Back in 2020 South African designer Sindiso Khumalo was named one of the joint winners of the LVMH Prize, it marked a moment where a cohort of up-and-coming designers reimagining the way fashion does business were brought to the forefront of minds. Leading the charge for sustainable fashion that drives positive social change, Sindiso founded her namesake brand in 2014 after studying at Central Saint Martins and working with the United Nations Ethical Fashion Initiative, which helped her connect with artisans across the continent who she now works with from her base in Cape Town.
Known for its day dresses and dynamic prints, cut from sustainably sourced fabric and with a focus on handcraft, the designer’s collections are heavily influenced by her Zulu and Ndebele heritage and she constantly finds impetus in the places and people that have touched her life.
For Spring, the designer has teamed up with our firm favourite on the high street & Other Stories. A pioneer of scandi-chic, the Swedish brand, founded back in 2013, offers an elevated version of your traditional high-street shop; where do-gooding certainly doesn't go amiss.
Known for shining a light on up-and-coming designers, and with a roster of successful collaborations, which has enlisted designers Minju Kim, A.W.A.K.E Mode and Rejina Pyo to create a capsule collection alongside the brand, this spring welcomes an exciting takeover by Sindiso – which has arrived just in time for injecting some bold prints and bright colours into our sunshine wardrobes.
From swimwear and beachy-ready colourful crochet to a sunflower yellow playsuit and hand-drawn geometric print day dresses, all incorporating Sindiso’s signature detachable collar detail, the collection is accented with playful puff shoulders and ruffled hems in abundance.
"As an African designer, what truly matters to me is designing clothing that can highlight my African heritage and history and bring it to light in a contemporary setting," says the designer. From her mother, an activist fighting against apartheid, to Black South African public figures, including Charlotte Maxeke and Sarah Forbes Bonetta.
Poetically interwoven with the stories and narratives of the African diaspora, This 17-piece capsule collection features motifs of a South African indigenous plant, a pepper red colour taken from the traditional Zulu Nkehli, which is worn by Zulu brides on their wedding day; and cowrie shells, a symbol of prosperity, wealth and good fortune in both African and Afro-Caribbean cultures, that appear across the collection in prints and accessories. So, hurry before it sells out!
The Sindiso Khumalo collection will launch in selected & Other Stories stores in London and Dublin, and on stories.com on April 13th.