The Streets My Runway : The Show

Tonnes of anticipation and excitement all came down to the 7th of November 2015! One of Harare’s hottest clubs (1+1) was transformed into runway magnificence springing THE STREETS MY RUNWAY FASHION SHOW to life.

Before the 7th of November, I could only imagine and dream of what the actual show would be like. #TSMR was the first fashion show I attended in a blogger capacity and beyond the all excitement and build up, I was a ball full of nerves and anxiety!

I’m sure a lot of people find that strange but you need to understand that I’m a BABY BLOGGER, still trying to find my way in a world full of well established and respected fashion bloggers. Being invited to be the official blogger for #TSMR was HUGE for me, in more ways than one and I’m forever grateful for the opportunity but I have to tell you, the road was full of uncertainty, insecurities, pressure and doubt that I could actually pull it off. 

It’s so easy sometimes to encourage and motivate others and forget to be your own cheerleader! I couldn’t really shake off the nerves and insecurities, so for the show,  I decided to go in with an open heart and mind. If I bombed, so be it! If I was great, so be it! The most important thing was that I enjoyed and learnt from the experience. I had more to gain and could only be a better blogger for it!

First order of business, is obviously what I wore to #TSMR fashion show! Now, you all know how we do it in the streets, YOU GO BIG OR YOU GO HOME, so I pulled out this sexy little orange number (anyone care to guess where it’s from?) Yeah, you guessed it, Mr Price (available online for R89.99)!! Besides the colour, the slit is everything and more! So much STAR POWER packed into this skirt. Thank you Mr Price! This skirt allowed me to run out of my comfort zone for a quick second and I loved it!

Sexy isn’t usually my forte but since the streets are my runway now, I thought, why not? I paired my sexy pencil skirt with a lace top I got two years ago in Jo’burg. When I wear clothes, I always want to have ONE piece that brings the drama and packs the punch! I hate having too many powerful, contradicting pieces all in the one outfit. Black is a great neutral colour that allows you to highlight other colours and make them pop! And who doesn’t like a good pop?

A few people have asked me why I don’t style my looks with accessories. I love accessories but my skin, on the hand, doesn’t. I have very sensitive skin that reacts to any thing short of pure gold or silver and you all know my wallet situation. Sigh! So I find fun tops with beading, chains or any sort of accessory as a comprise!

The actual show was fantastic, I had so much fun. The show was light hearted and very interactive. One of the highlights for me, was seeing all the beautiful smiles and hearing the laughter fill up the space, every time I took a second to take it all in. That space had such contagious, electric energy, you couldn’t help but have a good time.

Besides the performers and entertainers invited to the show, we had impromptu dances from the audience and the Lovely miss Pineapple (because she is sweet like that) our presenter for the night! The music was pumping, you could actually feel the baseline in your chest. Thud, thud, thud! It was a mix of local and international tracks. A taste of American hip hop, Naija music, South African house and our local winners, such as Jah Prazah! The DJ took us around the world and brought us back home. The crowd was roaring and screaming with sheer delight! What a ball!

Beautiful stories flowed on the runway, told by the diverse textures, fabrics and patterns worn by the models. Each designer had a unique story to tell and you could almost get a sense of who each designer is and their point of view.
The talent on that runway was unmatched, I was sitting in the audience in awe the whole show. To see someone’s ideas come to life on the runway is an experience I cannot describe to you with words. I can only imagine how the designers were feeling seeing their ideas realised on the runway! Loads of untapped Zimbabwean talent especially in the fashion industry. So many creatives making moves and demanding our attention in the most stylish ways, will we give them a second look?

#TSMR for me, served as a platform for designers that aren’t considered ‘mainstream’ or known for that matter. Encore Productions did such a great job shining a light and capturing  amazing fashion moments that would otherwise go unnoticed.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t get all the pictures from the runway (long story, something to do with unreliable photographers) , so I will share the ones I managed to get my hands on.

 

Big round of applause for Encore Productions, the designers, the models and the entertainers for putting together this amazing event! I really hope Encore Productions has more fashion events in store for us in the near future!

I would just want to say thank you  from the bottom of my heart to Natasha (managing director of Encore Productions) for having me and allowing me an opportunity to marvel at young Zimbabweans making their dreams come true.

#TSMR inspired me and reassured me that I can also make my dreams come true. It all starts with an idea and the courage, strength and perseverance to pursue it. Today, I pray for the courage to boldly pursue my dreams and turn them into my reality. Thank you to all the designers for reigniting my passion and giving me a kick in the right direction.

From the Runway,
Nyash
Xxx

 

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