MARY SIBANDE x PALESA MOKUBUNG: SOPHIE'S CLOSET

Mary Sibande x Palesa Mokubung: Sophie’s Closet

A collaboration by Mary Sibande and Palesa Mokubung of Mantsho

Sophie at the Opera — Dressed in Mantsho marks a landmark collaboration between celebrated visual artist Mary Sibande and award-winning fashion designer Palesa Mokubung, founder of Mantsho. At the heart of Sibande’s practice stands her iconic avatar, Sophie, a figure who has journeyed from the uniform of servitude into a vision of splendour and possibility. Once rooted in the humble attire of domestic service, Sophie now stands resplendent in couture, embodying the triumph of reimagined narratives and the audacity of Black women’s dreams.

Sophie’s Closet presents a Mantsho collection inspired by the interplay of art and fashion, an intimate encounter with the artistry and craftsmanship that shape her world. Operatic and transformative, the collection stands as a powerful emblem of histories confronted and futures reimagined.

Through this collaboration, Sophie becomes both muse and medium; a living canvas through which the dialogue between sculpture, fashion, and storytelling unfolds. Her reappearance inaugurates Sophie’s Social Calendar, a new chapter in her evolving narrative where she graces cultural spaces, private gatherings, and moments of collective imagination with commanding poise.

For enquiries please contact gallery@everard.co.za