The famous Madiba shirt
What you need to know:
Various styles of ‘The Madiba Shirt’ have been worn by great men of our time. Do they know how it came to be?
The Madiba Shirt was a creation for and with Nelson Mandela, who served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, the first to be elected in a fully representative democratic election.
In 1994, the designer Desre Buirski gave a gift of a hand-printed batik shirt to Nelson Mandela’s body guard, with a note saying “Thank you for everything you have done and the sacrifices you have made for our beloved country”. Mandela wore the shirt to the dress rehearsal for the opening of Parliament, and was photographed on the front page of a local newspaper.
After a while Mary, Mxadana ,Mandela’s Personal Assistant called Desre Buirski to make as many printed, embroidered and over 150 hand-painted silk shirts for South Africa’s beloved Madiba. He wore them on the world stage, becoming a global style as well as political icon. The style of the Madiba Shirt evolved as Mandela requested various shirts throughout his time as president.
According to Emmanuel Bagwana of Eguana Fashion House, The Madiba shirt can be worn by people of all age groups. “From young boys to grandfathers, the Madiba shirt looks good in bright shades like yellow blue and lime green. However, it is better worn in African print because of its versatility unlike silk that restricts one to formal occasions.”
Pricewise, the African print ranges from Shs 40,000 to Shs 100,000 whereas silk ranges between 60,000 and Shs 150,000 depending on the detail involved.
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Who made Mandela’s first prominent shirt?
Desre Buirski did.
When did she give the shirt to him?
At a synagogue in Cape Town in 1994 Desre handed the soon-to-be Presidential Shirt to one of Mandela’s bodyguards on May 7, 1994 and two weeks later, he wore the famous ‘Fish Shirt’ in public for the first time — to the dress rehearsal of the opening of South Africa’s first democratic Parliament.
What was Mandela’s first ‘Madiba Shirt’ like?
It was black, hand- painted with fish designs
What was it made of?
Silk and batik art.
What inspired Mandela’s style?
Mandela’s favourite tones were the earthy colours and that’s how the shirts started out, but fittingly they soon branched out into colours “that cover the entire rainbow”.
What did this shirt mean to Mandela?
According to his wife, Graca, was always well dressed, neatly put together. This is as much about personal pride as it is about projecting an image of a man who is confident, successful and trustworthy.
How many shirts did Desre make?
Desre has made over 100 shirts for Madiba. She has also supplied Bruce Springsteen and Stevie Ray Vaughan with her shirts over the years, as well as a host of parliamentarians and ambassadors to South Africa.
