This label is the fruit of the knowledge of what identity and fashion mean in an image-saturated society, of the understanding that fashion is an excellent vehicle for the creation of identities, of the awareness that recognition of the elegance of African aesthetics is fundamental to a strategy aimed at creating value in a world that craves authenticity, of the sense that fashion connects with something larger, with personal style, and that fashion is in fact the radiography of cultural identity, of a position in the world.

For all of the above, Mr. and Mrs. Mangaliso founded Sun Goddess about ten years ago with the clear purpose of participating in the reconstruction of their country's identity while simultaneously referencing what they consider to be its glorious past, one which they hope to recover with pride and joy through their creations.

Sun Goddess came into being with the hope of providing and exporting the experience of luxury and African style through clothes, accessories and perfumes. The brand, in addition, has a new, indispensable business line for marketing fashion, one of an advisory nature regarding African imagery for different sales lines. All of this makes Sun Goddess a kind of visual consultant whose aim is to communicate Africa to the world. Clothing conceived for African goddesses but accessible to women of this world.

What inspires you, Mr. Mangaliso?

A lot of things: working with people, cutting clothes, designing clothes, combining materials, different kind of materials.

What is your dream as a designer?

Having my own company and working with great people.

What has been the most important achievement of your career?

Designing for my own label.

How important are trends?

If I can take trends, I make it. I prefer to create for everyone.

Fashion has always reflected a certain era. What does fashion reflect in the twenty-first century?

In my case, it reflects African culture, the African feeling, and it wants to be fashion for everybody, black or white.

What book would you recommend to every fashion designer?

Pattern books. You can find fashion in every book; every book includes fashion.

Sun Goddess

Regent @ The Zone, 2nd floor

177 Oxford Street, Rosebank 2196

South Africa

www.sungoddess.co.za