Wanda Lephoto’s AW21 collection dives deeply into the impact colonialism has had on South Africa’s identity

Wanda Lephoto’s AW21 collection, entitled Black Renaissance, is as much a fashion statement as a research project that dives deeply into the impact British colonialism has had on South Africa’s identity and dress practices. Looking specifically at the years 1850 to 1994, which the designer says “represent years of oppression, suppression and liberation, not only of our people but of dreams”, he seeks to understand how today’s melting pot of aesthetics has come to pass, and how representation can be re-imagined freely in future.