Miss SA dress to showcase Mzansi’s sophisticated talent

The dress that Miss SA Ndavi Nokeri showcased this week ahead of her trip to Miss Universe is meant to showcase SA's talent in a sophisticated way. 

Sello Medupe, one of the designers behind the dress that raised some eyebrows on social media this week, said it took his team two weeks to conceptualise the dress which captures the colours and techniques of Tsonga culture. The sculptural ensemble features a large hibiscus and wings that feature flags from African countries.

“Miss SA really wanted to showcase her culture, which is Tsonga. I designed a dress that would suit her body with a short hemmed number so that she would look like an African goddess,” says Medupe.

The print was a continuation of the floral theme seen on the headdress which was made to pop with hand-beaded details using the yellow, green, pink and navy colours synonymous with Nokeri’s culture. But the intricate details were not too much of a difficult feat for Medupe.

“It literally took two weeks,” he says, “I worked with a team of five people. One was on construction, I did the patterns and made sure everything works well and I had four people beading the dress.”

Medupe’s personal favourite element in the gown were the fringe details which was his approach to the bringing a Xibelani skirt to life.

“That’s why we even did a shot of her dancing in the dress so you can see it move around. It’s fun and vibrant.”

But with a bold take on fashion like his, Medupe has to juggle the negative comments from people who might not take too warmly to his work. Something he has responded to with an air of humility.

“It is what it is,” he says, noting that the conversations behind the national costumes are usually contentious. In this case, the negativity is around the wings created by Henk Henderson of Henderson Worx.

“For me creating the dress was about showcasing the outfit as South Africans in a modern sophisticated way.”

Medupe was approached by Werner Wessels, who is the Miss SA creative director. A role that gives him the power to pick which designers will create garments for the women. Having worked with the pageant for the past two years, Wessels gave the task of working with Nokeri on creating a look that would capture the essence of what she needed.

This happens to capture the eye-catching designs Medupe is known for. Dresses with dramatic silhouettes, bold colours and reimagined beading techniques for other goddesses including TV personality Khanyi Mbau and even the looks worn by Sindi Dlathu’s character on The River.

None of these designs are without meaning. Medupe says that he considers the many characters he has dressed in terms of their purpose in the script that must embody their trajectory. For celebrities like Mbau, he tries to capture their needs while making sure that they still stand out.

As more men become comfortable with showing off their style, Medupe is also considering creating looks that would be loved by this market.