Fresh off her breakout international success in Netflix’s global hit The Polygamist, Gumede captivated guests as she took to the runway, embodying ultimate body confidence and grace.
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Malondie and Vaseline Cera-Glow hosted Malondié SS26, celebrating the unveiling of Malondié’s Spring/Summer 2026 (SS26) collection.
The Malondie SS26 reveal was attended by celebrities, media personalities, fashion icons, and industry tastemakers for an immersive experience that gave attendees a bit of everything from fun in the sun to girl chats.
Held at Pere House in Midrand on August 29, digital creator and presenter Pamela Mtalnga hosted the event, taking guests through the day's activities from the masterclass, entertainment, and the fashion show.
Malondie founder Londeka Buthelezi-Ndaba, speaking to the media after the show, explained that she wanted the showcase to be an hour long. The models were diverse, representing different women, even pregnant women.
“I mean, we're talking about the power of she, so if you say for she, you can't just stick to a certain type of woman. We have to speak about all the types of women because we all bring life.
“We all have different roles and responsibilities that make the earth, and they take care of certain people in our lives.”
For the spring/summer collection, the sun and fireflies are the inspiration Buthelezi-Ndaba drew from, serving as centrepieces for some of the items.
The designer admits that creating the collection took a lot from her, with plenty of moments of complaining, crying, and thinking, is she going to get it right but at the end things came right.
“When you look at all the materials, even the lace was customised to create that sun that we needed to show. If you look at the sun, it's not just the sun, but women are sunrays branching out.
“Everything else is just elevated by the sun; the fireflies, they come as a part of when a woman glows in the dark. We go through challenges, dark moments in our lives, but what we do is we rise. What's important is that we rise, we try again.
Malondie’s collection was well received by many of the people who attended the event, with some even ready to purchase. The SS26 was more than a visually appealing collection but an indication of the growth behind the Malondie brand and how it continues to cater to every woman.
The fashion show featured 66 items with 60 models and 6 Vaseline glow dolls. The Vaseline Glow Dolls are personalities such as Naliyani Uma, Lerato Kgamanyane, Robyn Mentor and star actress and Gugu Gumede as the event’s mystery runway model.
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