Moment of pride for South African designer Laduma Ngxokolo
This is as Coming 2 America lead costume designer Ruth E Carter wins accolades in Hollywood
By Edward Tsumele
This must be a moment of pride, If not an absolute feeling of ecstasy in the South African fashion industry in general, and Afrocentric designer Laduma Ngxokolo of famous design house Maxhosa.
This is because his contribution to the costumes of Coming 2 America has just been elevated as its lead designer Ruth E Carter who was assisted by Ngxokolo in creating the designs for this production, has just been recognized.
Academy Award winner Carter, (Black Panther, Malcolm X, Amistad, Selma) who also designed the costumes for Coming 2 America, in which decorated local designer Ngxokolo, had an influential aesthetic hand, was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame this week, Thursday, February, February 25, 2021.
Given his glorious track record as a formidable designer with few rivals in the industry, there is no doubt that that Ngxokolo’s aesthetic contribution to the costumes for this production has further elevated Ngxokolo’s international standing in the fashion industry.
Besides Ngxokolo’s aesthetics contributions to Coming 2 America, other South Africans involved in the production are talented actress Nomzamo Mbatha, hugely gifted but underrated DJ Ganyani, multi-awarded winning hip hop rapper Nasty C and Nigeria’s Rotimi.
The stellar line-up includes Eddie Murphy, James Earl Jones, Arsenio Hall, Shari Headley, John Amos and Louie Anderson with Wesley Snipes, Leslie Jones, Tracy Morgan, Jermaine Fowler, Bella Murphy, Nomzamo Mbatha, Rotimi, KiKi Layne and Teyana Taylor.
Coming2 America opens in cinemas in South Africa and Nigeria on March 5, and has been released globally on Amazon Prime Video.