Mr. Xorlali Plange

Mr. Xorlali Plange is a costume designer, fashion scholar, and educator whose work spans theatre, opera, dance, film, and fashion. He has designed over 30 productions in Ghana and the United States. His theatre designs include Queen (African Grove Theatre, 2025), The House That Will Not Stand (Walker Theatre, 2024), Atobra (ETS Drama Studio, 2021) among others. His work extends to dance—Broken Walls(Tisch Dance, 2023), When Women Move (Alliance Française, 2022), and Aya (National Theatre of Ghana, 2019)—as well as opera; Visions in Drag (African Grove Theatre, Woodlawn Operas, 2025) Aging Gracefully, It’s Noon, and Windy (American Opera Lab, 2024). His film credits include The Wrath of Othell-yo (TriBeCa Film Festival) and Untouched.

As a scholar, Plange researches African material culture, global Black women’s sartorial practices, and the intersections of adornment with economics, technology, and labor history. He has presented internationally, curated exhibitions, and premiered a documentary on Ghanaian wax prints. A recipient of the Judy Dearing Design Award (2025) and the WIEA Exceptional Designer Under 25 Award (2023), he also founded the fashion house Xorlali Plange, serving women across West Africa and the diaspora.