Thebe Magugu has been on my radar since he won the LVMH Prize back in 2019, so when I heard he was designing a hotel suite, my first thought was: you know what? Hell yeah! (thanks TikTok for my new favorite phrase).
But, it’s also the best news of the week for design and travel lovers alike. The man who’s spent the last decade weaving South African stories into couture isn’t stopping at clothes. This December, he’s opening the Thebe Magugu Suite at Mount Nelson, A Belmond Hotel, Cape Town — a two-story villa that sits on Palm Avenue like it’s always been there.
The timing works out perfectly since it’s his brand’s 10th anniversary. Ten years of Magugu building this incredible fashion house, and now he’s literally building spaces too. “I feel like my creativity has always stretched over and above fashion,” he told WWD. “The core thing that I do is clothing, but I’ve always loved the idea of building a space and building a universe in general.”
The suite will launch alongside Magugu House Cape Town, a concept store and gallery that will showcase limited-edition pieces, archival garments, and curated works from other African designers and writers. The space will host salon-style events and exhibitions, creating a permanent cultural hub. It’s an ambitious expansion that aligns with Magugu’s broader vision for his brand.
The Mount Nelson has long needed this kind of thoughtful intervention. The hotel is undeniably beautiful and has operated since 1899 (affectionately known as “The Nellie” by locals), with its iconic pink facade painted in 1918. It’s hosted legendary guests from John Lennon to David Bowie to Nelson Mandela. Yet there has always been an underlying tension between the colonial-era architecture and the hotel’s increasingly contemporary African clientele.
Neal Ludick, Belmond’s interior design director, was refreshingly direct about it. “It was for us very important to have someone that is really an iconic role model within the creative industry to explore that and make sure that we have that connection,” he said to WWD. They needed someone who could bridge that gap between the building’s history and their contemporary African guests.
He continued, “There’s some beautiful, romantic detailing in the colonial architecture, and it’s not something that you want to lose. What Thebe has done really successfully with the suite is embracing that in a creative way, but layering onto it.”
That layering concept is what Magugu does best. His collections have always been about taking South African traditions and making them speak to now. Doing the same thing with architecture makes sense.
Adding to the excitement, the launch coincides with another big debut: AMURA by Ángel León. The three-Michelin-star Spanish chef is opening his first restaurant outside Spain at Mount Nelson, bringing an immersive marine dining experience inspired by Cape Town’s kelp forests. León’s menu takes cues from the extraordinary marine life of Cape Town’s coast, found where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans converge, and will feature fermented fish, spice-laced broths, and fire-driven techniques.
The suite opens in December, right in Cape Town’s summer season when everyone wants to be there anyway (and perfect for those planning their “Detty December” visits). Magugu’s timing has always been impeccable, and this feels like another one of those moments where he’s a step ahead of the industry.