Making Queen Bey's day

11 April 2016 - 02:23 By Leonie Wagner

Most people pay millions for celebrity endorsements, but South African designer Laduma Ngxokolo got his free when Beyoncé posted a picture of his exhibition on her website. This makes the local designer the latest recipient of a "Bey-Blessing". Beyoncé, together with husband Jay-Z and their daughter Blue Ivy Carter, recently visited the Copper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in New York City.Queen Bey later shared a picture of the Port Elizabeth-born fashion designer's work on the exhibition on her website - as one of her "My Life" diary posts.Ngxokolo, currently in London completing his master's degree, couldn't attend the private exhibition launch. Speaking to The Times from London, Ngxokolo said: "It's not every day that a person like Beyoncé recommends an African designer's work and then tells the world about it."It's actually PR that I never paid for and it's invaluable."He said that this would help take the MaXhosa brand global and give it credibility.This is not the first bit of recognition the designer has had. Earlier this year, Ngxokolo's MaXhosa shawl was voted the "Most Beautiful Object in SA" at the Design Indaba."It feels super-epic to get all this recognition," he said.Ngxokolo's designs combine textiles and knitwear using traditional Xhosa beadwork motifs...

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