For sixteen years, MaXhosa has redefined the South African fashion landscape with its high-end, vibrantly patterned wool designs. Launched as a menswear line by Laduma Ngxokolo in 2010, the brand has since expanded its offering to womenswear, homeware, and interiors. In its home country it’s so popular that it’s ready-to-wear collections have been counterfeited by sellers and fast fashion and copied by numerous younger brands.
One thing about MaXhosa is that it has always proposed good clothes especially for men. Still, how long can a brand successfully sell collections built around occasional suits and colourful knitwear, golfers, and matching trousers?
As it turns out, the fashion house has mastered the allure of that combination; of head-turning languid silhouettes that scream effortless.
Their biggest and first Paris Fashion Week full runway showcase was driven by a fresh energy and confidence. Prior to this, the brand’s requests to hold a runway showcase had been rejected multiple times by Paris Fashion Week’s governing body. That changed this season.
For Spring/Summer 2027, their sixth time showing on the Paris calendar, MaXhosa delivered over 40 runway looks many of which were configured for comfort. Ngxokolo excelled at menswear which came with new prints, patterns, shapes, and details such as playful fringing and asymmetrical hemlines on jackets and tops.
Speaking about the state of modern menswear, Ngxokolo had told me that, “it’s at its most impressive” and that “the eccentricity” is what he was enjoying most right now. This sentiment ran throughout his runway. There were colourfully impeccable suits like the one below with intricate beadwork and embroidery. Matching sets (see above) also stood out for their precision and elegance. The menswear was bold and full of life, energy, and movement.
The showcase also had a strong focus on accessories which included futuristic eyewear by Kenyan artist Cyrus Kabiru — which he crafts from found materials as well as sticks reminiscent of ishoba, partly crafted from animal hair and traditionally used by royals and healers across the continent.
For womenswear, highlights included sporty mini dresses, some gowns like the trompe l’œil dress (below) that was surprisingly styled with sneakers, and skirts paired with one of the seasons biggest trends — bra tops.
From the silhouettes to the tailoring, this show reflected a brand in transition. In the last few years, MaXhosa has continued to broaden its horizons to a larger Pan-African identity and a provocateur of culture.
“MaXhosa started with my interpretation of Xhosa heritage, but as the house has grown, the conversation has naturally become broader. What stays constant is the perspective,” says Ngxokolo to Your Luxury Africa. “We can evolve the language, the silhouettes and the way we present the work without losing where it comes from,” he continues referring to his expansion strategy.
Last season, their Autumn/Winter 2026 collection was named “Siyi Culture” and focussed on Skhothane culture which was infamous for its flashy lifestyle and flamboyant fashion. It turned out to be a controversial presentation heavily criticised in the brand’s home country. You can read about it here.
But Ngxokolo’s vision sits beyond the Paris Fashion Week schedule. It’s about building a legacy that can outlive its founder. To achieve this partly requires the ability to shape culture beyond style decisions by authentically meeting the moment. After all, fashion doesn’t exist in a vacuum. And that’s something that many African brands seem to struggle with when it comes to creator collaborations.
Case in point, it took Chanel, a French brand to cast Nigerian social media sensation Rachel Ojuromi in her debut show despite a handful of African labels showcasing across London, Milan, and Paris fashion week this season. That opportunity was open to all yet none of the African brands utilised it.
Not only did it further position Chanel which had one of the most popular shows of the season according to Vogue, as an advocate for women globally but also as a curator and patronage for modern culture that transcends runway trends.
Can you imagine if MaXhosa for example had worked with Ojuromi? It was going to be a different kind of epic!
What brands need to understand is that to shape culture requires more than crafting beautiful garments. It’s about realising opportunities that no one else notices. In other words, building a dialogue between the brand and specific moments.
That needs a certain level of visionary and strategic alchemy and I genuinely wonder if MaXhosa or any African brand for that matter is up for that challenge… yet.
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