
Lukhanyo Mdingi. Photo via CFDA
Lukhanyo Mdingi. Photo via CFDA
A striking marriage of technical finesse and accessible elegance, Mdingi’s design sensibilities redefine standard notions of luxury with a distinctive seasonless wearability. Featuring clothes that prioritize integrity and intention, his is at once an understated and bold aesthetic that exudes power. In his collections, sumptuous fabrics are fashioned into cozy winter coats and fitted dresses, while versatile styles and steadfast shapes including basic knitwear, tailored trousers, and sharp suit jackets are rendered in strong neutral tones, evoking a modern sensibility. “I love classic, traditional brands. I want to be a traditionalist,” Mdingi says. When I look at ready-to-wear clothes, it’s all about functionality and wearability. I really love form. I love structure and texture and feel….ready-to-wear pieces with special fabrication are my first love.”
The FW’19 collection he sent down the NYFW runway embraced rich and textured fabrics like angora kid mohair and merino wool as its foundation. Long coats, bomber jackets, and column dresses in shades of tobacco and ivory were paired with soft-to-the-touch knitwear and woolen skull caps. “It’s the pure spirit of ease and sensuality,” Mdingi told the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) that year. “The reality [is that] we’re living in a space where everything is consumed incredibly fast. The aim [is] for us to bring a sense of sensuality and stories that are simply beautiful. Nothing more, nothing less.”
Years ago... I really started to make my decisions based [on] the answer to the question, ‘Why are you doing this?’ Not just in my business or in my design but within me. I really wanted to live in a way that mirrored a sense of goodness, respect, integrity and honesty.

Perennial Collection FW‘19. Photo: Courtesy of Lukhanyo Mdingi

Relic Collection SS‘20. Photo: Courtesy of Lukhanyo Mdingi

Coutts Collection FW‘21. Photo: Courtesy of Lukhanyo Mdingi
Equally visually striking as Mdingi’s collections are the seasonal lookbooks he puts out which, according to the designer, are always a highly collaborative effort. Often featuring the contributions of the same rotating crop of creatives including photographer Travys Owen, art director Gabrielle Kannemeyer, makeup artist Amori Birch, and others, these distinct voices have helped shape and enhance the visual language of the brand. “What we have as a team is extremely rare. I can’t think of another label in South Africa that operates the way we do,” he told The Fader in 2015.
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