A-LIST SHEEN TURNS GREEN
Sustainable socialites come out to play
A year and four days. That’s how long it’s been since I last slipped on a suit to cover the social goings-on for this column. And while pre-lockdown the occasion was celebrating the often unsung heroes of the entertainment scene, this time I masked up and headed out of the cocoon to cover an exhibition casting light on an issue which will plague us long after the pandemic. The Fashion Reimagined Sustainability Designer Showcase, which opened on Thursday afternoon at Sandton City’s Diamond Walk in
Joburg, aims to highlight how what we choose to wear can make a difference to the planet and help address climate change. This is a subject close to my heart. What many of you might not know is that when not chitchatting with celebs, I’m a bit of a sustainability activist through my ethical fashion label, Fundudzi.
In that vein, Fundudzi was one of five local brands asked to showcase our take on clothing with a conscience by the mall, which recently received Green Star ratings by the Green Building Council of SA. Enough about me, you’ll want to know about the other designers, and the first I spot is Hangwani Nengovhela, whose label, Rubicon, has long been a fixture in the local fashion realm.
Hangwani contributed two gowns in biodegradable cotton poplin to the installation.
Activism runs strongly in Hangwani’s veins — her father, Azwifarwi Dick Ralushayi, who passed away earlier this month, was a founding member of the Black People’s Convention.
From Hangwani on to someone who, with his propensity for OTT couture, isn’t someone you’d associate with sustainability. However, it turns out that Gert-Johan Coetzee hasn’t only changed his hair colour from blond to electric blue: the king of bling now incorporates fabric harvested from recycled PET bottles into his designs.
On to reconnecting with businesswoman Johanna Mukoki, who works in an industry grounded for most of the lockdown.
“It’s slowly picking up,” said the MD of travel management company Travel with Flair.
“It was blood on the carpet, but thankfully our corporate clients kept us afloat.”
Intriguingly, while Jo was sporting a massive rock on her right hand, her left was noticeably naked.
Then it was catching up with environmentalist Catherine Constantinides, there with her sister, Ella Bella.
Last week Catherine hosted another do with a green bent — a virtual launch and panel discussion for Nescafé Ricoffy to trump up news that the chicory brand now boasts 100% responsibly sourced coffee beans.
One celeb who dressed the part was TV presenter Kim Jayde, who wore a frock made from Checkers plastic bags, a clever stunt arranged by the event organisers Zebra Square to drill home the day’s message.
On to the exhibition, and dotted around this swish part of the mall, home to luxury brands like Cartier, Louis Vuitton and the nouveau riche-loving Gucci, you will be able to view the designs, which also include displays of recyclable plastic, paper bags and other packaging materials crafted by floral genius Franz Grabe and his team, as well as creations by two other designers, Lezanne Viviers and Lara Klawikowski.
I was particularly taken with Lara’s work, which sees the Cape Town-based creative rework plastic refuse bags into wedding gowns — a feat for which she recently won two Twyg Sustainable Fashion awards.
The day’s host was Jackie May, the founder of the nonprofit behind the awards — and who chatted to the four of us designers present about our process as part of the event’s official proceedings.
You can’t not mention Covid-19 protocols when covering a social do these days, and in that regard, despite the large open space, there were fewer than 50 guests.
Sanitisers were aplenty and we all made sure our masks were kept in place except for when sipping on bottles of Peroni or posing for pics — at a safe distance, of course!
And as for the grub?
Pass-around snacks are a social no-no these days — instead, we were handed cute takeaway gourmet boxes by Just Teddy, which included pesto salad, ciabatta with cheeses and a delicious dessert cannoli.