For the late Alber Elbaz, who passed away in April 2021, his dream when launching his line, AZ Factory (backed by Richemont), was to unite the fashion industry and everyone in it. Last September, it became a reality when a tribute show called Love Brings Love, featured looks from 44 designers inspired by the creative genius.
During the Fall 2022 Paris Fashion Week season, an exhibition of the heartwarming tribute collection opened at the Palais Galliera, where AZ Factory announced it would be inviting a rotating series of designers, which the brand calls “amigos,” to create collections for the label. LVMH Prize winner Thebe Magugu was named the first amigo to take the creative helm of AZ Factory, and a preview of his one-off collection, Intersection, debuted on April 4.
The 28-year-old South African designer never had the chance to meet Elbaz, however, he said he was “captivated by his gripping runway shows for Lanvin, soigné cocktail dresses and his charismatic personality, discovered via Fashion Television once his family in Kimberley, South Africa, had saved up enough to get satellite TV,” WWD reported. For the tribute show, Magugu created a garment inspired by Elbaz’s early Guy Laroche white silk shirtdress designs, dip-dyeing the angular hemline in a brilliant blue shade.
Staying true to Elbaz’s vision of AZ Factory and a desire to do things differently, Magugu infused his own energy and passion into the collection, while keeping things fun — another one of Elbaz’s wishes. For his 15-piece collection, much like Elbaz, Magugu pulled inspiration from personal experiences. “When I create clothes, that’s where I can be my most vulnerable and personal,” Magugu said in a press release. “The collections are very personal and, in a way, a deep dive into who I am, where I’m from.”
With the collection, the young designer and the AZ Factory design team pose the question, “What if Africa were the birthplace of couture?” Magugu highlights the comparisons in storytelling and craftsmanship between couture and his South African origins. “I think right now the conversation should be that couture can be for more than one type of person, and I’d like to think we’ve achieved that with this collection. Bringing other people on board.”
The collection features traditional African garments such as the caftan and a Makoti bridal-inspired dress while combining bold, primary hues such as bright red, banana yellow, and cobalt blue. The colors represent Johannesburg’s natural pigments, where Magugu grew up, while referencing Elbaz’s first and only collection for AZ Factory. Other standouts include a performance nylon bomber jacket, a swing coat in wool, a water-repellent cotton trench, and Magugu’s signature silk scarves.
Cheeky illustrations and prints by Paris-based Franco Algerian artist Chafik Cheriet are filtered throughout the collection on pleated skirts, draped gowns, and fitted tops. First commissioned by Elbaz, Magugu discovered the animal kingdom-inspired prints in Elbaz’s archive. The designs, especially the cheetah print, reminded him of his mother and grandmother, and the meerkat symbolizing “elegance, intelligence, and gregariousness.”
Magugu’s collection for AZ Factory will be released in two drops: the first launches on June 1 and the second in September 2022.
