Maxhosa Spring/Summer 2027 at Paris Fashion Week

Maxhosa Spring/Summer 2027 / SS27 at Paris Fashion Week. Maxhosa creates a big moment with their runway show at Paris Fashion Week Paris, France, 28 September 2026.

Opening Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2027, MaXhosa Africa presented Izihlwele Zivumile, meaning “The Ancestors Have Approved,” marking the brand’s sixth season and first full runway show on the official Paris Fashion Week Womenswear Ready-to-Wear calendar. The show marks an important moment in MaXhosa Africa’s 16-year journey and the continued growth of the house on the international fashion stage.

Izihlwele Zivumile reflects on the journey that has brought MaXhosa Africa to a global stage. The collection comes five seasons after ‘My Conviction’, the very first MaXhosa Africa collection presented during Paris Fashion Week in 2024. While My Conviction spoke to the conviction to begin, Izihlwele Zivumile reflects on everything that has followed and the significance of reaching this point. Showcased at the same venue where the brand presented its very first Paris Fashion Week presentation, this season returns to that space with a full runway show, transforming a place of introduction into one of arrival and progression. Izihlwele Zivumile speaks to the generations, communities and cultures that have shaped MaXhosa Africa and continue to influence its creative direction. For this season, the brand moves towards a cleaner and more contemporary visual language. A strong monochrome direction brings greater focus to silhouette, textiles, construction and artistry.

The result is a collection that looks forward while staying connected to the foundations of the brand. Beyond the garments, the African-inspired accessories worn by the models made a bold statement. adidas supported the brand by completing some selected looks with footwear. The hair and make up was done by Nallah Sangarem with products from Plein Fard Boutique and Danessa Myricks, and the hair products being supported by Design Essentials through a strategic partnership by Freme Agency. The backstage team made up of key personnel from Fashion 4 Futures founded by Illysa Wexler, who assisted with backstage support, as well as Juan Lino on additional hair team support.

The story extends beyond the collection. In a week prior to the showcase, MaXhosa Africa introduced its Paris Fashion Week invitation in the form of a passport. The passport represents the places the brand has been, the places that have influenced its identity and the ancestors connected to those lands. The passport features the MaXhosa Africa emblem and crest, with each element carrying its own meaning. The human figure at the top of the crest represents uMuntu (a person), becoming a symbol of Ubuntu (humanity) as a central pillar of the brand. IImpondo Zenkomo (cattle horns) reference the Mpondo clan and the roots of the founding family. The shield and spears represent protection, while the Cape Aloes reference South Africa and the Eastern Cape, the brand’s province of origin. The crest signifies culture, diplomacy and regalia. The passport and crest reflect MaXhosa Africa’s approach to cultural diplomacy and its continued sharing of African identity, history and creative expression with the world.

The South African multi-award winning artist Sjava performed as part of Maxhosa SS27 / Spring/Summer 2027 runway show, bringing music and performance into the presentation of Izihlwele Zivumile. He performed a fused medley of two songs titled Umcebo and Amakehla, where one songs refers to wisdom, and the other one speaks on the ancestral protection and guidance from the elders. The songs connects these two ideas of prayer and faith, paired with wisdom and the skills needed to maintain what you are praying for. His performance added another layer to the show, bringing together fashion, music and movement as part of the MaXhosa Africa experience. Sjava was adorned in a custom made iBheshu, a Zulu-inspired regalia traditionally within the Zulu culture. The set design by South African multidisciplinary artist Xander Ferreira was inspired by iKhukho (grass mats), a traditional African woven mat made from natural grass and reeds and woven by hand, traditionally used in everyday and ceremonial life, including marriage and initiation. Its connection to land, labour and generations of women reflects the continuity of cultural knowledge passed down through generations. Ferreira used grass mats as the sole material for the set design, creating a physical connection to the traditional African home and tracing the material back to its ancestral lands deep in the middle of Paris. Rather than creating a temporary backdrop intended for a single use, the mats were given a life beyond the runway, later becoming the backdrop for the collection’s lookbook. The set consequently became a reusable creative asset, demonstrating how an existing cultural material can be re-contextualised rather than replaced.

African heritage, contemporary design and low-waste production came together within the physical environment of the show. The connection to the Lindelwa Foundation is seen in the use these mats, tying it to artisanal work of passed down knowledge through generations. As the official social impact of MaXhosa Africa, the Lindelwa Foundation, named after the Chief Creative Director’s mother, reflects a commitment to honouring women, Motherhood, legacy and sustainability. The sustainability narrative continued through MAXHOSA’s use of Kenyan artist Cyrus Kabiru’s eyewear sculptures. Kabiru’s practice transforms discarded and overlooked materials into distinctive sculptural eyewear, turning objects that might otherwise be considered waste into works of art. His contribution brought the principles of upcycling and transformation into the presentation while creating a meeting point between South African fashion and Kenyan contemporary art.

Another practice of keeping things sustainable was through the use of MAXHOSA’s sustainability tote bags, which were given to clients and guests. Designed for continued use, the totes offered an alternative to a conventional, single-use fashion-week gift and allowed the experience to continue beyond the runway show. Their transformation into African flags gave them an additional cultural dimension. The models had a touch of handcrafted art rings from Marche Noir and Jamtaan, bringing them as accessories to complete some selected looks.

Maxhosa SS27 / Spring/Summer 2027 show finale, a poem written by the South African African branding authority, Thebe Ikalafeng, celebrated Africa’s history, resilience, diversity and identity, while acknowledging the continent’s struggles with colonialism, conflict, poverty and corruption. It calls on Africans to take responsibility for building, protecting and investing in their continent rather than waiting for others to do so.

Ultimately, it is a personal declaration of belonging, responsibility and commitment to Africa and its future. The show marks a progression for MaXhosa Africa, moving from previous runway-style presentations to its first full runway show. For the brand, being part of Paris Fashion Week is about more than reaching another international stage. It is part of the continued work of building a global African luxury house and creating space for African culture, identity and creativity on its own terms. Izihlwele Zivumile is a reflection of the journey so far and the beginning of what comes next.

At the intersection of heritage, economic ambition, and international relations, MaXhosa Africa has consistently utilised fashion as a powerful vehicle for cultural diplomacy. By creating meaningful pathways between the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), diplomatic missions, and international commerce, the brand has demonstrated how creative industries can open doors for African talent, personnel, and cross-border teams on the global stage. The show marks a defining progression for MaXhosa Africa: from its earlier Paris presentations to its first full runway show. For the brand, Paris Fashion Week is part of a broader ambition to build a globally recognised African luxury house and create space for African culture, identity and creativity on its own terms. Supported by the South African Embassy in France, led by Minister Plenipotentiary Nthabiseng Makuwa, MaXhosa’s Paris journey began with an intimate presentation at the official residence of the South African Ambassador to France under the previous ambassador, the H.E. Nathi Mthethwa. After six seasons of growth, the brand returned to the same landmark venue in September 2026 for its first full Paris runway, welcomed and supported by incoming Ambassador H.E. Ayanda Dlodlo. The progression from presentation to runway reflects MaXhosa’s growing international presence and its continued use of fashion to connect African creativity, as a form of cultural diplomacy. At its core, the runway showcase achieved in telling the story of belonging and being tenacious in a goal, along with as a team, more can be achieved.