The King of Knitwear: How Laduma Ngxokolo Built a Global Luxury Empire from South African Wool
Maker
Laduma Ngxokolo
Known For
MaXhosa Africa (Luxury Knitwear)
Tools & Equipment
Industrial knitting machines (Shima Seiki), domestic knitting machines, Eastern Cape Mohair, Merino Wool, Adobe Illustrator for pattern digitization.
Geography
Coming Soon on YouTube
Step inside the Village Deep factory to see how raw South African mohair is transformed into high-fashion geometry.
Marketplace Coming Soon
Category: Fashion
From a university thesis to the runways of Paris, Laduma Ngxokolo has transformed traditional Xhosa beadwork into a global luxury brand, all while keeping production 100% in South Africa.
In the Eastern Cape of South Africa, a sacred tradition defines the transition from youth to manhood. After the initiation ritual, young Xhosa men, known as amakrwala, are required to dress in new, dignified attire. For decades, this meant wearing European luxury brands.
Laduma Ngxokolo saw this as a lost opportunity for African identity. In 2010, while studying at Nelson Mandela University, he began a journey to reclaim this narrative. He didn't just want to design clothes; he wanted to create a "cultural artifact" that young Africans could wear with pride.
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