South African Designer Laduma Ngxokolo Brings His Knitwear Brand To New York, Opens Brand New Store In Soho

South African designer Laduma Ngxokolo is opening a brand new location for his knitwear brand MAXHOSA Africa. The store will be located in New York’s trendy and luxe shopping neighborhood Soho. Laduma made the announcement on Instagram with a post mimicking a newspaper article. The store opens in Soho on June 15.

MAXHOSA AFRICA Opens Soho Location In New York - AFROPOLiTAiN Magazine - Afropolitain Magazine

The statement highlights the store’s opening and showcases its address at 325 Canal Street, New York, NY, 10013. Doors will be open from 9am to 7pm EDT on Saturday, June 15. In the article, the designer and Chief Creative Director Laduma Ngxokolo was asked about his vision for the new Soho store.

The Creative Director expressed his feelings on the store’s opening, by singing the praises of the accomplishment, saying, “in this very moment I just feel so alive.” He went on to say that the process of opening the first MAXHOSA AFRICA location in New York was “tedious,” saying that there were “a lot of logistical processes [that had] been delayed.” He also said that they “had to internally deliberate on choosing the best” time to open the store.

MAXHOSA AFRICA Opens Soho Location In New York - 2024 - AFROPOLiTAiN Magazine - Afropolitain Magazine

As this is the brand’s first location in the U.S., Laduma was encouraged to speak on how the new Soho store would cater specifically to New Yorkers. He responded, saying,

“What we are doing differently is that we are for the first time, putting in efforts to curate the space, specifically for the store to fit within the vibe of New Yorkers. New Yorkers are an edgy market. So we have specially curated the space to suit their lifestyle and what we think they need… We have taken extra care in everything that we do, which is what I believe the true definition of [luxury] should be. New York is on top of the world and we are in New York as a stepping stone for us to be on top of the world.”
Laduma Ngxokolo, Chief Creative Director, MAXHOSA AFRICA

Here are some of the designs to look for in MAXHOSA AFRICA’s Soho location, below. Although it has not been revealed which collections will be showcased in New York, in the photos following, Laduma’s signature knit prints and styles from some of the recent seasons are featured. Each collection has ALKEBULAN in the title which is described as “a revisiting of our rich ancient history and showcase how royal Alkebulans would be adorned in the Morden day.”