I know as much about fashion as Manto Tshabalala-Msimang knows about HIV treatment, so if you had to ask me what was in last season I’d probably say “beetroot, ginger and potatoes” and that would sound a whole lot more credible than me trying to muster up an opinion on what might have been fashionable attire last year.
But I do know what looks bad and a case in point is a recent magazine cover, which featured men wearing jeans on their heads.
As I said, I know nothing about fashion so I may be completely wrong, but it seemed this was either the best (and most obtuse) idea or the worst. And given the amount of laughter the pictures generated, combined with the mortified expressions on the models’ faces, everyone around me — even those with a fashion sense — concurred that it was simply idiotic.
Thank goodness none of the models at Aston Martin’s recent unveiling of two new vehicles — which was combined with a fashion show at a swish Sandton nightclub — wore anything on their heads other than questionable hair-dos so I wasn’t in danger of embarrassing myself by falling off my chair and rolling around on the floor in a hysterical fit.
Instead, I watched models dressed mostly in underwear trying desperately not to crash into one another on the awkward ramp, which was created for the more important purpose of unveiling the new DBS Volante (R4,1-million) and the Vantage V12 (R3,5-million).
A stunning Special Edition DBS Volante, which had Madiba’s signature engraved into a metal plate on the driver’s door sill, was auctioned at the event (proceeds were donated to the Mandela Foundation) and I was surprised by just how many people were bidding above R3-million.
Eventually, businessman Vivien Natasen won with a bid of R3,67-million — a cool R400 000 off the regular price.
Given the number of politicians and BEE types I spotted at the event — including Tony Yengeni — I wondered how long it would be before the Wa-Benzi become the Wa-Astoni.