USomgaga uzazise kabusha kwezemfashini

USOMIZI "Somgaga" Mhlongo wenze ezibukwayo njengomsiki wengqephu omusha ngoLwesihlanu ebusuku ngesikhathi ethula imisiko yakhe okokuqala ngaphansi kwenkampani yakhe entsha, iSompire Femme, kwiDurban Fashion Fair (DFF).

I-DFF yanonyaka ebibanjelwe eDurban Exhibition Centre, eThekwini, kusukela ngoLwesithathu kuya kuLwesihlanu, ibincike engqikithini ethi The Awakening, echaza izindlela ezahlukene zokuvuka nokuzalwa kabusha.

USomgaga, osezakhele igama njengomlingisi, umdansi, umethuli wezinhlelo zethelevishini nokunye, ushintshe isiteji wasenza inkundla ehlanganise isitayela, umculo, umdanso nokunye okushiye izethameli zingawuvali umlomo.

Ingqephu nengqephu ebiyingxenye yalo mbukiso ibixoxa indaba. Inhlanganisela yezindwangu ezinemidwebo eqhakambisa ubu-Afrika, ezinye ebeziphephezela nebezihlotshiswe ngobunye ubukhazikhazi, ikhombise umuzwa wokukhululeka emoyeni.

USomgaga, oqale izifundo zokusika ingqephu eVillioti Fashion Institute, eGoli, ngonyaka odlule, uhlanganise ingqephu emenze wangabonakala njengomafikizolo kule ndima. Yize bekunezimpahla ebeziyela kwezingu-50, kubonakalile ukuthi zihlanganiswe ngenhloso ethile, kusukela ekudwetshweni kuya ekuthungweni kwazo.

Lona bekungewona umbukiso wemfashini kuphela, bekuwumdlalo wasesiteji. Kusukela uqala uze uyophela sibonakalile isandla sikaSomizi osezohlanganisa iminyaka engu-40 eyingxenye yemboni yezokungcebeleka.

Izingubo ngokwazo beziyizinhlobonhlobo. Ezinye bezilungele ukusuka esteji ziye ngqo emigwaqweni yakuleli nasemhlabeni jikelele, ezinye bezithungelwe ukushiya abantu bechazekile emicimbini emikhulu kanti ezinye bezifanele ukugqokwa yizindlovukazi uqobo.

Umculo obudlalwa ubungaphelezeli imiswenko nje kuphela kodwa ubuyingxenye yendaba ebixoxwa. Inkakha kwezokulingisa nezomdanso, uLorcia Cooper, ishiye izethameli zikhumbula ezamzukwana ngesikhathi isalingisa emidlalweni efana neBackstage, kanti iphimbo lomculi uKelly Khumalo ligcwale indlu lathinta nomphefumulo.

Isinqumo sikaSomizi sokuthi aqale ukwethula imfashini yakhe eThekwini besisho lukhulu kwazise inkaba yale nsizwa eyindodana yezingqalabutho zabalingisi abangasekho emhlabeni, uNdaba Mhlongo noMary Twala, ikuleli dolobha.

Kuwona lo mbukiso uhloniphile unina ngesithombe esikhulu esiphanyekwe esiteji lapho bekuphuma khona abebezokhangisa ngezingubo, waphinde wawuvala ngengubo ebigqokwe yindodakazi yakhe uBahumi, obekuyindlela yokukhombisa umsuka wakhe kanye nekusasa.

Kushintshe umoya ngesikhathi uSomizi esengena esiteji ngenoni likaMbuso Khoza no-Ann Masina elithi Njomane, okuyisithakazelo sakwaMhlongo.

Kosaziwayo abakhangise ngezingubo zeSompire Femme kubalwa uSithelo Shozi, Baby Cele, Sorisha Naidoo, Babalwa Mneno, Mihlali Ndamase, Yaya Mavundla, Zola Mhlongo, Minnie Dlamini nabanye, bonke abayizibonelo zokuqala kabusha ngezindlela ezahlukene.

USomizi ngokwakhe uwuphawu lokuqala kabusha, kwazise impilo yakhe igcwele izibonelo zokuwa nokuvuka asekhulume ngazo kaningi phambilini.

Indlela akwazile ngayo ukuthatha leyo mizwa ayifake embukisweni wengqephu ikhombise ukuthi ukungena kwakhe emkhakheni wemfashini akuwona umdlalo kodwa kungenye indlela ahlose ukuzibonakalisa ngayo njengomunye wabantu abanesiphiwo sokusungula izinto ezintsha kuleli.

Lo mbukiso ubuyisiphetho esifanelekile seDurban Fashion Fair, okungumcimbi oyinkundla yabasiki bengqephu abasafufusa nasebezakhele igama ukuthi bakhombise ukuthi imfashini yakuleli ikuliphi izinga futhi isabheke kuphi.

Kubasiki abashaye into ecokeme kubalwa iModesta, Ulolisa, Eullue, Sistas Felas, Yatsar, Jado Mjadu, Duke Clothe Your Soul nabanye abaningi.

Njengenjwayelo, bekukhona nombukiso wezitshudeni, nawo ogqamise ikusasa lengqephu yaseThekwini namaphethelo.

USomizi usikhumbuze ukuthi imfashini ayigcini ekubeni yizimpahla zokugqoka kuphela, kodwa imayelana nokuthinta imizwa kanye nendlela umuntu nomuntu akhombisa ngayo ukuzigqaja ngobuyena. Uyifezile ingqikithi yanonyaka yeDFF.