SA model takes NY Fashion Week by storm
All the way from Polokwane, Wilhrisca Britz strutted her stuff for US and local designers
● Polokwane model Wilhrisca Britz has had a busy New York Fashion Week (NYFW), having modelled for several auxiliary runway shows, including ones by renowned New York couturier Evan Hirsch and South African designer Onwaba Mleve of Zazi Fashion.
Runway 7 is a separate industry-based event that runs in parallel to the NYFW official schedule and promotes cultural diversity. It features an exclusive selection of international designers working in a global collective and was held at Sony Hall in New York City.
The 1.79m-tall Britz, also known by her first name Risca, is back for a second visit to the Big Apple, after having taken to the catwalk during NYFW in September 2023. “I’ve had a very busy season modelling for fashion presentations such as Break Free NYFW, Evan Hirsch and Zazi Fashion,” she said.
“When I was at Runway 7 for Zazi, I was looking for Onwaba when another designer grabbed me in a bit of a panic and asked me if I could model in her show, as one of the models couldn’t make it at the last minute. So I ran backstage and modelled in her show as well!
“I put on their outfits, did the runway, got off the runway, ran straight to Zazi and changed outfits, and got to the runway just in time to line up. That was quite an experience.”
Mleve praised Britz for her “take charge” attitude. “You would swear we had met before she got there on the day of fittings. Risca helped me dress the other models — every time I needed something and information on where to get it, she was there.”
Mleve, from East London, said she was thrilled with the audience response to her runway collection. “The show was beautiful, the experience was out of this world, and the audience just sealed it. Seeing everyone clapping to our African songs was overwhelming — especially because I was fearful of having empty seats, as we came from far away and are lesser known in the US than some of the other designers. But it was a full house, and everything went so well.”
Britz said the Zazi Fashion mbaco Xhosa fabric outfit she wore was “drop-dead gorgeous”.
“I felt like an African queen, and it fit perfectly. I loved the colour of the gown. I can’t wait until she [Mleve] returns in September for the next season.”
Britz swapped traditional dress for more action-style garments in Hirsch’s The Last Epoch collection, which was inspired by battles and previous eras and bridged the divide between fantasy gaming and fashion.
Hirsch — a fashion designer, entrepreneur and TV personality who has more than half a million followers on TikTok — has been slated as a top young designer to watch out for in Vogue Business.
He became famous for his innovative transformational fashion that changes flowing evening gowns in less than a second.
Britz said she was planning a trip home in March to visit her family and sort out some paperwork. “I’m busy opening up a modelling academy and agency here in New York, like I used to have in SA. I’m going to cater to a diverse range of models from the ages of six to 60 — male, female, and without a set standard of requirements. So I have to go back to SA to set up. My main goal is to focus on the designer, their collections and the models that need training.”
This season, she was encouraged to dye her hair from her former pink to a light chestnut brown. “I really miss my pink hair, but I guess I can always purchase a pink wig and wear that if I really want to. The brown hair is more marketable, and my agent suggested it, so I can always go back to the pink later.”