‘Bridgerton’ belles and homes to make you swoon
● It could be a scene from Bridgerton — a damsel in distress after the carriage holding her precious cargo goes awol.
In this case, it wasn’t a horse-drawn coach but rather an Uber that failed to deliver bespoke gowns for glamour gal Blue Mbombo (real name Azul Thando Mbombo) and her twin sister Brown, to be worn at last Saturday’s season three premiere of the smash hit Netflix show.
“It didn’t arrive — I had to fetch it because the Uber lady said she didn’t have data to send me her location and she didn’t have petrol to deliver my dress, so I had to go to where she was to get it,” explained Blue.
The ordeal did have a silver lining — the reality star was the standout belle of the ball, draped in her lilac jewelencrusted Scalo gown, when she finally made her entrance at the soirée, held at Memoire, the pictureperfect wedding and function venue in Muldersdrift, outside Joburg.
Touted as the event of the season, guests from far and wide flew in to celebrate the next instalment of the Shondaland series, which begins showing on the streaming service on Thursday.
Past a carriage and on to the red carpet, I greet actress Dineo Langa (accompanied by her rapper husband Solo), who was tasked with compèring the night’s proceedings.
While Dineo and Solo were wearing their brand Port of LNG, Nigerian actress Sharon Ooja showed up in a dramatic lilac gown by Lagos designer Somo by Somo.
“I am coming dressed as a rebel princess,” announced the Nollywood star.
Sharon is a huge fan of the Regency-era romantic series.
“It’s all about love standing the test of time, love that fights to be seen. It is one of those series that makes you go ‘Aaaah!’” she swooned.
Also on the red carpet was another Nigerian actor who had specially flown in for the premiere, Kunle Remi, and Tanzanian actor and comedian Idris Sultan, whom I had met previously at the Netflix party for the Bridgerton prequel, Queen Charlotte.
The there was screen queen Connie Chiume, popular TV leading man Kwenzo Ngcobo and broadcaster Penny Lebyane.
Down the stairs and through a passageway draped in wisteria and ivy, I come across Elsa Majimbo, who went viral on social media during the pandemic for her snappy monologues, delivered while she snacked on crisps in her bedroom.
“What are you doing in South Africa?” I ask the Kenyan comedian.
“Looking fabulous and being rich — what else?” was her hilarious retort.
In the garden, around the corner from where an a cappella group was serenading us with their rendition of Brenda Fassie’ s hit Vulindlela, tables and loungers were set up near various cocktail bars.
There, guests snacked on canapés such as cranberry and brie bites, tempura prawns with mango and coriander coulis, lamb koftas with cucumber and cumin yoghurt, and those ignited charcoal mini burgers that look and taste great but have an ... ahem ... rather unpleasant morning-after side effect.
Balls are where the Bridgerton set mingle, and one could imagine Queen Charlotte holding court in the hall, replete with velvet sofas and crystal chandeliers, we were ushered into.
There, guests including Umkhokha actress Hope Mbhele, Sophie Ndaba and seasoned actresses Mary Anne Barlow and Natasha Sutherland took in a scene where ballerinas twirled as French amapiano-inspired singer Kazeli performed.
We, though, were in for an even bigger treat when the doors opened and Lady Danbury (or rather actress Adjoa Andoh, who plays the acerbic confidante of Queen Charlotte) waltzed in.
Then off to a sprawling estate neighboured by Steyn City and Dainfern which offers the sort of lush country life that would make a modern-day Bridgerton positively swoon.
On Tuesday afternoon, Helderfontein Estate, set on a pretty Jukskei River embankment, was the location for an exclusive prelude to its upcoming Century HomeShow, which will take place over the next two weekends.
Guests — including glam model and reality TV personality Rosette Ncwana, Marula cheesecake entrepreneur Sonia Booth, chic French-born Florence Meyer, and the Home Channel’s Michael Porter — got first dibs on viewing the six show properties offering a snapshot of the latest interior design trends ahead of the open days.
Picking up a flute of champers, I greet stylish interior designer Bilala Mabuza, who worked on one of the dwellings — this one an entertainer’s dream with a courtyard pool designed by Arte Architects.
Up comes former SuperSport CEO Happy Ntshingila, there in his capacity as a director of construction company W30.
“We did the farmhouse,” explains the serial entrepreneur.
The afternoon saw guests enjoy light snacks — chakalaka and sirloin arancini balls, prawn cocktails with tomato cream, and mini tomato, feta and sweetcorn tarts — in between the official proceedings handled by two of those Real Housewives of Joburg whose names escape me.
We heard from Century Property Developments’ Mark Corbett about the allure of estate living (the precinct includes a Reddam House private school) and learnt which of the houses came tops in categories such as best architecture, interior design and landscaping.
As luck would have it, Happy’s company was part of the consortium, led by architect Louise van der Walt, that took the lion’s share of nods for their property, which cleverly makes the most of the outdoors and boasts a multipurpose loft room. However, I did find the rooms a touch on the small side, and I am not a fan of the main bedroom’s hotelstyle open-plan bathroom.
However, Janet Saaiman, president of the Gauteng Institute for Architecture, explained just why “Showhouse 5” was such a winner.
“It was designed with care — it’s lovely and warm, with every single millimetre thought through carefully,” said the architecture-category judge.