Confections x Collections 2025 – A Celebration of Intricate, Slow African Fashion

Yoshita1967. Image: Candice Bodington

In the heart of Cape Town, Confections x Collections 2025 unfolded at the elegant Mount Nelson, a Belmond hotel, celebrating the vibrancy and thoughtfulness of slow fashion in Africa.

C O N N A D E. Image: Candice Bodington

yoshita1967

MaXhosa Africa. Image: Candice Bodington

This year, the platform expanded its continental reach, inviting Kenya-based Yoshita 1967 to join South African stalwarts C O N N A D E, UNI FORM, and MaXhosa Africa, curated by twyg to create a truly pan-African showcase.

Yoshita1967. Image: Candice Bodington

CxC represents not just fashion, but a movement, one that prioritises storytelling, craft, and cultural heritage over fleeting trends.

Yoshita1967. Image: Candice Bodington

The event opened on 6 November with Yoshita 1967, whose designer, Anil Padia, drew inspiration from his Indo-Kenyan roots. The collection Temple Road enchanted the audience with thousands of hand-sewn silver bells shimmering against the hotel’s iconic garden fountain, accompanied by a bespoke score by Joseph Schiano di Lombo. Each garment was crafted in Nairobi by a dedicated team of 15 women, emphasizing a people-first, craft-centered approach. The pieces combined traditional Indian elements—mirrors, bells, crochet—with contemporary silhouettes, creating a tactile, memory-rich experience that highlighted the spiritual and cultural significance embedded in fashion.

C O N N A D E. Image: Candice Bodington

Following Yoshita 1967, C O N N A D E presented a minimalist collection marrying architectural forms with African aesthetics. Designer Shelley Mokoena explored the theme of restraint, both in design and self-expression. Crochet face coverings, sculptural draping, muted palettes with pops of red, and intricate textural details invited reflection on identity and the spiritual significance of hands in African culture. From a Trendsetters Only lens, C O N N A D E’s work underscores the patience, precision, and contemplative practice behind modern African luxury fashion.

UNI FORM. Image: Nicole Landman

On the second day, UNI FORM offered Exhale, a collection focused on “emotional tailoring,” by designer Luke Radloff and creative director Bee Diamondhead. A master weaver at the center of the room highlighted the painstaking care behind each piece, while live soundscape artist Muneyi created an immersive, meditative atmosphere. The presentation celebrated garments as narratives and experiences, embodying Trendsetters Only’s belief that fashion should connect the wearer to both maker and cultural context.

Yoshita1967. Image: Candice Bodington

The final day featured MaXhosa Africa with IZIPHO ZABADALA – A Gift to the Ancestors, a collection first showcased in Paris. Designer Laduma Ngxokolo positioned the garments as offerings to the ancestors, blending sustainability and cultural reverence.

MaXhosa Africa. Image: Candice Bodington

Crafted mainly from natural materials, the collection serves as a counterpoint to fast fashion and highlights a deeper African consciousness—one that values heritage, craft, and ethical production. Trendsetters Only emphasizes this as a reminder that African fashion is increasingly defining global discourse, bridging past, present, and future.

MaXhosa Africa. Image: Candice Bodington

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Yoshita1967

Yoshita1967

Confections x Collections 2025, viewed through a Trendsetters Only lens, is a celebration of storytelling, heritage, and intentionality in fashion. It demonstrates that garments are more than aesthetic objects—they are vessels of culture, memory, and identity.

MaXhosa Africa. Image: Candice Bodington

As African designers continue to shape the global landscape, events like CxC exemplify how slow fashion can inspire meaningful dialogue, sustainable practices, and a reconnection to roots, community, and creativity.

Yoshita 1967