As a young designer with a penchant for detail, Bokang Lehabe’s name is cemented into the South African fashion industry. A victory at a prestigious design competition in 2014 further fuelled his brand, Bookha Creations.
Bookha Creations has eight seasonal ranges under their label and will be unveiling their latest range of contemporary chic fashion at the upcoming Jazz festival in Cape Town this year.
At 25-years old, Lehabe says his work is aimed at young, hip, fashion conscious individuals. Using locally sourced fabrics, he creates modern looks with a strong identity. He creates both male and female ranges but aims most of his efforts toward womenswear.
Lehabe used the Design Indaba Emerging Creative 2016 campaign to showcase a range titled, Roots. He described it as “a sophisticated chic collection.”
Earthy colours, faux animal skin, sticks and hessian-lined with liquid satin was used to convey his opinion that fashion is rooted in Africa.
Lehabe won the 2014 PPC Imaginarium Awards with a range titled, The Beast We Call Fashion. The range was made using concrete, lace, and synthetic hair for dramatic effect. The collection also included a set of wire horns and a synthetic animal skin skirt, which are worn around the midriff on two of the pieces. Lehabe says, “The range had an African aesthetic, and it was all about how fashion consumes us as people, and how we end up becoming it.”
