2020-04-01 Forbes Africa

36 | FORBES AFRICA APRIL 2020 FORBESAFRICA.COM

ANWARBOUGROUG,29,MOROCCO

FOUNDERANDCREATIVE DIRECTOR, BOUGROUG

INDUSTRY:FASHION

Moroccois hometoverydiversecoasts,remarkablearchitecture,intricate

handmadeculturalpieces,andit is alsohometoa youngdesignermaking

a nameforhimselfthankstohisinnovationanduniquevisionforfashion.

AnwarBougrougfoundeda genderlessfashionlabelin 2017 called

Bougroug.

Sincetheunisexfashionmovementthathasbeengainingmomentum

inrecentyearsandasgenderfluiditybecomesmorenormalized,

Bougrougis pushingboundariesbybeingoneofthefewpromotingthis

trendinthenorthAfricancountryknownforitsconservativepeople.

“Wearebreakingthegenderbinaryandgenderrolesbyrepresenting

a newkindofindividual,freerthaneverfromsocietalnormsandrules,”

hesays.

Whatstartedoutasa personalprojecttotackletoxicmasculinityand

empowerwomenintheregionbecamea visiblecreativefashionhouse.

Witheveryitemuniquelyhandcrafteddowntotheverylastthread

byMoroccanartisans,Bougrougincorporateslong-standingMoroccan

craftingtechniques.

HavingrootsbothinMoroccoandEurope,Bougroughasbeenableto

workwithdifferentcompaniessuchasH&MandBershka,designing and

developingcollectionsforwomen,men,kidsandbabies.

BougroughasitsheadofficeinStockholm,Sweden,andthe

productionofficeinMarrakech.Lastyear,Bougrougdecidedtoamplify

hissocialagendatowriteaboutsexuality, gender-based violence, politics,

fashion and society in Morocco.

PIETER-STEPHDUTOIT,27,

SOUTHAFRICA

RUGBYPLAYER

INDUSTRY:SPORTS

Beingthegrandsonofformerprofessionalrugbyplayer,

SpringbokpropPietSpiereduToit,andolderbrother

toJohan,alsoa professionalrugbyplayer,expectations

arehightocarryonthefamilylegacy.

ButPieter-StephduToitisdoingwell.

HehailsfromthefarmareaofSwartland,a regionin

SouthAfrica’sWesternCapeprovince,andhasbecome

a superstarinrugby.

Lastyear,hewasawardedthe 2019 Men'sWorld

RugbyPlayeroftheYearandSARugbyPlayerofthe

YearaftertheSpringboks’victoryatthe 2019 Rugby

WorldCup.

“Pieter-StephledthechargefortheSpringboksand

hedeservesthisaccoladetogowithhisWorldPlayerof

theYearAward,”saysMarkAlexander,presidentofSA

Rugby,ina pressstatement.

DuToitplaysasa lockorflankerfortheSouthAfrica

nationalteamandtheStormersinSuperRugby.

Accordingtorugbypass.com, hehassuccessfullywon

90%ofhistackles,aneasyfeatforthistwo-metertall

and119kggiant.

WiththeWorldCuptriumphnowfirmlyinthepast,

DuToitlooksforwardtotwomassivegoalshehasset

forhimself.

Oneofthoseistoplayinthe 2021 British&Irish

Lionstour,whiletheotheristowinSuperRugbywith

the Stormers in the franchise's final year at Newlands.

Wearebreakingthegenderbinaryand

genderrolesbyrepresentinga new

kindof individual,freerthan ever from

societal norms and rules.

Photos supplied; Photo by Emily Nkanga