M’Afrique Collection by Moroso: Colour as a Living Weave at Milan Design Week

For the upcoming Milan Design Week, Moroso revisits one of its most emblematic collections, the M’Afrique collection by Moroso, with an intervention that reframes rather than reinvents. Introduced locally by True Design, this evolution is not about new forms, but an intensification of presence—distilled into a singular, expressive gesture: colour.

At the centre of this renewed vision is Shadowy, the project by Tord Boontje, now revealed through previously unseen chromatic variations. These new palettes heighten its scenographic quality and deepen its narrative resonance. The woven surfaces, long celebrated for their organic rhythm and ethereal lightness, are transformed into living compositions—animated by saturated hues, unexpected juxtapositions, and luminous gradients. Here, colour transcends ornamentation. It constructs, delineates, and reveals, becoming both structure and story.

Since its debut in 2009 as an outdoor collection, the M’Afrique collection by Moroso has remained anchored in a profound dialogue with craftsmanship. Each piece is brought to life in Dakar at Atelier M’Afrique, where artisans, guided by Abdou Salam Gaye, handweave plastic threads commonly used for fishing nets. Through techniques that are both inherited and reimagined, a humble material is elevated into intricate structures. Variations and irregularities are not flaws, but markers of authenticity—each one contributing to the individuality of the object. True Design continues to champion this craftsmanship by bringing such globally significant collections to South Africa.

Within Shadowy, this artisanal knowledge manifests as a pattern reminiscent of natural, almost vegetal forms. The weave filters light, casting ever-shifting shadows that animate the surrounding space. With the introduction of new colour palettes, this interplay becomes more pronounced: surfaces gain depth, geometries pulse with vibrancy, and each piece evolves into a dynamic chromatic landscape.

In this context, colour emerges as both language and material—a tool that forges a deeper relationship between object and environment, observer and surface. Each composition suggests a distinct atmosphere, from the grounded warmth of earth tones to the electrified shimmer of light-infused hues.

As Patrizia Moroso reflects, Africa exists for her as an emotional terrain—imbued with vitality and boundless beauty. This sensibility permeates the collection’s renewed interpretation, where the M’Afrique collection by Moroso continues to serve as a site of encounter: between design and gesture, culture and material, memory and contemporaneity.

Alongside Shadowy, the broader M’Afrique collection—shaped over time by international designers including Marc Thorpe, Ron Arad, Martino Gamper, and Sebastian Herkner—unfolds as a richly layered design landscape. Each contribution adds to a cohesive yet evolving system, one that remains open to transformation without losing its identity. Through True Design, these globally recognised design narratives are made accessible within the South African context.

In this latest chapter, Moroso, in collaboration with partners like True Design, offers not a departure, but an invitation: to look closer, to linger within the intricacies of the weave, and to discover how, within its detail, an entire universe of colour comes into being.

Through its curated portfolio, True Design continues to bring the world’s most authentic and forward-thinking design brands to South Africa.