Sheli Masondo represented African costume design at San Diego Comic-Con 2025, joining ISBCD’s More Than Capespanel. Fresh from her work on Shaka iLembe, Masondo shared insights into culturally rooted materials, collaborative craftsmanship, and costume as storytelling, marking a significant global moment for African design.

Sheli Masondo Represents African Costume Design At San Diego Comic Con

South African costume designer Sheli Masondo took African costume design to a global platform at San Diego Comic-Con 2025, joining the panel More Than Capes: Costume Creates Character, presented by the International Society of Black Costume Designers (ISBCD). The panel featured leading Black costume designers including Antoinette Messam, Gersha Phillips, Charlese Antoinette, Lauren Miller, with Masondo representing Africa alongside other international creatives.

“It’s a whirlwind of emotions at the moment, with excitement and nerves all at once,” Masondo said. “I’m thrilled to be here at the event itself, Comic Con 2025 San Diego. It’s an honour to have my costume design work on Shaka iLemberecognised, and to be sharing a panel with internationally award-winning costume designers is incredibly special.”

Masondo’s Comic-Con appearance follows her acclaimed work on Shaka iLembe, the South African historical drama chronicling the rise of the Zulu nation. Her costume designs have become central to the series’ cultural and visual impact, rooted in material authenticity and African craftsmanship.

“For Shaka iLembe, we used natural or organic materials closely associated with those used in the era of the story,” she explained. “Goat and Nguni hide, leather, wood, bone, horns, feathers, grass, tree bark, handwoven cotton, and brass.” She noted that sourcing was local and deliberate: “We sourced these from tanners in Pietermaritzburg and Krugersdorp, and handpicked our woods and grasses.”

Balancing research with creative interpretation was essential. “Since many characters’ clothing isn’t well documented in written or oral histories, we had to maintain traditional silhouettes and culturally relatable elements, while also taking creative liberties so the modern viewer could connect.” This approach was especially visible in Queen Ntombazi’s Season 2 costumes. “With every king she had killed, she used body parts to create costume pieces like the ribcage she wore in episode six,” Masondo said.

The production process was extensive. “Ntombazi’s Season 2 cape took three months to craft. Queen Nandi’s took five,” she noted. “That does not include the trial and error period.” Collaboration was key: “Three different crafters created [King Zwide kaLanga’s] headgear alone, and four worked on his body gear.”

Masondo emphasised the role of costuming in performance. “I must commend the actors. The trust they had in me and the process was remarkable,” she recalled, citing Dawn Thandeka’s reflection: “With every single layer you place on me, I feel the spirit of the character settling in.”

Her participation was presented by ISBCD, an organisation spanning multiple countries and focused on advancing costume design through education and mentorship. “ISBCD is honoured to have Sheli Masondo represent African costume design at Comic-Con,” said president Antoinette Messam.

Looking ahead, Masondo reflected on the future of the Shaka iLembe costumes. “They’re costly to preserve… But I believe they should go on tour, exhibited around the world at art fairs and heritage commemorations. They deserve to be seen.”

Featured Image(s): Supplied