The A-Listers
Double-tall skinnies (with legs)
Kat Sinivasan ... awkward on stage with gags as flat as a cappuccino with no froth
● The Joburg social set got a caffeine shot with a view on Wednesday afternoon to mark the fruits of a coupling between two of the world’s biggest consumer companies.
The Starbucks At Home do lifted the lid on a new range of products, from beans to coffee capsules, which will be available on supermarket shelves in September.
It’s the result of last year’s “coffee alliance” between the US coffee shop company and food behemoth Nestlé.
It took place at what has quickly become one of my fave spots around town, the gorgeous rooftop locale of Ferguson’s On Fifth in Illovo.
Arriving on the deck, I greet leopard frocked A-Lister Peta Eggierth-Symes.
Then it’s hello to Tatum Keshwar, the wife of one of this newspaper’s soon-to-be new owners, who interpreted the day’s “summer nudes” dress code with a striking figurehugging cocktail number.
On to catching up with another beauty queen, Claudia Henkel, who is back to modelling after giving birth to twins 18 months ago and uncoupling from husband Orin Roesstorff earlier this year.
Then in walks Lerato Kganyago, who is fresh from hosting an event with a man who famously called out the wrong winner of Miss Universe back in 2015 — American superstar comedian and author Steve Harvey.
We sip from flutes of prosecco and snack on delicious morsels, like mini yorkshire puds, deep-fried mac and cheese balls with tomato concassé and edible spoons with pistachio-rolled goats cheese by the restaurant’s Vicki Clarke and Nikki Gaskell, who also own caterers Fresh Creative.
When the event gets started we are treated to a performance by songstress Tamara Dey, wearing an edgy Gavin Rajah ensemble, as models including Annah Seroalo (who will appear in the new Christian Dior campaign that was shot on the Highveld last month) push trolleys filled with the new Starbucks coffee goodies.
Then it is over to E! Entertainment’s presenter Kat Sinivasan, who, as the day’s MC, could have done with a triple espresso. He was awkward on stage, with gags as flat as a cappuccino with no froth.
On to the rest of the day and I catch up with LeAnne Dlamini, who has come straight from a Women’s Month engagement, and Rosette Ncwana, who shrugged off that Twitter debate about whether or not she is dating an Oppenheimer after she recently posted a birthday message on social media to someone who appears to be her new beau.
Then it’s catching up with bubbly actress Zakeeya Patel, who is fresh from her star turn on Showmax’s The Girl From St Agnes and the newly released 3 Days To Go. She will be heading to the bright lights of Hollywood come December.
We end the afternoon tucking into more tasty morsels, ranging from herb-crushed beef fillet to honey-glazed butternut fingers served with hummus dressing, and a decadent dessert spread.