Slow African fashion: Confections X Collections Third Edition

By Temo Mpodi

Show me a better duo than fashion and summer! This November, the Mount Nelson Belmond Hotel, Cape Town, is showing you just how the two intertwine in celebration of their 125th anniversary. The hotel will host the third annual Confections X Collections (CxC), showcasing its role as the contemporary cosmopolitan heart of Cape Town.

This highly anticipated fashion event spotlights the continent’s most accomplished slow fashion designers, curated by independent fashion and sustainability publication Twyg. It will transform Mount Nelson’s lounge, terrace, and garden into a stylish setting for salon-style fashion shows. CxC offers a rare opportunity to engage deeply with the designers’ works in a hotel renowned for hosting iconic fashion figures, providing a unique platform for diverse, authentic African perspectives and sartorial storytelling.

“With the growing global interest in young African talent, I am excited to bring together South Africa’s new wave of designers with two of our West African counterparts. At its core, CxC is underpinned by excellence in sustainable design and a diversity of fashion storytelling, and we aim to honour and celebrate these enduring qualities once again this November,” says Jackie May, founder and editor of Twyg.

A destination for the fashion-forward

During the five-day Confections X Collections, the historic Cape Town venue becomes a hub of contemporary African creativity. Mount Nelson – affectionately called “The Nellie” by locals – is situated a stone’s throw away from leading South African designer studios and boutiques, offering guests easy access to exclusive fashion experiences. Items from the presented CxC collections will be displayed at the AKJP concept store near Kloof Street during the five-day fashion showcase. Additionally, access to past and present CxC Cape Town-based designers’ studios—including Lukhanyo Mdingi, Sindiso Khumalo, and Viviers Studio—can be pre-arranged.

From 5 – 9 November 2024, each of the first four days of CxC will feature one designer per day for an intimate fashion experience that sprawls across Mount Nelson’s lavish lounge, terrace and gardens. This year’s line-up includes two South African designers: LVMH Prize winner and 2023 Amiri Prize winner Lukhanyo Mdingi, who blends artisanal craft with modernity, and Johannesburg-based designer RICH MNISI, known for his bold expression of Tsonga culture and craftsmanship. Joining them are Nigerian-based designers Bubu Ogisi of IAMISIGO, known as a ‘fibre artist’ for wearable art that brings ancient African textile techniques to the fore, and 2023 International Woolmark Prize winner Adeju Thompson of Lagos Space Programme, who explores the past and future through sartorial expressions of their Yoruba culture.

Previous editions of CxC have featured internationally renowned designers Thebe Magugu and Sindiso Khumalo (both LVMH award winners) and cult favourite Laduma Ngxokolo of Maxhosa Africa.

A cherished tradition at Mount Nelson, guests will be offered a reimagined Afternoon Tea elevated by Executive Sous Chef Vicky Gurovich. In collaboration with the four participating designers, Chef Vicky will create bespoke confections that mirror the showcased fashion pieces and complement each designer’s collection. Paired with these confections is a commemorative tea blend, specially created in celebration of the hotel’s 125th anniversary by Mingwei Tsai of Nigiro—a harmonious fusion of local flavours, including rooibos, honeybush, mesquite, and apple, that pays homage to South Africa’s rich botanical heritage. Among the CxC alumni are South African designer and LVMH Prize winner Sindiso Khumalo, who has designed a Cape Town-inspired tea set for Mount Nelson. This joyful, optimistic, bold tea set forms part of the hotel’s retail range, which will soon be available to purchase directly from its boutique.

Celebrating 125 years of Mount Nelson, the fifth and final evening of this year’s CxC edition will see a group show that brings together previous and current CxC designers. These participating designers include those above as well as Viviers Studio, Chulaap, Wanda Lephoto, Mantsho by Palesa Mokubung, Sindiso Khumalo, Mmusomaxwell, and Maxhosa Africa.

“In celebrating 125 years of The Nellie, this showcase is just one of many ways the Mount Nelson is committed to curating moments of reverie through art, food, and design, drawing inspiration from the continent,” says Tiago Moraes Sarmento, Managing Director of Belmond Southern Africa.

Confections X Collections order of show

• November 5, 2024 – Rich Mnisi
• 6th November 2024 – Adeju Thompson of Lagos Space Programme
• 7th November 2024 – Bubu Ogisi of IAMISIGO
• 8th November 2024 – Lukhanyo Mdingi 
• 9th November 2024 – Rich Mnisi, Lagos Space Programme, IAMISIGO, Lukhanyo Mdingi, Viviers Studio, CHULAAP, Wanda Lephoto, Mantsho by Palesa Mokubung, Sindiso Khumalo, MmusoMaxwell, and Maxhosa Africa

Guests and visitors can purchase tickets to the daily show at 4pm for R995. For reservations and more information, please contact +27 21 483-100 or email restaurantreservations.mnh@belmond.com