Nelson Mandela Square was the place to be last night for fashionistas or influencers worth their salt. Yep, it was day 1 of the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Joburg.

Naturally, there were misses and fashion moments that we’ll cherish into the next season. Here are some of my favourites:

The Intern(s) by David Tlale.

Cindy Mfabe

The collection is easy and cool, the silhouette is conveniently flexible, it’s made for comfort. It is clearly a dream of what her future should look like and I responded well to that. It was fluid and very monochromatic.

Mmuso Potsane

Some of the garments had layered fabric or intercrossed other fabrics and that created interesting silhouettes. The layering was interesting because in spring/summer no one really thinks of that element ( it is very winter aligned) but it didn’t look odd. It was just magical, a daring situation like that stole the show.

Siposihle Masanga

It was all about being a modern-day warrior. The collection exuded confidence. I love the attention-grabbing colour combinations like citrus orange and blue.

Ntando Ngwenya

His take on athleisure was interesting and very needed. The collection has a strong structural point of view with exaggerated shoulders and beautifully detailed tailoring. The pink and grey combination of colours is so fabulous. I really deserve a piece from this collection.   

Maxwell Boko

His manipulation of fabric is a stroke of genius. The asymmetric mood that simply mimicked the 80s was lovely and nostalgic. His green and blue colour combination were oddly beautiful. This collection is here to disrupt what is “normal” and give us a dreamy story which we won’t want to let go of.    

Colour by Nandi Mngoma and Inga Madyibi

The target audience for this collection is: mature but with a bit of an edge. What also impressed me was that one could buy the garments straight off the runway. The moment when Nandi, with her baby bump,  came to give a bow with her design partner, she looked happy and glowing and one could see that her happiness is also reflected in the collection. It was a beautiful moment indeed.

AFI Fastrack Presents: Buda Malete x Dj Tira

This collection was very street. The combination of “cute” and dark colours was so clever. This is a winner collection for me even if the use of corduroy was a bit off, who uses that fabric in summer, though? Buda is a practical designer who is inspired by his peers and everyday people. He took a bow wearing an ombre jacket that was super divine! I so wish that it was part of the collection too.