Celebville came out in style and in numbers to show off their stylish and not-so-stylish designer outfits at the Hollywood Durban July yesterday, with some such as DJ Tira opting to land in style at the racecourse.
High fashion is known to be synonymous with the July, which is known for attracting visitors worldwide.
It was the battle of who was able to ride the fashion waves and crash on the seashore while others completely missed or ignored the theme of the day at the Greyville Racecourse in Durban.
It was quite evident that some drew inspiration from the vibrant coral reefs found in the wavy ocean and marine life. Guests were treated to thrilling races with the horses galloping all day in the scorching sun.
Attendees’ outfits reflected their personal wave as they gushed with elegance, roared with confidence and crashed with a statement impossible to ignore.
This year for the first time fashion design students from across KwaZulu-Natal provided judges with a glimpse of their artistic and creative interpretations of the official “Ride the Wave” theme for Durban’s premier race day.
All the young designers pulled out all their stops and put their best foot forward. The ultimate winner walked away with a R50 000 bursary.
The beautiful sunny weather made for a conducive afternoon of parting and socialising. The sun was shining, and the fashion was radiating, attendees came out in their best attire, embodying the day’s theme.
Sunday World caught up with well-known designers who always seize the opportunity to dress some of South Africa’s top celebrities ahead of yesterday’s gig.
These included Sello Medupe of Scalo Designs, who has made a mark in the fashion industry and has dressed some of South Africa’s biggest stars,
Sihle Masango, known as Sihle the Designer, had the honour of playing around with his talent by dressing up Lamiez Holworthy, Mohale Motaung, Doro Mongy, Phuti Khomo, Mawhoo, Nikko Toogood, Alicia Shonisani and Babalwa M.
Masango said as a designer he is always pushing the envelope in terms of construction, detail and interpretation.
“A lot of the people reached out a month ago, ahead of the event, to discuss the design ideas for the collaboration.
“We were playing around with the idea of getting washed up on the beach and got inspired by the shapes and motions of the water as it covers the rocks and recedes back into the ocean,” said Masango.
Masango elaborated that he was inspired by the colours of the different depths of the ocean as seen from a distance.
“The theme was quite interesting, we are referencing childhood favourite cartoons like The Little Mermaid, exploring new fabric manipulation techniques and playing with gradient embellishments to emulate the scattering and refraction of light in the ocean. I’m thrilled about the fabrics too, the iridescent on some of them are breathtaking.”
Gert Coetzee was the brains behind Metro FM presenter and DJ Lerato Kganyago’s beautiful denim-inspired crystals and pearls outfit.
Coetzee said the garment is extremely different for the Hollywood Durban July.
“What I liked the most about it is that I managed to combine fashion and technology so there are 3-D printed elements on the outfit and it is interesting and unique for this particular event,” said Coetzee.
Zamaswazi Nkosi, who dressed up former The Wife actors Mbalenhle Mavimbela and Kwenzo Ngcobo, said he drew inspiration from the graceful movement of the ocean waves and the dynamic energy of surfacing culture.
Nkosi collaborated with celebrity stylist Phupho Gumede to help bring Ngcobo’s outfit to life.
“My vision was to try incorporating fluid lines flowing fabrics and subtle aquatic motifs, to capture the essence of the ocean allure and the spirited nature of polo.
“Each design element was carefully curated to evoke a sense of freedom movement and timeless sophistication,” said Ngcobo.
