BLACK INFINITY

Studio Mapalo's second collection. Inspired by the intersection of traditional African culture and contemporary British design, the collection is framed around the question, "What if Village Africa was leading global fashion?", the collection imagines garments that feel equally at home in a rural African landscape as they do in a Western city.

BLACK INFINITY 2

The ultimate goal was to strip back the conventional ideas of what African clothing has always been and show Studio Mapalo’s vision of what it could look like. The garments’ narrative flows between a tribal rawness and slick modern refinement to show a visual contrast of how style from two opposing cultures have combined to form the brands unique aesthetic.

ASTRIDA

A project that explores the narrative of cultural aesthetic, it’s inheritance and evolution throughout the journey of a modern man. The collection combines African street style refrences from tribes people, such as the Bashanda, with modern utelitarian detailing to tell the visual narrative of Tribal Africa and it’s integration within western metropolis.

APEX

APEX is a two-look capsule collection built around interchangeable garments that can be worn as matching sets or styled separately.

Inspired by animals encountered on safari in Zambia, the collection reworks animal prints and textures through sleek, provocative menswear. Deadstock corduroy, denim, and cheetah jacquard are combined across flight jackets and biker-inspired track pants, blending utility, sportswear, and expressive design.

ISOLATION ISLAND

Isolation Island is a capsule exploring the contrast between African streetwear and Western utility wear. Created during the first global pandemic in 2020, the collection reflects the isolation and uncertainty of the period in which it was made.

The capsule features curved-seam denim jeans, an oversized tote, and bucket hat constructed from five pairs of recycled jeans and sand-washed denim. The collection also includes a vest created in collaboration with knitwear designer Rai Urmila.

Photography: Delali Ayivi