Palesa Mokubung X Airloom Collab

WORDS Celeste Jacobs

A new range of rugs is the collaborative brainchild of iconic fashion designer Palesa Mokubung of Mantsho and well-loved local design brand Airloom.

The opportunity to fuse her aesthetic eye for fashion with home decor is something Palesa Mokubung describes as the realisation of a dream. The local fashion designer was the first African brand to partner with global retailer H&M in 2019 – a collaboration that cemented the footprint of her brand, Mantsho, firmly in the world of fashion.

Now, with Palesa’s keen eye for design guiding the way, Mantsho has moved into the decor realm in partnership with Airloom.

The collaboration is born out of mutual respect. “I chose to work with Airloom because they are the best at what they do,” says Palesa. “I also wanted to create accessible, quality lifestyle pieces – and Airloom caters to that.”

Rose Bradshaw of Airloom echoes this sentiment, and describes the joint venture as a marriage made in heaven. “We take delight in flipping the notion of traditional heirlooms and reinventing them in the form of modern Airlooms that are relevant to us all as South Africans,” she says.

The new collection of Mantsho Maze rugs is available in three colourways: Blush, Gold and Ocean. Each will add a bold and unique finishing touch to any space. They are the physical embodiment of a celebration of rich culture and bold design thinking, presenting a confident sense of presence in the here and now.