the fashion world; continuously making South Africans proud thread by thread.
Recently, Magugu added another honour to his ever-growing tally which includes winning London Fashion Week and the LVMH Prize for Young Designers, Being named one of Vogue Business’ 100 Innovators as well as having a fan base consisting of Rihanna, Miley Cyrus and Thuso Mbedu.
The recent honour saw the beloved designer win an honour acknowledging his dedication to positive impact through and on fashion—something his work has encapsulated from the offset.
The dazzling moment took place at the 78th United Nations’ General Assembly where Fashion 4 Development hosted the First Ladies Luncheon and Magugu’s name was on everyone’s lips.
Here, Magugu won the Franca Sozzani Award where his craft, cultural celebration and charity initiatives (specifically his team-up with Dior for Charlize Theron’s African Outreach Project) were spotlit for their leading impact in the industry.
“Thebe’s dedication to capturing forgotten histories and cultures through fashion truly resonated with our community’s values. We are inspired by his commitment to inform and educate by his designs,” shared Fashion for Development.
This is yet another moment that secures Magugu’s place as a trailblazer—and more thrillingly, a South African trailblazer—in one of the world’s most influential industries. The moment comes with even more significance considering that Magugu only debuted his first collection in 2017.
Meanwhile, in other Magugu news, his latest collection is out and proud with SS24 and centres around the story of Sarah Baartman—another ode from the designer to South African stories.
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