The Shapers of Style: 10 Stylists Who Defined African Fashion in 2025
- BY MAMELLO MOKOENA
- Dec 29, 2025
- 7 min read
2025 has been a year of fashion moments that stopped timelines, lit up red carpets and reminded us why South African style is in a league of its own. From the Durban July to the QQ Style Awards, the country’s biggest stages saw looks that broke moulds and reshaped ideas of glamour, culture and identity. Behind these dazzling images are the visionaries who imagine the world through fabric and form.
African fashion is in a golden era, one crafted not only by designers but by the sharp-eyed stylists, creative directors, and image makers working behind the scenes to shape culture. They are the pulse of modern South African fashion, shaping how we dress and how we dream.
Here is a curated look at some of the 10 most influential creatives who shaped African style in 2025.
1. Thobeka Mbane
Thobeka Mbane’s work feels like opening a history book, a diary and a love letter at the same time. Her fingerprints are everywhere in contemporary South African pop culture, from her long-time collaborations with icons like Black Coffee, Elsa Majimbo, Sho Madjozi and Zozibini Tunzi to her signature habit of spotlighting African designers such as Orange Culture, Viviers Studio, RICH MNISI and MMUSOMAXWELL.
Her defining moment of 2025 was styling Zozibini Tunzi for her wedding and the ethereal blue ensemble she wore to the Miss Universe Tanzania competition. Both looks felt timeless and deeply personal, rooted in Thobeka’s signature approach to representation and cultural storytelling.
Thobeka’s practice is anchored in advocacy. She centres Black women, queer individuals and trans women in her work, giving their narratives a place of honour in fashion’s visual archive.
Thobeka’s vision stretches far beyond clothing. Her style philosophy is a form of world-building. It is rebellion and beauty held in the same breath.
2. Lethabo “Boogy” Maboi
Lethabo Boogy Maboi has carved a special place for herself as a stylist deeply connected to South African design. Her entire brand, Styled by Boogy, rests on a clear ethos: fashion should uplift the communities it draws from. She has dressed major African music and pop culture forces such as Riky Rick, AKA, Sho Madjozi, Shekhinah and global star Sampa the Great during her worldwide tour. Her imprint is bold, vibrant and always proudly local.
Her 2025 achievement was the rise of The Boogy Bodega, her wardrobe rental studio and mentorship hub. The studio has become a lifeline for emerging designers, offering garment rentals, access to sewing equipment, pop-up office space and a monthly spotlight that helps young brands earn income and visibility. Her commitment to this community-centred model has made her one of the most influential builders in the industry.
Boogy’s legacy continues to grow, and in her own words, she’s preparing to expand her empire. The world is next on her list.
3. Phupho Gumede K
Few stylists have had as loud and unforgettable an impact as Phupho Gumede K. His departure from celebrity styling this year shook the fashion world, especially among fans who followed his journey from his breakout on Real Housewives of Durban to his reign as one of Africa’s most recognisable stylists.
Phupho has mastered the art of high-drama, high-glamour styling for television, making him a favourite on international screens, especially through Young, Famous and African. His understanding of character, personality and narrative allowed him to dress stars like Khanyi Mbau, Annie Idibia and Diamond Platnumz in looks that became part of the cultural conversation.
One of his major styling moments was dressing Nomalanga Shozi as host of Miss South Africa 2025. The look was regal, architectural and unmistakably Phupho. This year also saw him making waves with Sarah Langa at the 2025 Durban July Balmain look inspired by Skothane culture. The outfit dominated timelines for days, making him one of the most talked-about figures during the 2025 style season.
4. Trevor Stuurman
Trevor Stuurman remains one of South Africa’s most recognisable creative forces. A photographer and visual storyteller whose work has reached some of the highest global stages. Among his most surreal “pinch me” moments are working with Beyoncé on several projects and photographing former US President Barack Obama.
In 2025, Trevor had The Manor, a cultural universe and creative archive exploring African fashion, art, and narratives. What began as a magazine and pop-ups evolved into a permanent space at 44 Stanley. The Manor has hosted everything from Lukhanyo Mdingi archival sales to Design Week South Africa exhibitions and even served as the official media partner for the Investec Cape Town Art Fair.
For Trevor, The Manor represents a creative rebirth. “It’s like a productive hiatus,” he reflects. “I’m off the radar but still present.” He continues to build new, expansive worlds that redefine how the continent is seen and sees itself.
5. Amy Zama
Amy Zama has become one of the most formidable stylists and image curators in South Africa. Known for her fearless approach to costume design and her commitment to authentic African storytelling, she has worked with names including Rich Mnisi, Kelly Rowland, and appeared across Vogue World, Dazed, ShowStudio, and more.
Amy’s career is built on collaboration and mentorship; she is consistently creating opportunities for emerging talent. Her styling blends character development with narrative depth, making her work stand out in both editorial and commercial spaces. She’s now a multi-award winning costume designer, a global creative director, and the recipient of the GQ Best Dressed Woman 2025.
Her influence continues to expand as she shapes fashion conversations both on the continent and abroad.
6. Obakeng Rantlhane
Obakeng Rantlhane has already cemented himself as one of South Africa’s most in-demand stylists. Known for his quiet-luxury aesthetic, with clean lines, refined tailoring, and balanced proportions, Obakeng has worked with Bonang Matheba, Pearl Thusi, Nomalanga Shozi, and Swanky Jerry.
As the founder of Guide, a lifestyle platform, he merges luxury, culture, and fashion conversation. His work on shows like Young, Famous & African and styling the marketing shoots for King of Joburg Season 3 challenged him creatively, especially when learning to work alongside perfectionists like Bonang.
Obakeng’s Instagram reel series Behind the Look also offers rare insight into the full creative process; from concept to hair, makeup, and styling. He represents the new generation of stylists rewriting the rules with precision and intention.
7. Lesego “Kgosi” Kgosimolao
Kgosi Lesego is a powerhouse redefining African luxury. With a client list that includes Bonang Matheba, Pearl Thusi, Lasizwe, and Natasha Joubert, Kgosi has become a name synonymous with star-making looks.
His work blends opulence with bold African elements, expanding the global conversation around African fashion. In 2025, he styled the Bad Influencers cast for Netflix’s marketing campaign and dressed Thando Thabethe for the Glamour SA Awards.
Kgosi’s philosophy is simple: fashion is something you create. And with each look, he continues to shape the continent’s visual identity, boldly and unapologetically.
8. Chloe Andrea Welgemoed
South African–born and UK-based, Chloe Andrea Welgemoed is an award winning creative director and stylist with an eye for culturally rooted storytelling. As the director of the creative studio Spanspek, she uses fashion to spark conversations and uplift emerging talent.
Her portfolio includes work for Dazed’s 30th edition, InStyle, and TIME Magazine, alongside extensive collaborations with Thebe Magugu across Europe. In 2025, she won Glamour SA’s Visionary Art Direction & Styling Award, and served as stylist and lookbook art director for MAXHOSA’s SS25/26 IZIPHO ZABADALA collection, featuring icons like Yvonne Chaka Chaka.
Chloe continues to expand African fashion narratives on global platforms through her detailed, emotionally intelligent visual direction.
9. Vusumuzi “Bob the Stylist” Ndima
A true creative polymath, Bob the Stylist is a designer, stylist, rapper, mentor, and founder of Boys of Soweto. His work blends township heritage with global refinement, turning Soweto’s influence into a cultural force.
From Moscow Fashion Week to high-profile collaborations and his first Boys of Soweto store, Bob champions African craftsmanship and storytelling. His mentorship initiative, Boys Today, Men Tomorrow, uses hikes, therapy, and creativity to uplift young men in Soweto, challenging stigma around mental health and inspiring purpose.
Bob blends spirituality, hip hop influences, and sartorial excellence to build legacy. He believes that taste can be learned and that you just need to be open. With over a decade of fashion storytelling, he continues to dignify African identity, one garment at a time.
10. Duduza Mchunu
Duduza Mchunu brings a fine-art sensibility to fashion, drawing from her training at the Michaelis School of Fine Art to create work rooted in intention, research and emotional clarity. Guided early in her career by Gabrielle Kannemeyer and Rharha Nembhard, she has refined a practice centred on telling the stories of Black women through an honest, unembellished lens, thus blending instinct with deep cultural reference.
In 2025, Duduza took on one of her most profound creative roles yet: contributing research and written text to Bonda Ndzie, an expansive book project exploring the meaning of African hair across memory, lineage and geography. Her involvement centred on tracing stories, rituals and cultural histories to transform personal and collective hair narratives into an archive. The project marked a deeply significant moment in her career, merging scholarship, artistry and heritage into a single piece of work.
If 2025 has shown us anything, it’s that African stylists and image makers are no longer participating in the global fashion conversation — they’re leading it. These creatives have built worlds, shaped icons, and expanded the boundaries of what African fashion can look like.
And as we move into 2026, the excitement only grows. What new aesthetics will emerge? Which stories will be told next? And which rising stylists will take their place among these industry titans? One thing is certain: the continent’s creative future is abundant, unstoppable, and endlessly stylish. And we can’t wait to see what comes next.
