“Made Visible: Contemporary South African Fashion and Identity” celebrates the identities of South Africans historically denied their rights: Xhosa, Ndebele, and Zulu communities; women of color; members of the LGBTQI community; and rural citizens, among others. Many of the artists featured in the exhibition explore the way that clothing communicates identity, documenting the fashion choices of brave individuals challenging the social norms of their times. Others examine how clothing has been used to create or erase cultural identity, or to enforce class divisions.

The design references the graphically striking painted houses of the Ndebele people of South Africa. This same graphic treatment features in the beadwork on display. The platforms take their cue from the traditional neck and leg ornaments of the Ndebele.