On Wednesday September 4, Johannesburg-based designer Thebe Magugu became the first African designer to be awarded the LVMH Prize. The 26-year-old was presented the accolade – which comes with a €300,000 grant and one-year mentorship – by Nicolas Ghesquière’s muse, Oscar-winning Swedish actress Alicia Vikander. The newly renamed Karl Lagerfeld Prize (formerly the LVMH Special Prize) went to Hed Mayner (aged 33) of Jordan.
Following the event, sat down with Givenchy artistic director and LVMH Prize jury member Clare Waight Keller (above) and Magugu to hear how the day unfolded and talk about what it means to be a designer in 2019.
What stood out about the finalists this year, Thebe in particular?
Clare Waight Keller (CWK): “The finalists were fascinating this year because everybody had a very heartfelt story or an honourable cause. One [Bethany Williams] has a charitable message, several designers [Kunihiko Morinaga of Anrealage, Emily Bode, Phipps by Spencer Phipps, Williams too] were focusing on sustainability. That was the overarching theme that came across, everyone is so conscious about the environment. I think all of us on the jury, it’s something that’s on our mind, but for so many of this generation, it’s at the core of what they believe in, and how they start their companies. We definitely learned a lot from hearing their stories.
“Thebe has such a clear idea of what he wants to achieve. I love the way he talks about his community, the women in his life and the details he notices about how they dress. He gives his clothes stories, and incorporates technology too. There’s a really creative force in South Africa that we don’t hear enough about and it really felt like he could benefit from the prize.”
What have been the biggest challenges in your career so far?
Thebe Magugu (TM): “There is no shortage of talent in South Africa, but the system – distribution and so on – fails us; that’s the reason you don’t hear more about designers from the continent as a whole. On a personal level, the area of Johannesburg I’m currently based in is quite dangerous, so I can’t really take people there to show them my work. Sometimes I’ll be watching SHOWStudio and hear gunshots outside and I think ‘wow, my world is split’.”
How do you think you will use the prize money to develop your brand?
TM: “My mission as a designer is to have a global brand based out of Johannesburg. Rather than have a grand show, I’m going to focus on the structure of my business, so in the future I can do bigger things. I want to get a studio, finally, because I’ve been working out of my home, and hire some more people because, as I was telling Clare and the jury, up until this point, everything has been on my head except the sewing. I’ve had to do the accounting, draft patterns, cut fabric – you have to be so resourceful. Making ends meet – making something out of nothing – takes a lot of energy. Now I feel like am able to breathe for the first time since I started my brand.”
What qualities do you look for when recruiting new talent?
CWK: “They have to be able to talk passionately about fashion, it’s amazing how many people there are in the industry without a thorough understanding of how it all works. I think the ability to tell stories through clothes and come up with interesting concepts is a big part of what designers do. Now everyone wants more depth, there’s more emotion in fashion than there’s ever been, so it’s very important to be able to communicate that.”
LVMH has renamed its Special Prize for young designers the Karl Lagerfeld Prize in honour of the late designer. What are your favourite memories of him?
CWK: “There were so many lovely moments with Karl. We first met around 2011 when I joined Chloé – he had of course been there as the creative head [twice, 1964-1974 and 1992-1997]. Even though he had been in the industry for a long time, he loved fashion so much, he had this way of talking about it as though it was new and fresh to him. He loved discovering new designers, so it was interesting being with him at the prize because he always had a lot to say about each of the candidates.”
How is technology influencing the way you work and communicate your designs?
CWK: “I don’t think anyone can function without social media anymore; it’s such an integral part of everything we do. Whether you’re a singer, actress or designer it’s about getting to know your audience. As I was saying before, emotion is so much more important now, and what I like about the way Ariana Grande [the current face of Givenchy] communicates herself [via her digital platforms] is the way she is completely upfront about the way she is feeling – she’ll cry, she’ll tell you she’s had a hard day, she writes about it all.”
TM: “I’m working with a company called Verizon, who are friends of mine, to create chips that are inserted into all my labels. When you download my app and scan the label, you can get all the information you need about that garment, from the lookbook images, to details about the fabrication, to the retailer who sold it, as well as the story behind the collection. I felt sad because there is so much work that goes into what I do that no one knows about. This technology will change that.”