Get to Know – rising star Kagiso Mogola on his journey to living life to the fullest
From being a fashion enthusiast to an influencer that is taking the streets by storm, Kagiso Mogola is fast on the rise of media influence. And with a diverse portfolio of modeling, DJing, and advocacy work, we take a deeper dive into what makes Kagiso tick.
Get to know the person behind the brand.
Kagiso, who hails from Pretoria’s Soshanguve, has dedicated his career to creating a safe space for queer kids, something that he felt he did not have while growing up. A face to identify with and feel safe by.
Growing up and accepting who he is proved to be a difficult journey due to the whirlwind of stereotypes that existed.
When he was way younger, the idea of being a fashion designer was imbedded deep in his heart, but talks of that career being only for gays was so abounding that his young self quickly distanced himself from his heart’s desire.
“I mean, I was only in grade 4, if not 3, and at that time all I could think about was that I did not want to be considered gay. I quickly moved to wanting to study architecture, but that didn’t sit well with me, so my next option was interior design,” he said.
But the change within him was there, slowly bubbling up, and even with a loving family around, he just did not know what to make of things.
And with growth comes revelations of who we all are. Mogola was not the exception, saying: “I realized that I was gay in grade 9 but only had the guts to come out in grade 10. That meant coming out to my family and friends, but the two years prior to me coming out, those were the worst years of my life.
“The sudden change in accepting myself and transitioning into who I felt most authentic as—moving from my straight era—felt like everything was crumbling but in hindsight that was an opportunity for me to rebuild. Accepting myself allowed me to flourish in my desires. And to think that many years ago, fashion in grades 3 and 4 was a desire I could not properly articulate, and now having the opportunity to exist in those spaces in one way or the other speaks to the power of acceptance. When you accept yourself, that is the first battle won” said Mogola.
So what makes him tick is authenticity, and he hopes his brand speaks to that.
“I hope my brand represents freedom and originality—while also highlighting the truth of how difficult this journey is. We are still faced with stereotypes and judgment, but what matters the most is understanding that we live once, and that you have to be the full version of yourself now. Not tomorrow, now.”
Mogola also shares that for him to flourish in his identity, it took a village of support, citing his friends Coachella Randy and Kamo WW as having played a huge role in allowing him to be himself.
“My God, those two have been amazing to me. They have given me space and time to come out of my shell because I was very introverted in the beginning, even when we started the show. They helped me to gradually find my own voice and created such a comfortable, conducive environment for that to happen. And that is one of the biggest things that contributed to my career and my life, generally. I was just given the space to be the best version of myself— to stay true to my personality and the idea that I had of myself.
This also speaks to why he is a firm believer of supporting others in whatever they believe in and as far away as he might be from the masses, he reiterates his hope of his brand being a support structure for others.
“Find those people for yourself and grow with them. That is where it starts,” said Mogola.