This November, Mount Nelson, A Belmond Hotel, Cape Town, will host the third annual Confections x Collections (CxC), coinciding with the hotel’s 125th anniversary, showcasing its role as the contemporary cosmopolitan heart of Cape Town.
This highly anticipated fashion event spotlights the continent's most accomplished slow fashion designers, curated by independent fashion and sustainability publication Twyg and will transform Mount Nelson’s lounge, terrace, and garden into a stylish setting for salon-style fashion shows. Providing a unique platform for diverse, authentic African perspectives and sartorial storytelling, CxC offers a rare opportunity to engage deeply with the designers’ works in a hotel renowned for hosting iconic fashion figures.
"With the growing global interest in young African talent, I am excited to bring together South Africa's new wave of designers with two of our West African counterparts. At its core, CxC is underpinned by excellence in sustainable design and a diversity of fashion storytelling, and we aim to honour and celebrate these enduring qualities, once again, this November," says Jackie May, founder and editor of Twyg.
During the five-day Confections x Collections, the historic Cape Town venue becomes a hub of contemporary African creativity. Mount Nelson - affectionately called “The Nellie” by locals – is situated a stone’s throw away from leading South African designer studios and boutiques offering guests easy access to exclusive fashion experiences. Items from the presented CxC collections will be on display at AKJP concept store on near-by Kloof Street during the five-day fashion showcase. As well as access to past and present CxC Cape Town-based designers' studios—including Lukhanyo Mdingi, Sindiso Khumalo, and VIVIERS Studio—can be pre-arranged.
Taking place from 5 – 9 November 2024, each of the first four days of CxC will feature one designer a day for an intimate fashion experience that sprawls across Mount Nelson’s lavish lounge, terrace and gardens. This year's line-up includes two South African designers: LVMH Prize winner and 2023 Amiri Prize winner Lukhanyo Mdingi, who blends artisanal craft with modernity; and Johannesburg-based designer Rich Mnisi, known for his bold expression of Tsonga culture and craftsmanship. Joining them are Nigerian-based designers Bubu Ogisi of IAMISIGO, known as a 'fibre artist' for wearable art that brings ancient African textile techniques to the fore, and 2023 International Woolmark Prize winner, Adeju Thompson of Lagos Space Programme, who explores the past and future through sartorial expressions of their Yoruba culture.
Previous editions of CxC have included internationally renowned designers Thebe Magugu and Sindiso Khumalo (both LVMH award winners) and cult favourite Laduma Ngxokolo of MaXhosa Africa in the line-ups.
A cherished tradition at Mount Nelson, guests will be offered a reimagined Afternoon Tea, elevated by Executive Sous Chef Vicky Gurovich. In collaboration with the four participating designers, Chef Vicky will create bespoke confections that mirror the showcased fashion pieces and complement each designer's collection.
Paired with these confections is a commemorative tea blend, specially created in celebration of the hotel’s 125th anniversary by Mingwei Tsai of Nigiro—a harmonious fusion of local flavours, including rooibos, honeybush, mesquite, and apple, that pays homage to South Africa’s rich botanical heritage. Among the CxC alumni is South African designer and LVMH Prize winner Sindiso Khumalo who has designed a Cape Town-inspired tea set for Mount Nelson. This joyful, optimistic, and bold tea set forms part of the hotel’s retail range, which will soon be available to purchase directly from its boutique.
Celebrating 125 years of Mount Nelson, the fifth and final evening of this year’s CxC edition will see a group show that brings together previous and current CxC designers. These participating designers include the aforementioned as well as VIVIERS Studio, Chulaap, Wanda Lephoto, Mantsho by Palesa Mokubung, Sindiso Khumalo, MmusoMaxwell, and MaXhosa Africa.
"In celebrating 125 years of The Nellie, this showcase is just one of many ways the Mount Nelson is committed to curating moments of reverie through art, food, and design, drawing inspiration from the continent," says Tiago Moraes Sarmento, Managing Director of Belmond Southern Africa.
