Durban - AFTER two years without a live audience and cheering crowd due to Covid-19 restrictions, the Hollywoodbets Durban July as you know it is back, and if the Gallops hosted yesterday was anything to go by, this year’s events are set to dazzle.
Yesterday’s event at the Hollywoodbets Greyville racecourse was the first in-person Gallops since 2019 and it gave punters, socialites, models and trainers an opportunity to see some of the main contenders for the 126th edition of Africa’s biggest horse race.
A number of the race’s top candidates were present and were taken through their paces, including 2021 champion Kommetdieding and last year’s runner-up, Linebacker.
Two-time champion Do It Again and one of the pre-race favourites, Jet Dark, also put in good gallops.
Fashion designers got an opportunity to showcase their designs ahead of the official fashion show next week.
Invited designer Sandile “Duke” Mngadi said he had used upcycled materials to create fashion pieces that reflect this year’s theme, “Show me the Honey”.
“I’ve decided to use upcycled materials this year, including old Indian saris and old curtains, to create a sustainable fashion-forward collection. For colours, I chose gold to represent the richness of honey and black to represent the bee’s black stripes.”
Model Sizwe Mkhize, who will be wearing Mngadi’s designs on the runway, said he was honoured to be one of the chosen elite to wear clothes from one of the country’s best designers.
Indoni Fashion House’s Lusanda Dludla said he incorporated the honeycomb into his design with a neckpiece that represents the queen bee.
“The dress symbolises dripping honey and has black and yellow beads that represent the bees following the honey,” he said.
Pietermaritzburg designer Nandi Mkhize said her design reflected the beekeeper, with gold and black fabric, a bubble skirt to represent the hive, the bag as a honeycomb tray and the socks as the wings.
Mkhize said she was looking forward to meeting and learning from established designers.