The damp and grey beginning of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week was a slow affair. Celebs and guests milled around in confusion as they tried to find their seats in the new venue at Nelson Mandela Square in Sandton. The all-white marque was lined with white benches on either side of the wide runway. Ticket holders looked forward to seeing Khosi Nkosi, Marianne Fassler, Stefania Morland and The Intern by David Tlale. The front row, or what those in the fashion industry call the frow, included Mamelodi Sundowns players, among them Teko Modise, and their coach Pitso Mosimane, as well celebrities, including model and presenter Maps Maponyane. Also sitting in the frow before the first show began was make-up guru and stylist Nthato Mashishi, who had come to the event with close friend and client Nhlahla Nciza, from Afro-pop-group Mafikizolo. He was wearing a colourful and dramatic African-print trench from NN Vintage. Mashishi added that he was going to be paying close attention to detail. “I want to see quality, flair and great silhouettes. I'm expecting craftsmanship. I want to be captivated. We are capable of being on par with the world, and I want to see that.” The Khosi Nkosi show kicked off with models wearing various shades of red in the womenswear line. The first item was a two-piece pantsuit with a caped suit jacket. They continued to show prom dresses, jumpsuits and high-waisted palazzo pants in the same hue before they moved to navy. The audience was treated to caped jackets with shwe-shwe print lining.
