Johannesburg - Celebrated fashion designer Thebe Magugu has gained another major accolade as the first African-based designer to take over Spotify’s Fashion Forward playlist this month.
Known as one of the most accomplished fashion designers in Africa, his tailored pieces have been making waves globally.
Artists such as Burna Boy, Rihanna and Miley Cyrus have all rocked Magugu looks, further showcasing the link between fashion and music in conquering global stages.
His playlist is a collection of songs that have inspired him as a designer and as an African, and it tells the story of his journey towards becoming one of the most celebrated South Africans in global fashion.
Magugu said his curated playlist includes the artists he listened to religiously while developing his Autumn/Winter ’23 Folklorics collection.
He said the first half of the playlist focused on transcendental dance, combining familiar African sounds with a modern attitude, while the second half focused on the voice and acoustics while still retaining the folkloric elements of his collection.
“As the name suggests, the collection looks at the past through a modern sense, much like the artists selected, who beautifully combine the past, the present, and slight suggestions for the future through their intelligent, genre-bending, and Afrocentric stories,” he explained.
The 55-song playlist is an exploration of South African music, featuring legends such as Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse, Brenda Fassie and Lebo Mathosa, as well as South Africa’s current musical obsession, amapiano.
Magugu’s playlist also offers an array of genres, with the house scene represented by the likes of Black Coffee, DJ Sbu, DJ Cleo, Skwatta Kamp flying the kwaito flag, and Kwesta and Cassper Nyovest bringing the hip hop flavour.
Magugu joins an illustrious list of fashion designers and stylists who have all taken over the playlist in the past, including Yoon Ahn, Brandon Blackwood, Bobby Wesley, No Sesso, Zerina Akers and Misa Hylton.
“As Africans, storytelling has always been an immovable facet of our culture, and – especially as artists – we have always found the most progressive ways to express our vivid internal landscapes, whether individually or communally,” said Magugu.
Phiona Okumu, head of music for Spotify Sub-Saharan Africa, commented: “Spotify’s Fashion Forward playlist explores music and fashion, bringing together the foremost tastemakers of these closely related worlds. At Spotify, being right at the heart of where culture takes shape alongside the creators who mould it is important to us. Collaborating with creators like Thebe Magugu, whose growing global impact in fashion is so inspiring, is one more innovative way that we highlight African creativity on the platform, and it’s exciting.”
The Star