SA’s Thebe Magugu becomes first designer from Africa to win prestigious LMVH fashion award, gets $331,000

Thebe Magugu has always had an eye for fashion and the desire to be a designer very early on in his life.

Hard work and dedication have made his mere wishful thinking a reality and the highlight of his early career in fashion.

It is no mean feat to be recognised at any fashion week, especially the London Week. Thebe took the first prize this year in London for the best International Fashion Showcase award.

The 26-year-old designer is making waves again. He has emerged winner of the prestigious Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy (LVMH) Prize after competing with 1700 other international designers.

The LVMH prize is probably the most sort after prize for any up-and-coming designer the world over. Thebe Magugu hails from Kimberly but runs his self-named fashion line in Johannesburg.

As part of his winning package, Thebe gets an LVMH team devoted to mentoring him for a year under a one-year mentorship program and a whopping 300,000 Euros (about $331,000).

On his winnings this year, the young designer explains that his whole demeanor embodies fashion and designing. “I can’t say this has been two years in the making: this has been in the making since grade four. Every cell in my body has been geared towards my being a person in fashion and being a designer,” Okay Africa reports.

The South African designer joins the ranks of Rihanna, Christian Dior and Givenchy and 70 other luxurious brands to be associated with the LVMH brand.

In an interview with Vogue, the Executive Vice President of Louis Vuitton and the founder of the coveted LVMH Prize, Delphine Arnault describes Thebe as a great talent and having huge potential.

“The creativity of his designs is great—the colours, the cuts, it’s very feminine,” Delphine said.