Wanda Lephoto's ‘Fashion Accounts' exhibition explores colonial influences in dress
South African designer Wanda Lephoto is showing a fashion exhibition at Museum Africa in Newtown, Joburg.
Titled “Fashion Accounts”, this exhibition is a series of installations that explore and challenge the practices and rituals of collecting, archiving and memorialising through dress.
“The image collection and archive are classified through categories that carry a colonial trace with titles such as European Influence, Domestic Servants, Dress: Zulu, Dress: Women, Weddings, Churches and more,” reads a statement from the brand.
One of the collections showcased at this exhibition is “The Response”.
“The Bernberg fashion and textile collection carries as much black history as it does white and having the archives exist in multiple conversations is a reflection on the impact of colonisation continues to live in black homes and black identities,” explained Lephoto.
The exhibition also features “The Sartists Sports Series by Wanda Lephoto Part II”, a constitution of a series that launched ten years ago.
“10 years ago ,The Sartists created ‘The Sports Series Part I: Tennis,’ which sought to re-imagine the oral histories passed down from our parents on black identities the collective had not seen through media at the time,” said Lephoto.
There are also works from renowned designers like Thebe Magugu and Sindiso Khumalo showcased at the exhibition.
“Fashion Accounts” was curated by Wanda Lephoto, Erica de Greef, and Alison Moloney, and is open until February 28, 2025.