WORDS Gina Dionisio PHOTOS Supplied
MaXhosa Africa’s latest foray into the realm of homeware explores one of interior design’s most foundational elements – tiles.
There’s no doubt that MaXhosa Africa’s universal appeal, versatility of its graphic motifs and vibrant African identify transcends the world of fashion and homeware design. The latest addition to the MaXhosa Africa lifestyle brand is an exciting collaboration with Tile Africa, one of South Africa’s biggest finishing retailers.
The collaboration has been years in the making, with initial conversations with the designer starting in 2020, and has finally come to fruition in the form of a range with a local personality but enormous international appeal. Joining together MaXhosa Africa’s ideas Tile Africa’s manufacturing and retail knowhow, the range is a unique combination of African creativity and commercial savvy.
“The experience of working with a brand like MaXhosa Africa and a talent like Laduma has been one of great discovery. Seeing a home-grown idea develop into a rich end result has been a rewarding process, and we are jointly looking forward to the fruits and seeing how the market embraces this offering,” says Liza Watermeyer, Tile Africa’s Visual Merchandise and Design Manager.
To apply designer Laduma Ngxokolo’s creative vision to the art of tile-making, an array of techniques, from cutting-edge manufacturing technologies like waterjet cutting, layout applications and hand spraying, were used in order to bring the studio’s designs alive. The result is a collection of tiles that are a dynamic reflection of the two brands’ commitment to excellence.
“Working in a different medium and being able to experiment and apply our design thinking in an entirely new way has been an exciting creative journey. We’re looking forward to seeing how people interpret the range in their own spaces,” says Laduma Ngxokolo, founder of MaXhosa Africa.
The initial tile range, launched at Decorex Cape Town in early June, is a modular mosaic design made up of MaXhosa Africa’s signature geometric motifs, designed for vertical, decorative application. The range, named Ntyatyambo (meaning bloom, blossom or flower in Xhosa), is available in three colourways inspired by the yarns used by the designer in his garment design:
- Nude (nude base with colour accents)
- Mono (black and white)
- Luxe (black base with primary accents)
The range also includes an option for personalisation, by way of the Bespoke line (where clients can customise the four elements that make up the design by selecting any iteration of the 14 colours on offer), a fittingly creative way for homeowners to express their own personalities. | shop.maxhosa.africa.
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