Tessa Thompson rocks Thebe Magugu in ‘Creed III’ | The Citizen

He first won the hearts of South African fashion scene, then he won the 2019 LVMH Young Fashion Designer Prize and Thebe Magugu has been laying his foundation to take over the fashion world ever since. 

In March, he became the first African-based designer to take over Spotify’s Fashion Forward playlist and in that same month, his work appeared in the much-talked-about third instalment in the Creed franchise, Creed III. 

Tessa Thompson rocks Thebe Magugu

His work is specifically worn by actress Tessa Thompson who plays the role of Bianca Taylor – a superstar musician suffering from progressive hearing loss and uses a hearing aid. 

She is also the love-interest-turned-wife of Adonis Creed (played by Micheal B Jordan) and in the latest Creed film, she aptly wears a Thebe Magugu design during one of the character’s big fights fictionally staged in South Africa. 

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According to the brand’s official Twitter account, she specifically wore the Thebe Magugu Heirloom Blouse – with imagery of the Magugu Family lineage. 

According to the official website, the semi-fitted moss crepe blouse features contrast collar and cuffs made in a Shweshwe-inspired print clad in regal images of the Magugu family. 

It retails for approximately R6 500. 

Inspiration and family lineage 

Though he now works primarily on the world stage, Magugu’s family, his home country and the continent seem to be major sources of inspiration for his work. 

With collections that bear names like “Geneology”, “Alchemy” “Ipopeng ext” and “African Studies”, all displayed on his website on the spines of images of books, it is easy to see how his career has been highly focused on storytelling.

According to Show Studio, Magugu’s thoughtful and well-researched approach to design is rooted in sharing his South African perspective and heritage. 

He also took this approach to his Spotify playlist and his new line of designs, aptly named the ‘Folklorics’ Collection. 

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Speaking to the streaming giant, Magugu explained that his playlist was inspired by his autumn/winter 2023 collection and features music that dances the line between contemporary and timeless, with songs that apply modern touches to familiar motifs. 

The first half of the playlist explores a transcendental strain of dance music that Thebe calls Afro-Trance and the second half features songs that have been stripped down to two of music’s most essential elements: vocals and acoustic instruments.

“Storytelling has always been an immovable facet to African culture,” Thebe told For the Record. 

“Artists especially have always found the most progressive ways to express our vivid internal landscapes. My playlist features artists who I listened to religiously throughout the development of my new collection, titled ‘Folklorics’.”

Hot on the heels of both achievements, Spotify South Africa will be hosting an exclusive gathering celebrating Thebe Magugu’s A/W ’23 collection inspired by Folklorics with a fashion show. 

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