Top local designers to dress Miss SA finalists

LIFE Thursday 17 May 2018 - 8:07pm

South African designers Orapeleng Modutle and Warrick Gautier are among those chosen to dress the Miss SA finalists. Photo: Supplied

JOHANNESBURG – The Top 12 Miss South Africa finalists will be dressed by some of the country's most respected designers.

The Diamond Jubilee spectacular takes place on Sunday, May 27.

Six design houses will dress two finalists for the evening wear sequence: Anel Botha, Biji La Maison, Galluzzi e Gini, Orapeleng Modutle, Salomie Couture and Warrick Gautier.

In one of the changes to the pageant this year, the live audience and television viewers will be able to see each of the finalists in an exclusive designer gown.

“This year we wanted to put the emphasis on each contestant’s individual style to ensure that she feels her most beautiful and confident on stage. We wanted to empower each contestant by giving her the freedom and responsibility to collaborate with one of South Africa’s premier designers to reflect her personality and really show South Africa who she is,” said Miss SA creative director, Werner Wessels.

Orapeleng Modutle will be designing gowns for Thandokazi Mfundisi and Tamarin Bensch.

“My creations for them are a continuation of our recent collection Princesses Beyond the Grave, inspired by legendary fashion icons who have passed on. I have designed the dresses as I would a red-carpet gown – both need to make a statement and show character. I am delighted to be making my Miss South Africa design debut,” he said.

Anél Botha of Anél Botha Couture previously dressed both Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters and Refilwe Mthimunye at the Miss Universe pageants. She will be dressing Margo Fargo and Karishma Ramdev for this year's Miss SA.

“The main inspiration came from Margo and Karishma themselves. Their shining personalities and strength as people and competitors. They both have amazing figures and the style and cut of each of their designs are to accentuate their figures and the female form. We have also extensively researched the current trends in fashion to create these gowns. Miss South Africa is more than a beauty queen. It is not just about exterior beauty but about an inner strength, confidence and maturity,” said Botha.

Cape Town-based designer Warrick Gautier is dressing Noxolo Ndebele and Tharina Botes.

"Noxolo’s dress is inspired by the powerful natural African beauty we have around us. During a recent trip to Mauritius, I took an underwater photograph of the ocean which has a magnificent colour and light, shimmering silver and blues when the sunlight shines through to the seabed and corals, it’s all very magical and I got my idea for her gown from this'" he said.

"I took inspiration from the beauty of the African sky at sunrise for Tharina's dress," he added. "The shimmering tones of golds and silvers ignite a fresh and natural awakening of hope and opportunity. I have included crystal African wax prints. They both inspired me to create these pieces of African art."

Biji La Maison de Couture is designing gowns for Anzelle von Staden and Bryoni Govender.

“The gowns I design for pageants tend to have a little more of a theatrical twist to them. In my mind, they call for a little something extra. Both contestants had specific ideas for a pageant evening gown. As Anzelle is only one of the two blondes in the Top 12, I had the idea to just create some magic with the cool colours in the spectrum. This gown will have a distinctly glamorous 1920s vibe infused with a bit of a 1950s twist. Bryoni loved the idea of wearing a rose-gold colour to complement her skin tone. The silhouette will create and accent a fairly curvaceous flow with a lot of volume and lush movement of fabric. The metallic rose-gold colour will be so radiant and compliment her beautiful golden skin-tone perfectly. Her gown will be a beautiful modern classic with interesting contemporary textures.”

Salomie du Plooy is designing dresses for Danielle de Jager and Thulisa Keyi.

“Pageant gowns need to be more extravagant and visually striking. A pageant gown needs to show off a contestant’s figure to perfection and needs to enhance her on-stage personality. The gowns will be very modern and light with flowing fabrics that allow for movement. I really wanted to create something on trend and different. It’s an immense privilege and the realisation of a dream for me to be designing gowns for Miss South Africa. Right from the beginning of my career one of my major aspirations was to design for Miss South Africa. Words cannot express how excited I am and how grateful I am to have the privilege of dressing these amazing women.”

Galluzzi e Gini – started by Cristian Galluzzi and Alessio Gini in Italy in 2002 with their South African atelier launched two years later by Galluzzi and Claudio Sousa – will be dressing Akile Khoza and Tamaryn Green.

“As the finalists have been able to contribute to the design, they will be walking that stage highlighting their best features that they want South Africa to see. The two dresses couldn't be more different from each other. One is clean and modern and the other is full of movement and shine,” the design house said.

“We researched what is happening in pageants around the world and we see that there is no difference between the fashion catwalks or the pageant ones. The audience wants to see current and fashion-forward dresses when choosing their next Miss South Africa.”The Diamond Jubilee spectacular takes place on May 27 at the Sun Arena at Time Square, Pretoria.

It will be broadcast live on M-Net (DStv Channel 101) and Mzansi Magic (DStv Channel 161).

https://www.enca.com/life/entertainment/top-local-designers-to-dress-miss-sa-finalists