Interview With the Designer of H&M’s First African Collaboration
Palesa Mokubung, whose Mantsho line hit stores and the internet on Aug. 15, talks about representing Africa and South Africa globally.
South African designer Palesa Mokubung, the first African designer to collaborate with Swedish retailer H&M. Her Mantsho range for H&M launched on Aug. 15.
Photographer: Jerri Mokgofe
Palesa Mokubung’s career in fashion design started in 2000, when she walked into Stoned Cherrie, a boutique in Johannesburg, and her outfit—one Mokubung had designed herself—quickly caught the attention of the owner. She went to work for Stoned Cherrie almost immediately. Four years later, Mokubung launched her own line, called Mantsho. The idea, she says, was to create a “solid African fashion brand,” one that could “represent Africa and South Africa, globally.”
On Aug. 15, Mokubung, 38, became the first African designer to collaborate with Swedish retailer H&M, with a collection that includes dresses, tops, bottoms, and accessories available online and selected stores globally.