When footie and fashion mix, fun -- and vuvuzelas -- follow

THE usually staid fashion pack let loose with whoops and cheers at the Nedbank Cup Football Fan Fashion challenge finale at the Museum of African Design on Thursday.

To celebrate soccer “superfans”, 16 top designers collaborated with 16 fashion students to create couture outfits for whichever Premier Soccer League team they drew. Each competitor made their own outfit and then each team made a third outfit together.

In scenes reminiscent of a Soweto derby, the audience vocally gave the thumbs up (Chu Suwannapha’s futuristic look for Orlando Pirates) or thumbs down (oh, that poor Chippa United fan in a terrible mishap by Rubicon) to the threads on show.

Amid the blare of vuvuzelas, fashionistas — including a regal-looking Khanyi Mbau— lost their usual pouty, crosslegged front-row pose to cheer the heroes of the night, the superfans, as they danced their way down the runway.

Designer David Tlale caused a stir as he came out waving a Bloemfontein Celtics flag and blowing a whistle.

In what was definitely one of the more fun nights this year, it was the east coast that came up trumps. Durban designer Terrence Bray and Durban University of Technology student Tamlyn Bergoff scored the overall award for their Kaizer Chiefs getup.

Safyia Noor Mahomed, also of the DUT, won best student design for her sporty take on a maxidress for Polokwane City FC, and Durban-born Gavin Rajah’s dress for SuperSport United won best design.

After the show, it was more fun and games as the drinks flowed well into the night.