Lesela as Calico Workshop(s): Pattern Magic II - Joburg
Art & Culture
Sat, 10 Oct · 18:00 · Transwerke Creative Hub Conhill
Sam Hancock Street, Braampark
R3750
The African Fashion Research Institute (AFRI) presents Lesela as Calico Workshop Series. A hands-on fashion workshop series exploring process based ways of knowing through physical engagement and collaborative acts of making as creative, speculative and decolonial practice. Lesela as Calico Workshop Series are part of AFRI’s ongoing effort to move decolonial theory into practice. Referencing the Sesotho and Swahili word for cloth, the Lesela as Calico workshop Series centre indigenous African textiles as sites of innovation, challenging colonial perceptions of material, value, process work and design. Building on the Pattern Magic II workshop piloted by AFRI in Kampala earlier this year, the Johannesburg edition invites participants to explore alternative approaches to clothing construction through drawing, making, experimentation and collective learning. Rather than approaching fashion education as something that happens solely through books and established systems, Lesela as Calico encourages participants to think with their hands and develop knowledge through practical engagement. Across six weeks, participants will work with part 1 of the seminal text, Pattern Magic II by Tomoko Nakamichi, as a starting point for exploring unconventional pattern-making techniques. They will create their own body forms using everyday discarded materials, develop and adapt patterns to these forms, and work through the process of translating two-dimensional patterns into three-dimensional garments. This specific series culminates in a material exploration using heritage fabrics sourced from around the African continent. Working with materials including West African fabrics; Aso Oke, Adire, Gara and Kente, participants will consider how pattern, material, body and cultural context intersect. The use of continental textiles also creates an opportunity to think about Pan-African exchange through the act of making. Participants will be led by the multidisciplinary designer/researcher, Lethabo Xulu including the renowned Fashion Designer and founder of Floyd Avenue, Floyd Morapedi . Workshop Details: Dates: 10 October – 31 November 2026 Location: Transwerke Studios, Braamfontein, Johannesburg Workshop Fee: R3750.00 pp What you get when you sign up for the workshop: 1 x Online session. 3 x IRL guided pattern-making sessions with experienced professionals. 1 x Guided textile tour (Textile purchases not included). An intimate learning cohort (10 participants). No prior qualifications required. Light snacks at each IRL session. AFRI-Lab Workshop Certificate upon completion. Workshop Session Dates: 30 Sep (18h00-20h00) - Online Introductions and presentations. 10 Oct (11h00-17h00) - Session One at Transwerke Studios. 24 Oct (11h00-17h00) - Session Two at Transwerke Studios. 07 Nov (13h00-16h00) - Field Trip: Rosebank African Craft Market. 21 Nov (11h00-17h00) - Final session at Transwerke Studios. There is a limited number of spots available for this workshop. Please complete the form below to book your spot. Please reachout to Lesiba at lesiba@afri.digital if you'd like to arrange alternative payment terms. The workshop series forms part of AFRI-Lab, the African Fashion Research Institute's ongoing programme of practice-based research and experimentation in fashion, clothing and textile knowledge.
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