Thebe Magugu becomes first African designer to curate the playlist.
“Never thought I’d be on Times Square, New York – especially for music! Listen to my Fashion Forward playlist, only on Spotify,” he shared on Instagram on 11 March 2023.
Magugu joins an illustrious list of fashion designers and stylists including Yoon Ahn, Brandon Blackwood, Bobby Wesley, No Sesso, Zerina Akers and Misa Hylton who have all taken over the playlist in the past.
The Fashion Forward playlist for Spotify includes 55 songs , and to name-drop a few iconic names you might know, there are South African legends like Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse, Brenda Fassie and Lebo Mathosa. A mixture of house scenes, amapiano and kasi hip hop flavour, bring a truly South African vibe; expect to hear some of DJ Black Coffee, DJ Sbu, Skwatta Kamp flying the Kwaito flag, and of course, an always favourite, Kwesta.
His playlist is a collection of songs that have inspired him, as a designer and as an African, and tells the story of his journey towards becoming one of the most celebrated South Africans in global fashion. Magugu says his curated playlist includes the artists he listened to “religiously” while developing his Autumn/Winter ‘23 Folklorics collection. He says the first half of the playlist focused on transcendental dance- combining familiar African sounds with a modern attitude- while the second half is focused on the voice and acoustics, while still retaining the folkloric elements of his collection.
