'I owe you an apology': Orlando Pirates fans say sorry to Thebe Magugu

While renowned local designer Thebe Magugu has won hearts on runways as far as Paris and London, his creations caught the ire of Orlando Pirates fans a few weeks ago.

In a recent interview, Magugu said the initial backlash did not bother him too much as he was proud of the designs his team put out. 

“It's the shock of the new, which I have always understood. I am confident in the jersey, so were my partners Adidas and Orlando Pirates, and if you look at opinions now, I have received a number of apologies because the fans are seeing it more IRL [in real life],” he said.

And that they did. The fans have since sent their apologies to the designer having initially criticised his take on the latest iterations of the black and white kit.

Saying he worked directly with Orland Pirates, Magugu got to know the club before designing the kit. He was inspired by their journey as a club founded during apartheid to their success today.

“Their long journey reminded me of a maze, of a labyrinth, and we all know that whether it takes you five minutes or 10 hours to complete, one will get through it. It's this I wanted to memorialise as a print on the jersey. So the skull has been transformed into a maze and I believe fans should use this jersey long after its seasonality as a reminder of the club's beautiful and inspiring journey,” the former LVMH Prize winner said.

He added defying conventional expectations is part of the art of fashion and he is happy Adidas and Orlando Pirates supported the bold risks he took.

“It would’ve been a shame to have no reaction and have people see the kit and [say it's] ‘just another kit’ — this brought up emotions in people, good and bad, which is the point of fashion and art.”