Day 4: Friday, 8 November, was the penultimate day of Confections x Collections 2024, showcasing Lukhanyo Mdingi presented and hosted by Mount Nelson, a Belmond Hotel in Cape Town.

The show was special for several reasons: creative director Lukhanyo Mdingi is famously private, rarely participating in traditional fashion shows and even less frequently in interviews. This was also the first show to take place outdoors, setting the tone for the following day, which would feature a runway-style showcase on the Mount Nelson’s driveway Palm Avenue, with all 11 Confections x Collections alumni.

Photographer: Candice Bodington

“What started as a small, simple idea that Jackie had to create an African fashion exposé by Africans for Africans has now turned into what I can safely call a global phenomenon,” said Seth Shezi, master of ceremonies.

Tiago Sarmento, managing director for Belmond Southern Africa, reflected on the moment he and Jackie May first dreamed up the unique fashion experience. He was inspired in the Caribbean, where he was treated to shows on the beach while sipping mojitos. “I started visualising how amazing it would be to mix an afternoon tea with incredible fashion designing,” he said. “We reached out to Jackie, who also had a dream and a vision, and now three years later, we’re here.”

For the Lukhanyo Mdingi showcase guests were seated on the terrace and around Mount Nelson’s emblematic fountain under the November evening sun, able to appreciate the designer’s collection in natural light before heading inside for afternoon tea.

When Twyg approached the brand about showing at Confections x Collections, Lukhanyo knew he wanted to do something special. “I wanted to create a whole universe around the collection,” he says. “I come to Mount Nelson all the time. The grounds here are absolutely extraordinary. We really wanted to see how we can utilise the hotel to its fullest.”

Photographer: Paige Fiddes

This was the right year for the Lukhanyo Mdingi brand to take part in Confections x Collections, both timing and positioning-wise.

“We have showcased in Paris which is an amazing opportunity for us, but fundamentally, we are a South African brand,” says Lukhanyo. “We wanted to create something for our community and bring it back home. I really wanted people to see Lukhanyo Mdingi in the flesh, not digitally, and experience the clothes in real life and in real-time.”

The show offered a steady stream of Lukhanyo Mdingi trademarks: sumptuous textures, rich layering, and unexpected pairings. Pieces in shades of mustard, ochre and burnt orange echoed the sunflowers, pincushions and strelitzias popping out of leather bags, and a yellow wooden crocodile tucked under a model’s arm.

 Photographer: Paige Fiddes

Lightweight knits, shaggy mohair shawls and tasselled trousers alongside silky pleats, suede and sportswear illustrated the label’s deep appreciation for textiles and craftsmanship—using ancient techniques to create modern garments.

The label collaborates closely with artisans, ranging from crafting communities across the continent to local designers like Pichulik for the glass and braided rope jewellery and Thalia Strates, who co-created the patchwork leather bags.

“I might be standing here alone, but I’m representing a full body of so many people,” says Lukhanyo. “And it’s also them speaking through me.”

The spirit of community and collaboration stretched beyond the show, with archival and contemporary Lukhanyo Mdingi pieces seen worn throughout the crowd. “This whole room is filled with your community, people who adore and love your work and you,” Seth said. “You’re the run-through through everything.”

Photographer: Nicole Landman

Guests were presented with pastry chef Vicky Gurovich’s confection: a classic, luxurious carrot cake. The cake was wrapped in a white chocolate collar, printed with the earth-tone check found on the runway—a textile from the Céline SS17 archives Lukhanyo was able to source thanks to access afforded by his LVMH Prize win.

Looking back on his ten-year career as well as the Confections x Collections experience, Lukhanyo pointed to the industry as he experiences it: where designers support each other rather than compete. “I’m also thankful for Twyg and Mount Nelson because in South Africa we haven’t had that many opportunities to showcase fashion within this context,” he says.

 Photographer: Paige Fiddes

“Even just creating this platform – because they are so few and far between – is so important. There’s a bigger picture to this, and I’m so honoured that we’re able to be a part of something that’s really important and extraordinary.”

• Feature image by Paige Fiddes
• Find out more about Confections x Collections at the Mount Nelson in Cape Town here