Front row with Tshegofatso Masigo

Image courtesy of @tshegomasigo_

Front row with Tshegofatso Masigo

As we gaze into the future of 2023 with all of its possibilities, I think it becomes pretty apparent that this is the year where South Africa's youth-focused arts & culture scene is propelled into the global limelight. Our country is brimming with excessive creative talent coupled with a unique drive & hunger for success – and my next interviewee, hypertalented young designer, Tshegofatso Masigo, is a profound example of this.

Inspired by a variety of elements such as minimalism, luxury, women, interior & architecture – Tshegofatso's work genuinely feels like the Gen Z-embodiment of a luxurious avant-garde womenswear brand. Primarily drawing inspiration from the strength and fortitude of womxn, their most recent graduate collection themed around the concept of 'recalibration' – focused heavily on fabric manipulation, constructing innovative silhouettes & luxe trims.

Image courtesy of @tshegomasigo_

Tshegofatso's unique perspective married with her design intuition never fails to surprise me. For example, her grad collection included clutch bags & dresses dipped in pleats which screamed avant-garde, luxurious, sexy, as well as super technical – reminding me a lot of Rei's work with Comme des Garçons, as well as the late Issey Miyake, mixed with some Lukhanyo Mdingi & Mmuso Maxwell flavour.

So, I had the honour of virtually engaging Tshegofatso in order to understand more about their inspirations behind the brand, their most recent graduate collection, what it means to be an ethical designer, and much more.

Photography by @vos_____________

Would you mind introducing yourself and including a short description of what you do? TM: Hi, I’m Tshegofatso. I currently reside in Johannesburg South. I studied at STADIO, formerly known as Lisof. I’m a designer who is well-versed in interior and fashion. I’d like to think of myself as adroit.

Where did the inspiration to form your brand come about? TM: My brand is inspired by my late grandmother who played a pivotal role in my upbringing, it emulates the person that she was. Having being raised by women, the brand is greatly influenced by them. The brand is also inspired by longevity that eradicates the idea of expendability, because almost everything is disposable these days.

Image courtesy of @tshegomasigo_

As a final year fashion student – please tell me a bit more about your final year collection. How was the experience of putting it together?

TM: My final year collections concept was 'recalibration'. It is a womenswear ready-to-wear collection that is focused on the woman that explores the self. The focal elements of the collection are minimalism, opulence and comfort. The collection experimented with fabric manipulation, silhouettes and luxe trims. The collection was inspired by women, tulips, Nendo’s cabbage chair, Carl Fredricks’ curving facade (carved out of sandstone by a robot for the Delas Frères Winery) and Binx’s exploration on silhouette. The process was quite strenuous. I’m still in awe that it is over. There was a lot of research and development involved over the past 10 months. I would say my collection drastically changed from my mock-ups. The process was about continuous trial and error, to say the least.

I really enjoyed your collection from what I saw on social media. So avant garde, luxurious, sexy, and super technical (I saw the pleats and the bags!). Reminded me a lot of Rei's work with CDG mixed with some Lukhanyo Mdingi & Mmuso Maxwell flavour. But what are you most inspired by when it comes to your design process?

TM: I’m flattered, thank you. My design process is inspired by everything really, but the constant things are family, minimalism, luxury, women, interior and architecture. I’m basically inspired by a fraction of society and the need for personal expression.

According to you – what does it mean to be an 'ethical designer'? TM: For me, being an ethical designer means being selfless. Thinking beyond the product itself by putting the consumer first.

What's next for you looking forward to 2023? TM: Next year, I’m going to focus a lot more on interior design. I am planning on putting existing designs into production. I will be focused on making commission orders and exploring carpentry. I have neglected the interior aspect of my brand & plan on prioritising it next year. I might also be doing my postgrad in design so I’m excited for that too.

Photography by @vos_____________