In fashion’s ever evolving dialogue with culture, the most compelling brands no longer stop at the runway. They create worlds. Johannesburg based fashion house Naked Ape is the latest to embrace this creative evolution, stepping confidently into music with the release of its debut single, Old Earth, New Runway, a genre blurring collaboration featuring celebrated lyricist Stogie T, alongside rising talents L Tip and La Sauce.
More than a standalone track, Old Earth, New Runway introduces Naked Ape Music, the inaugural release under the brand’s newly launched House of Music banner. It is the opening chapter of the forthcoming Music Capsule project, a sonic companion to the acclaimed Africa Unite/d: The 48 Collection, which made its debut at South Africa Fashion Week in April 2026.
For Naked Ape, music isn’t a marketing exercise. It’s another language through which the brand tells its story.
The original collection explored themes of movement, belonging and continental unity. Inspired by the historic expansion of the global football tournament to 48 participating nations. Where garments translated these ideas into silhouette, texture and craftsmanship, Old Earth, New Runway carries the same narrative into sound, creating an immersive cultural experience that moves seamlessly between fashion and music.
“Music has always been part of how we create,” says Shaldon Kopman, Founder and Creative Director of Naked Ape. “Old Earth, New Runway is the sound of the collection before you ever see it. When you hear it, it should feel like you’re already wearing the future.”
That philosophy is reflected in the track’s carefully curated collaboration. Stogie T, internationally recognised for his lyrical depth and commanding presence, anchors the record with the gravitas of an artist who has helped shape South African hip-hop. Alongside him, L Tipand La Sauce introduce a fresh energy, representing a new generation of African voices. Together, the trio embodies the collection’s central dialogue where heritage meets possibility and tradition confidently walks alongside innovation.
The production itself extends beyond borders. Executive Producer Apiwe Bubu brings international experience gained in Los Angeles and New York while remaining deeply rooted in African storytelling.
“This single is where two worlds meet the old earth we come from and an extension of the new runway,” Bubu explains. “Bringing my experience from Los Angeles and New York into an African context through this project has been incredibly meaningful.”
In an era where luxury increasingly exists across multiple creative disciplines, Naked Ape’s expansion into music feels both timely and authentic. Rather than treating fashion and sound as separate mediums, the brand positions them as complementary expressions of one creative vision. The result is a cultural ecosystem where garments become narratives, music becomes atmosphere and identity becomes an immersive experience.
The launch of Naked Ape Music marks another milestone in the label’s evolution from an independent South African fashion house into a multidimensional cultural brand. Guided by its signature Ethi-Eco² philosophy ethical, ecological and economical, the brand continues to redefine what contemporary African luxury can look and sound like.
As audiences increasingly seek stories that resonate beyond the surface, Old Earth, New Runway arrives as more than a debut single. It is an invitation into the Naked Ape universe, a place where fashion is heard as much as it is seen and where Africa’s creative future is imagined without borders.
Old Earth, New Runway is available now via We Want More, with global distribution through Virgin Music Group, setting the stage for the full Music Capsule project still to come.
Shop Naked Ape Online: www.nakedapeofficial.com
Listen
“Old Earth, New Runway” featuring Stogie T, L Tip and La Sauce is available now on all major streaming platforms via We Want More / Virgin Music Group: https://vmgafrica.lnk.to/OldEarthNewRunwayAr
