Fashion_The Image: African Fashion Photography in Focus (February - May 2026)

Fashion_The Image is a major photographic exhibition presented by the Inside Out Foundation, in collaboration with Wanted Magazine and the African Fashion Research Institute. The exhibition explores how fashion imagery has shaped visual culture in South Africa and across the African continent. Conceived as a wide-ranging survey of the medium over the past five decades, the exhibition brings together photography, film, installation and archival material to position fashion imagery as a powerful cultural and commercial force.

Curated by Sharon Armstrong in partnership with Aspasia Karras, Editor of Wanted Magazine, and developed in collaboration with Dr Erica de Greef and Ayabukwa Magocoba of the African Fashion Research Institute, the exhibition brings together leading photographers and filmmakers including Pieter Hugo, Kristin-Lee Moolman, Nadine Ijewere and Nontsikelelo Veleko, alongside influential designers such as Thebe Magugu, Rich Mnisi and Viviers. A dedicated presentation of work by Koto Bolofo further anchors the exhibition within a global photographic lineage, highlighting African authorship and long-term influence on the fashion image.

Foregrounding both the image and the industry behind it, Fashion_The Image recognises fashion photography as a collaborative practice, bringing into view the stylists, editors, producers and creative teams that shape each work. Presented across multiple formats and supported by a robust public and educational programme, the exhibition extends beyond aesthetics to consider identity, place and visual storytelling, positioning Johannesburg as a key site for the production and critical engagement of fashion imagery on the continent.