Named Figures of Fortitude, Thebe Magus’s new lookbook consists of scarecrows, fresh silhouettes and his signature ode to the formidable women who raised  him; his mother, aunt and grandmother. We found out more about the meaning behind this visually grasping story.

What brought you to thinking about scarecrows as figures?Scarecrows have often had a nightmarish quality to them – something I have never understood. They swing between Strength and Vulnerability, two traits I think when used together can be an incredible power. Its a power I find inherent in women.

Who are your role models? Why? 
I have been thinking more and more about the power of matriarchy. The ability to give your all to your children is quite something.
How has being brought up in a matriarch family shaped your understanding of women?
Ive seen first had the deep capacity to love and the almost unbelievable levels of resilience through tough times.
What about the textures and colours illustrate the message you are telling in this story? 
The two collections are merged together to deconstruct beauty ideals. Some dresses are pretty, some are challenging. Some coats are functional, some are torn in half. I just wanted to create a dialogue about how beauty operates on a very subjective spectrum, which doesn’t have a wrong or right side.
 
Who is the woman you are designing for in this collection? 
This is a wardrobe for many types of women; a myriad of influences. Because women don’t live in glass boxes, this collection caters to the eclectic but highly functioning woman. There may be a wide variety of proportions, but they still celebrate the female form in all its glory.
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Purchase your Thebe Magugu pieces at these following retailers:

Luminance Luxury Boutique, Merchants on Long, Spree and Woolworths.
Photographer: Aart Verrips
Creative Director: Thebe Magugu
Assistant: Nhlanhla Mesemola