Visual artists Magolide Collective launch new fashion collection in collaboration with The Cross Trainer
By CityLife Arts Writer
Leading sports fashion retailer The Cross Trainer has brought a new local fashion collection to life with the incorporation of an augmented reality element. Developed in collaboration with South African artists the Magolide Collective, The Cross Trainer’s private label, XT, launched the pioneering collection entitled The Magolide Project this past weekend in Cape Town.
The Magolide Collective’s creative duo, popular multimedia artists and activists Mzoxolo ‘X’ Mayongo and Adilson De Oliveira, met with fans at the fashion collection’s launch event held at The Cross Trainer’s flagship store at the V&A Waterfront on Saturday.
Mayongo and De Oliveira describe themselves as visual alchemists concerned with transmuting information though artistic mediums and impressions. Inspired by the complex history of Shweshwe prints, the clothing range pays homage to Africa’s rich cultural past whilst challenging western historical narratives and discourses surrounding modernism, drawing parallels between the pop art of Roy Lichtenstein and African wax prints.
“The Magolide Project represents an accessible, wearable art collection that has given us an outlet to speak through the lens of decolonised thinking, crossing the bridge between the past and the future to reshape the narrative of the African continent,” says Mayongo.
By pointing phone cameras at the clothing while utilising the Artivive mobile application, smartphone users will trigger animations of special 3D videos for a fully immersive fashion experience. Influenced by XT’s athleisure and basketball roots, one graphic t-shirt from the collection depicts an illustration of basketball legend Hakeem Olajuwon that unveils a digital clip celebrating his achievements and heritage.
XT Head of Design Jade Shimmin comments, “Magolide have a very clear voice and unique perspective, which we were very excited to bring to our designs. The Magolide Project represents a significant step forward for our brand in terms of breaking new barriers in fashion.”
The Cross Trainer Chief Marketing Officer Nick Rheeder adds, “XT aims to celebrate everything African and locally-inspired, and this collaboration gives life to our vision of partnering with designers to push the envelope in terms of fashion. We are very proud to have played a part in developing the country’s first augmented reality clothing range,” he says
Notably, the collection was fully locally designed and produced, with each clothing item manufactured at the Koop Studio in Johannesburg, a female-owned level 2 BBB-EE clothing manufacturing factory.
The Magolide Project collection can be found in stores or online at www.thecrosstrainer.co.za.