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Mount Nelson
Arts, Culture & Society

Mount Nelson Celebrates Fifth Edition of Confections x Collections, an Ode to Fashion, Heritage and Craft

By SG Editor·

Mount Nelson, A Belmond Hotel, Cape Town has developed one of the city’s most anticipated annual cultural programmes, CONFECTIONS X COLLECTIONS (CxC), which pairs the hotel’s afternoon tea confections with slow-fashion collections. Co-curated with independent sustainability platform Twyg, the showcase returns for its fifth edition from 5th-7th November. The multi-day event pays homage to the hotel’s iconic gardens, with four visionary designers from across the continent exploring the botanical theme over a series
of chapters.

Through its annual showcases, CxC 2026 is reframing the narrative around global fashion whilst spotlighting the African designers breathing new life into slow luxury, identity, heritage and craft. The unique show format offers an opportunity to engage deeply with the designers’ works, while an ongoing commitment to championing African  talent has led to meaningful creative relationships that stand the test of time.  

THE DESIGNERS: HERITAGE, IDENTITY AND STORYTELLING MEET NEW MEDIUMS

Main Diverse in practice, materials and medium, each of this year’s designers exist at the cutting edge of contemporary African design, reimagining familiar and time-honoured design traditions through newfound meanings and silhouettes. 

SEVARIA

Founded by Nairobi-based Jamie Kimani, Sevaria approaches fashion as a vehicle for retelling East African stories on their own terms. Blending tailoring with fluid drapery, designs draw on Kenyan cultural histories, spirituality and Kimani’s own experiences. The label combines an instinctively androgynous point of view, with references spanning Maasai, Samburu, Dinka and Surma cultures, translating traditional markings, handwoven textiles and craft into expressive, gender-fluid collections. 

Kimani sources discarded fabrics from second-hand markets, including Nairobi’s Gikomba, and transforms them into distinctive pieces. His weaving has combined cotton with reclaimed polypropylene bags, while metal chain detailing reinterprets the rhythm and weight of Maasai adornment. A participant in the British Fashion Council’s Creative DNA programme, Kimani has increasingly emerged as a distinctive voice in contemporary
African fashion. 

ONESIMO BAM

Cape Town-based Onesimo Bam’s practice sits at the intersection of fashion, surface design and performance. Made of natural fibres, his sculptural, cocoon-like, size-agnostic garments break convention by exploring volume and drape, allowing the body to shape the clothing. Informed by his Eastern Cape upbringing and a core belief in collaboration, Bam draws on a number of cross-cultural influences, treating fashion as a way for garments to express feeling, hold memory and bring people together. His most recent collection earned him the 2026 Africa International Design Award for Avant-Garde fashion. 

HAUS OF STONE

Haus of Stone is a Zimbabwean fashion brand founded by designer, textile artist and visual storyteller Danayi Madondo. Based in Harare, the label combines handcraft with an imaginative engagement with Zimbabwean culture. Its name draws on the Shona phrase behind “Zimbabwe,” meaning stone buildings, reflecting Madondo’s desire to represent her country through a contemporary fashion language. 

Describing herself as a “fashion alchemist”, Madondo explores memory, spirituality and handcraft through her label, Haus of Stone. She treats clothes as an archive capable of carrying histories, while working with slow, regenerative methods and richly tactile textures. Texture is central, honouring the hands, time and knowledge behind each piece. Through the British Council’s Creative DNA programmes, the brand has shown at London Fashion Week and the Intra-African Trade Fair in Egypt. Madondo was a keynote speaker at Africa Textile Talks in 2025. 

WANDA LEPHOTO

Wanda Lephoto returns to CxC for a third time, having first showcased in 2023. Based in Johannesburg, Lephoto is one of the leading designers in the country. His work brings African cultural knowledge into conversation with contemporary tailoring, using research, memory and spirituality to shape an understanding of luxury. Lephoto sees clothing as inheritance: something worn, cared for and eventually passed on. This link between cultural sustainability and each garment’s material life encourages lasting relationships with what we wear. His pieces become treasured collectibles, while the stories behind each collection interrogate South Africa’s history and his own.

Drawing on family photographs, church dress, street culture and the visual codes of everyday South Africa, Lephoto creates clothing that resists a singular idea of ‘African’ design. Co-founder of the influential creative collective The Sartists, he has garnered significant international recognition.

A WONDERLAND IN BLOOM: THE SETTING BECOMES PART OF THE STORY

Mount Nelson’s famed gardens have long played host to CxC, and this year they take
centre stage as the inspiration behind the theme in a refreshing nod to heritage, nature and human craft. 

Set over nine acres, the gardens were already taking shape long before the much-loved Nellie became a hotel. The palm-lined driveway gives way to rolling lawns fringed with roses, fountains and meandering paths that invite a slower pace. A lush celebration of old and new, from the 18th-century oak tree to the kitchen gardens freshly planted with a plethora
of herbs. 

This historic setting has become a canvas for cultural occasions. Sculpture and contemporary art appear among the foliage, while the lawns play host to exhibitions and gatherings. “The calibre and range of designers we’ve brought together for our fifth year of CONFECTIONS X COLLECTIONS is something we’re incredibly proud of,” says General Manager Patrick Fisher. “Each designer has a distinct point of view on our landscape and context, with designs that echo the beauty and character of Mount Nelson’s iconic gardens. It’s a wonderful setting to celebrate African creativity while capturing the spirit of the hotel in a way that feels
truly special.”

THE ORDER OF EVENTS

Alongside each showcase, guests will enjoy a botanical-inspired afternoon tea by Executive Pastry Chef Vicky Gurovich, with confections that echo each designer’s collection.

Tickets to each show are available to purchase for R1 450. Book here .

For reservations or more information on Mount Nelson please contact +27 21 483 100
or email restaurantreservations.mnh@belmond.com