Saturday Star

Versace break is music to the ears

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IF LOCAL music duo FAKA weren’t wearing sunglasses while sitting in the front row for the latest fashion offering of an internatio­nal brand, the esteemed attendees might have seen them tear up.

The South Africans were about to burst into tears of joy as they listened to the music being blasted away while some of the world’s top models strutted their stuff for the Versace Spring/ Summer ‘19 show in Milan last weekend.

“We wanted to scream but we had to compose ourselves,” said one half of the music pair Buyani Duma, known as Desire Marea in the music world.

“Luckily we wear sunglasses because we were both tearyeyed,” added his musical partner Thato Ramaisa, also known as Fela Gucci. “We were definitely crying tears of joy on the inside.”

Speaking to the Saturday Star from Milan this week, the musicians said they couldn’t believe Kendall Jenner, Bella Hadid and Imaan Hammam took to the catwalk while their hit song Uyang’khumbula was playing.

In three days, the South African musicians and art performers said their lives were turned upside down when they were approached by the Italian fashion house’s head, Donatella Versace, to use their music for her fashion show.

It was an offer that 27-yearold Katlehong-born Ramaisa, and Duma, from Kwazulu-natal, couldn’t refuse. “The Versace team emailed us last Wednesday with a request to use our music for the show,” said Ramaisa. “We immediatel­y said yes.”

Apart from their music being used as the soundtrack for the fashion show at the famous Palazzo Versace, the pair were also given VIP access to the show, where they go to meet Donatella herself.

“Meeting Donatella was excellence resonating with excellence,” said Marea.

The designer took them on a tour of her late brother Gianni’s mansion, where the fashion show was held. “During the tour she told us that our music is contempora­ry and that she loved it,” said Marea.

The luxury Italian brand could have chosen any artist or musical group with US hip-hop trio Migos even dedicating a song to Versace, but FAKA reckons that their music provided the perfect soundtrack for the event.

“I think Donatella chose us because we represent what is happening in culture. We represent the non-conformist­s in society. I think that Donatella felt that connection,” said Marea.

The queer advocates and provocateu­rs’ music is acclaimed for its daring, catchy and nonconform­ist style which is heavily influenced by the gay scene in South Africa.

The latest Versace offering also drew inspiratio­n from different male archetypes, including street style, high fashion and even the boardroom executive.

This is how music and fashion blend at the seams for FAKA. “Both are a form of expression,” added Marea.

The duo said the show gave them incredible exposure as Donatella even tagged them in all the fashion house’s social media posts for the collection.

“This put our careers where they need to be,” said Ramaisa.

 ??  ?? The sensationa­l FAKA duo with Donatella Versace.
The sensationa­l FAKA duo with Donatella Versace.
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