Lukhanyo Mdingi’s eponymous label is an ever-evolving emergence of consideration, community and timeless

design. Although born out of Cape Town, South Africa in 2015 – the label exists as a space that is irrevocably

woven together by threads that reach far beyond temporal or physicality constraints, rather Lukhanyo Mdingi

moves deeply into the very essence of human ingenuity & the preservation of craftsmanship.

Fundamental to the cosmology of Lukhanyo Mdingi is the exploration of fashion as its current lexicon through

which they harness the spirit of being human. In this way, the label re-imagines and reinstates dignity and

notoriety in their garment production; with a small team based in Cape Town, while continually collaborating

with artisans on the continent such as the expert weavers from Philani Trust for Mothers in Khayelitsha, Cape

Town – to textile artisans at Cabes Gie in Burkina Faso. Their approach to design is a practice that is centered

around these relationships; it is from these symbiotic connections that Lukhanyo Mdingi conceptualizes their

collections, believing that beginning with human beings is where the essence is held for creating meaningful,

intelligent design.

In working with the notion of lineage-building; this is particularly noted in their partnership with the Ethical

Fashion Initiative as part of an accelerator program in 2020, and most recently as the recipient of the LVMH Karl

Lagerfeld Prize in 2021. These on-going relationships continue to nurture the label’s longevity, balancing both

the creative & entrepreneurial spirit with which Lukhanyo Mdingi is known for.

Having debuted at SA Menswear Week in the year of their inception, 2015, the label has presented at New York

Fashion Week in 2019, and most recently at SA Fashion Week in 2021 to acclaimed reception.

This eternal reverence for the hands that make is central to Lukhanyo Mdingi’s vision, and the label is a

testimony & dialogue occurring on African soil as intention to emanate outward across the planet.