A-LISTERS | A gallery of Rich fashion and yummy snacks

He’s won countless awards, dressed his musical idol Beyoncé, and trended on social media when Bonang Matheba once famously quipped that his designs were so expensive that everything from his eponymous label “costs R2m”.

Designer Rich Mnisi traces back his love of dressing up to his mother Daisy, whose weekend social calendar was always filled to the brim.

“There’s this thing my mother always talks to me about called ‘triple M’ — manyalo [weddings], mafung [funerals] and meketeng [celebrations or festivities]. It’s about showing up. Every Saturday she would go out, and I’m always like, ‘Girl, stay at home!’ because she had to get an outfit for every event,” said the designer, addressing a chic invitation-only crowd (including his mom) at Cape Town citadel to art, the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (MOCAA).

We were gathered there for the launch of a collaboration between the fashion innovator and Foschini to mark a century since the opening of the giant fashion retailer’s very first store in Pritchard Street, Johannesburg — then the heart of the city of gold’s bustling business district.

The evening kicked off with greeting guests, including Rich’s long-time muse Sarah Langa, who arrived on the red carpet in a blush pink with cream lace inserts Rich Mnisi cocktail dress which showed off her long legs.

“This is actually the lengthened version of the original dress,” said Sarah.

Walking inside the Thomas Heatherwick-designed architectural marvel, originally a grain silo built around the same time that George Ivan Rosenthal started Foschini, waiters offered flutes of sparkling wine and canapes, including coriander-sprinkled ostrich skewers, pickled fish samoosas and crispy pap squares served with chakalaka cream and biltong.

In the atrium, I greet Foschini heir Renee Feinstein and her affable husband Len. Renee introduces me to her daughter, Kayla Jacobs, and I also meet Renee’s older brother, Michael Lewis, who is the chair of the board of Foschini’s parent company.

Now, if I was a financial journo, I’d be prodding Michael about the retailer’s shares tumble last week after shareholders were told their basic earnings would be lower than expected.

However, more well-known and infinitely more glam figures are more my scene so, instead, I mention I had been hoping to see his other half (the 66-year old debonair businessman — whose grandfather founded Lewis furniture stores and whose father bought the controlling stake in the Foschini group in the 1980s — married Kitty Spencer, the niece of the late Princess Diana, in July 2021).

“Yes, I would have loved it if Kitty was here as well. She’s in London with our baby, who turned two and a half yesterday,” explained Michael, referring to the couple’s daughter Athena.

We all move through a curated exhibition charting milestones in the retailer’s history where I say hello to gallerist Anelisa Mangcu (who was the night’s MC) and Mala Bryan, the founder of Malaville Dolls.

Back to the atrium where Michael addresses us. Now, if you’re wondering about the origins of the retailer’s name, he suggests the most likely source was a dashing Italian general with a similar-sounding surname its founder would have heard about.

We also hear from CEO Anthony Thunström and the fashion team before moving downstairs to watch the fashion show.

Onto the clothes, and here I need to be quite frank — barring a boxy black and white tee with the Rich Mnisi logo, and one of his signature prints, I wish the collection could be a little more elevated — but we did get to see beloved acting powerhouse Connie Ferguson make her catwalk debut in a flowing trapeze dress from the collection.

And, with Foschini’s knack for well-priced locally-produced apparel, for once Rich’s fans won’t have to save up for a century to be able to snap up one of his designer pieces.

We were also treated to 14 ensembles from Rich’s main line destined not for the shops but under the hammer later on in the evening, with the proceeds going to charity.

The auction took place upstairs at the function area perched above the museum, where fresh West Coast oysters, samp and beans croquettes with peri-peri aioli. and smoked snoek with sweet potato crisps. were followed by bowls of seared trout with spring veg, “Durban-style” beef curry and charred grilled springbok loin with baked pumpkin and onions.

And music-wise, we were in for a treat as Lamiez Holworthy hit the decks.