Wanda Lephoto has presented his first women's collection in collaboration with Canvas Studios, which explores themes of femininity, beauty, memory, and South African identity. The designer, known for using fashion to study perceptions of Africa, is bringing his approach into a new realm with this collection.
The launch of the collection is scheduled for October 13th, nearly a year after Lephoto was named Changemaker of the Year at the Twyg Sustainable Fashion Awards in 2025. In the same year, he also won an award for trans-seasonal design.
Fashion
Although most of Lephoto's work has focused on menswear, this collection has given him the opportunity to consider contemporary concepts of femininity, identity, and beauty from a different perspective. The inspiration began with a personal memory: Lephoto's sister passed away in 1995 at the age of ten, and she appeared in an advertisement that same year. For Lephoto, this image became associated with the ideas of a new South Africa and a generation full of hope and potential.
More than thirty years later, this memory became a way to envision what this woman could be like. The designer questioned how she might dress and express herself, and what her story could reveal about the perception of South African women today.
Lephoto emphasizes that he does not intend to impose his views on how women should look. Instead, he creates the collection based on studying women's desires and how they wish to express themselves through clothing. This approach is reflected throughout the collection, which views the South African woman as a complex and multifaceted individual, rather than reducing her to a single image of beauty or identity.
Lephoto uses familiar prints, patterns, and textures, reinterpreting them through a modern lens. While heritage is present, the collection is more interested in what can be created from the past rather than simply reproducing it. This approach aligns with the overall philosophy of the Wanda Lephoto brand, which employs research, memory, and storytelling to explore African identity and its representation.
Sustainability is also part of this mindset. For Lephoto, this extends not only to the materials used to create the clothing but also to local production, circularity, collaboration, and stories that give clothes meaning. He notes that he is interested in the idea of how ordinary people wear everyday clothing that feels sophisticated and comfortable enough for them to feel at home in.
This balance between thoughtful design and everyday wearability is a central element of the collection. It also marks a shift for Lephoto, as he integrates his research approach into womenswear while maintaining the focus on identity and narrative that shaped his work.
The collaboration with Canvas Studios, a private label of Bash, arose from relationships established through the Twyg awards. For Canvas Studios, this collection also provides a new platform for an independent South African designer and introduces his work to a wider audience. David West, Head of Design at Canvas Studios, stated that 'Wanda possesses an incredible ability to take deeply personal stories and make them universally meaningful.' He added that 'this collection translates that perspective into a completely new space while remaining unmistakably Wanda.'
For Lephoto, this collection is ultimately about using fashion to pose questions about who we are and how we see ourselves. His first women's collection does not attempt to define what a South African woman should look like. Instead, it begins with memory, research, and listening, leaving room for diverse experiences of beauty, identity, and self-expression. The Wanda Lephoto x Canvas Studios collection will be released on October 13, 2026, exclusively on Bash.