Who needs a shirt at a pec-fest like this?
● Fancy a night out with a troupe of hunky cover guys showing off their pecs at a sweeping water’s edge venue?
Throw in a rugged Dutch model flown in to promote a new international scent and the wife of the founder of one of the world’s biggest sneaker brands.
The occasion?
This year’s instalment of the Men’s Health Menswear Collections, which was held on Thursday evening at Grand Africa Café and Beach in Cape Town’s Granger Bay.
This was a night which saw me wear two hats — one, covering the social goings-on for this column, and the other showcasing a collection under my clothing label Fundudzi.
Backstage, I say hello to a bloke who covers the mag’s spring/summer guide to style.
That’s doctor cum Top Billing TV presenter and Mr World runner-up Fezile Mkhize.
Then up front and into the throng of guests where I spot actress Catriona Andrew and her beau, Nicolas Schwartz.
Now that their daughter Kenzi has turned eight, Catriona is back in the acting swing of things, having notched up roles in two Afrikaans dramas, with another gig on a long-running series in the offing.
On to meeting Rein Langeveld, whose mug is plastered all over the venue as the face of luxury company Montblanc’s new scent, Explorer. I learn that Rein is a regular to our shores since he first visited here on a “wave sailing trip” when he was 17 years old. Next I meet another Hollander who flew in to the event: Caroline van Wezel, whose husband Frank founded the HiTec footwear brand back in 1974.
The Van Wezels sold the company in 2016 for a reported $95.8m but kept its African rights and went on to buy Italian golf shoes co, Duca del Cosma.
Moving Duca into a more lifestyle direction, they signed on to show at the Men’s Health event — and asked me to provide the kit to complement the kicks.
This was the first time I had met Caroline, though, and we chatted about one legendary Hi-Tec wearer: Nelson Mandela, who wore the sneakers during his time on Robben Island. Madiba’s pair is now proudly displayed in their Stellenbosch branch.
Who else pitched up? Folk like singer Jimmy Nevis; Ewan Strydom, who is enjoying staying up late now that he doesn’t have to get up at the crack of dawn as the host of breakfast TV show Expresso; yogaloving model mom Lisa Cowley and cosmetic queen Cindy Nell-Roberts.
And as for the show before we all grooved to international DJ Karrouhat?
Other local labels Palse Homme and Frank Bespoke joined Superdry, Adidas and Polo on the ramp. But what really got the audience amped was the pectoral fest which saw Fez and cover stars like Suidooster’s Eden Classens strut their stuff topless on stage.