Not your granny’s Woolworths collection
● The biannual clothes circus came to town this week when South African Fashion Week shone a light on what designers see us wearing next season.
Yep, we might be only starting to slip on our jerseys, but fashion is already in Spring/Summer
2018 mode, with the first show out of the gates the Style By SA collections from Woolworths, held atop Sandton City’s fancy Protea Court.
One of the first people I spy is someone I expected to find backstage putting the final touches to his garments. Instead, Rich Mnisi — one of five labels showing under the umbrella — is handing out tickets.
The cool kid, though, isn’t looking too flustered, and is nicely kitted out in black pants, one of those trendy waist-slung purses and a fire-engine red poloneck jumper.
Elsewhere, SAFW convenor and founder Lucilla Booyzen is holding court among a coterie of creatives, like photographer Merwelene van der Merwe, when in walks another cool sort, rapper Da Les, in Milanese label Palm Angels.
Also arriving is dapper man about town Maps Maponyane, who pooh-poohs Twitterville’s wedding plans for him and his fairer half, Nomzamo Mbatha.
“They’re going to be very disappointed. It’s going to be a long time,” he says.
Sorry, guys.
Elsewhere I spot Kisua’s Allana Foster Finley and events supremo Jill Grogor, and greet that comedic couple whose much-missed reality programme is no longer on the box: Tol Ass Mo and wife Mome Nale.
Mo and Mome look like they’ve stepped out in their PJs, and I compliment Mome on her clutch, which was picked out by their four-year-old, Khumo Panda, who, would you believe, has more followers than I do on my @craigbjacobs Instagram account (yep, that’s a shameless punt).
Walking to my front-row seat, I say hello to Woolies’ Shaheda Sayed (wearing a cute head wrap with her boring black ensemble) and my pick for one of the most beautiful women in the land: Top Billing presenter Ayanda Thabethe who, surprise, is not wearing a ballgown for a change.
Up comes another striking lass to introduce herself, and it turns out to be actress K Naomi, wearing a smart pink and black ensemble by Matte Nolim, a young designer to watch.
On to the show, and we’re treated to collections by Rich, Thebe Magugu, Sindiso Khumalo, Young & Lazy and new inclusion Wanda Lephoto, who wows us with a collection including a must-have rendition of the ANC’s green, black and gold in a men’s tee. (Woolies, can’t wait to see that piece in store!)
Not so moved by the slogan apparel that closed the show and featured messages like “Africa Now”, a variation of a phrase popularised by stylist Papama Ramogase on her T-shirt range ages ago.
A Woolies do isn’t complete without the food, and we were treated to poppers with chipotle sour cream and pear salsa, nifty mac and cheese deep-fried fritters and beef sliders with Korean kimchi mayo.
I was bowled over by the Meringue Tunnel, which took caterer Sasha Simpson of Prep’ed by Sasha five days to whip up and six hours to set up.