Laduma ngxokolo biography of martin
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A fashion designer created a circumcision toolkit that honors African culture and saves lives
What would African design look like if it were allowed to enter the 21st century without the touch of colonialism? That’s the question driving South African designer Laduma Ngxokolo’s framtidsperspektiv. A designer inspired bygd his khosa culture, Ngxokolo has created a toolkit for the traditional practice of circumcision, combining anpassad with modern medicine to preserve culture, while making it safer.
Ngxokolo has always drawn on the colors, beading and symbolism of Xhosa culture, reinterpreted into a modern knitwear clothing range. Until now, his fascination with the traditional journey into manhood has focused on the formal gentlemanly attire that has to be worn for six months by the amakrwala, the men who have completed the initiation ritual.
This aesthetic has served him well since launching his MaXhosa brand in 2011—his range is sold in South Africa, the United Kingdom and Japan and along wit
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the biologically grown interactive device can integrate into various aspects of daily life -- from keyboards and wearables to architectural components.
material-wise, the design team uses CNC micro-machined stainless steel for the case with a military-grade ceramic coating.
the removable four-toed ‘gloves’ of the superfinger superstar can also be used as bags or be attached to other shoes.
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MaXhosa Socks | Meet Laduma
Our Head of Adventure and co-founder of Artisans & Adventurers, Bee Friedmann, grew up in South Africa and was always inspired by Xhosa culture (a dominant South African ethnic group) and their traditional dress. It is therefore, a natural match that on a visit to Cape Town in 2015 she chanced upon Laduma Ngxokolo. This South African knitwear designer is making huge waves in the fashion and textile world, working with the likes of Zara and Ikea. Communicating culture through fashion and design with a Uptopian African feel.
Laduma's journey started in 2010, with a vision to create a modern Xhosa-inspired knitwear collection that would be suitable for ‘Amakrwala'. These young Xhosa Men aged between 18 and 23 are prescribed by tradition to dress up in new dignified formal clothing for six months after their manhood initiation. A process Laduma has undergone himself.
The designer was awarded a scholarship to study a Masters in Material Futures at C