BULLETIN: Thebe Magugu Named Guest Designer at Pitti Uomo 2021

Following in the steps of Craig Green, Rick Owens and many more fashion greats, South African designer Thebe Magugu is Pitti Uomo's next guest designer, and will present a menswear collection at the menswear trade show this summer. Pitti Uomo 100 will mark the first edition of the event since the pandemic took its hold and threw the industry upside down, taking place 30 June - 2 July 2021.

Presenting his first dedicated menswear capsule, industry favourite Magugu will be bringing his celebration of local South African suppliers to the trade show in the heart of Florence, Italy. The designer's garments each feature microchip technology, allowing for the wearer to learn about the story behind their clothing, including their maker. Having only recently expanded into menswear for S/S 21, Magugu's Pitti Uomo show will see the designer explore unchartered territory. It's yet unconfirmed whether Magugu will be hosting a runway presentation or installation similar to that he held in 2019 for the British Fashion Council's International Fashion Showcase. Typically the designer presents lookbooks and fashion films, which expand upon the educational aspect of the collections, which have covered subjects including anthropology, art history, African studies and spies in Apartheid South Africa. Magugu explored his approach in an illustrated voicemail interview with SHOWstudio.

'Thebe Magugu won us over immediately, ever since we began following his career...as a result of the freshness of his multicultural and multidisciplinary creativity, and, at the same time, due to the naturalness with which the ethical and social commitment of his collections emerges. Thebe creates a fashion that is continually suspended between art and craftsmanship, education and ancestral practices. We felt that his work was perfect for extending an invitation, in an unconventional way, to a new beginning that is rich in young, energetic awareness', Pitti Immagine's Communication & Special Events Director Lapo Cianchi said in a statement.

'I am incredibly proud to be this season’s guest designer for the special anniversary edition of Pitti Uomo by presenting our first menswear capsule. I have immense respect for the fair's commitment to heritage and tradition through the ever expanding lens of the new, which is what we at Thebe Magugu wholeheartedly believe in. Fashion is an incredibly intelligent industry, with an ability to transport, inform and inspire audiences and, through Pitti, we plan on continuing our commitment to sharing our history and culture through honest and thoughtful clothes', Magugu said of the announcement.