Nelson Mandela University’s emerging fashion talent will step into the spotlight this October, as students from the Department of Visual Arts bring their work to one of Gqeberha’s most recognisable heritage spaces, with celebrated MAXHOSA AFRICA founder Laduma Ngxokolo making a special appearance.
Nelson Mandela University’s Department of Visual Arts (Fashion & Textile) will close out its academic year in style with (the collective), an evening runway show taking place at the historic Tramways Building in South End on Saturday, 24 October 2026.
The event will bring together two cohorts of NMU fashion students, offering the public a glimpse at the designers who could help shape the future of South African fashion.
From the classroom to the catwalk
Second-year fashion students will open the evening with their early-stage collections, with the show marking one of the first opportunities for many of them to see their designs presented on a public runway.
The main programme will then turn to NMU’s final-year design students.
Their collections represent the culmination of three years of training in design, pattern-making and garment construction — but this isn’t simply an end-of-year fashion show.
For the graduating designers, the runway forms part of their formal assessment and is examined by the department as a core degree requirement. Every look appearing on the runway has been conceived, drafted and constructed under academic scrutiny.
That makes (the collective) both a celebration and a significant milestone for the young designers preparing to move from university into South Africa’s fashion and creative industries.
Laduma Ngxokolo returns to where it began
Adding a particularly special homecoming to the evening will be an appearance by Laduma Ngxokolo, founder and creative director of MAXHOSA AFRICA.
The internationally recognised Xhosa-heritage knitwear label has taken its designs from South Africa to audiences and runways in cities including Paris and New York.
But Ngxokolo’s own journey in fashion has strong Nelson Mandela Bay roots.
He is a graduate of Nelson Mandela University’s textile and fashion design programme, making his return an opportunity for the students following behind him to see just how far an education in design from the Bay can travel.
For the public, meanwhile, the show offers the chance to see some of the city’s newest creative talent before they make that same leap into the industry.
(the collective) takes place at the Tramways Building, 16 Lower Valley Road, South End, Gqeberha, on Saturday, 24 October 2026.
Doors open at 19:00, with unreserved seating. Early bird tickets are R250, while regular tickets are R350 and are available through Open Tickets.
For enquiries, contact Raquel Adriaan on 041 504 3716.
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