Aranda’s Young Basotho Designers Collection

WORDS Jo Buitendach

Historic South African company Aranda’s new Young Basotho Designers Collection is a celebration of heritage and cool, and empowers a new generation of Basotho designers.

Cinephiles may recognise these intricately patterned coverings from Marvel’s Black Panther film, but Basotho blankets – and their maker, Aranda – were a household name with deep significance long before Hollywood came calling. Started in 1953 by the Magni family, and located in Randfontein outside Johannesburg, the Aranda Textile Mill is the oldest blanket, throw and shawl manufacturer in South Africa.

They source raw materials locally and internationally, and spin them into yarns, which are dyed, woven and made into an array of brilliant products. They’re especially known for their range of heritage blankets, including the Ingcawe, a Xhosa blanket traditionally used for burial and initiation; the Umbhalo, a striped blanket worn by the Ndebele people; and, significantly, the Basotho blanket. These are the beautiful, warm and distinctive blankets worn by the Basotho people in the mountain Kingdom of Lesotho.

Now the West Rand business has introduced the Young Basotho Designers Collection to provide a platform for budding creatives to showcase their talent, contribute to the rich blanket-wearing tradition, and tell Basotho tales. This is fuelled by the recognition that they need to enable authentic blanket designs by Basotho youth, for Basotho people. Most critically, all the designers chosen for the project will earn royalties for as long as the blankets sell.

The class of 2022/2023 comes from a variety of design backgrounds, including fashion, interiors and graphic design. They are Ntate Stunna, Material Don Dada, Alice Bereng, Masikane Masike, Khosi Leteba and Mokete Mohapi. Between them, they have created 10 designs in a variety of colours.

Ntate Stunna, aka MegaHertz, is a Lesotho-born rapper, songwriter, cinematographer and record producer, whose sound is a mix of trap and famo, a type of accordion music that originates in Lesotho. His blanket, Manoti a Koriana (Accordion), is inspired by his love for traditional music, hip-hop and fashion.

Material Don Dada (Tshepo Pitso), a fashion designer, 3D designer, model, video editor, cinematographer and entrepreneur, has created three blankets: Lipere tsa Pitso, Lerato la Basotho and Lithota. Lerato la Basotho translates to Basotho Love, which the designer explains is as “beautiful as the shining stars, a light that shines throughout and provides warmth”.

The Bodulo blanket is the work of interior and furniture designer Khosi Leteba. Born and raised in Durban, Khosi’s designs pay homage to Lesotho, the land of his origin. Inspired by a Basotho mural art called Litema, the blanket tells the story of the Basotho people’s traditional lifestyle. The people are represented by the iconic Basotho hats; the mountains depict the landscape of Lesotho; and the horses show the primary mode of transport used between the mountain villages, where people make a living through subsistence farming (represented by the crops).

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