Page 57 - Forbes - Africa (March 2020)
P. 57
THE FRENCH SILHOUETTE IN
AFRICA
From glamorous Paris to gritty Johannesburg,
Zazi Nyandeni arrived with $2,700 and updated
sartorial skills to showcase haute couture on
South Africa’s racks and runways.
WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY
MOTLABANA MONNAKGOTLA
ITH JUST $2,700 IN West Rand, where we meet Nyandeni,
her bank, transferred the up-and-coming 25-year-old fashion
from her savings entrepreneur whose brand, Zazi Luxury,
account in France, has showcased in Paris, the fashion capital
W Zazi Nyandeni of the world.
returned home to the South African fashion “I wasn’t really introduced to fashion,
industry with her freshly-minted talent. But if but more so to art,” recalls Nyandeni of her
Paris was school, Johannesburg proved to be early days. “Ever since primary school, I
university. Qualifying was never easy. was exposed to paintings, drawings and
About 53kms from Johannesburg’s OR music by my father when he would come
Tambo International Airport is Constantia back with artworks from his travels.”
Kloof, a scenic, upmarket suburb in the She thought she was going to become a
FORBESAFRICA.COM MARCH 2020 FORBES AFRICA | 53
