Celebs on the catwalk

A streamlined Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Joburg began yesterday - but only after a surprisingly chilled lead-up to the three-day long event.

The Times spent time watching rehearsals at this winter-autumn 2013 season's home at Mary Fitzgerald Square in Newtown.

We witnessed the organisers as they were preparing for the opening night shows, which included designers Khosi Nkosi, Grapevine, Stefania Morland and Tart.

Four things we learned from Day 1 rehearsals:

Celebrity models are here to stay

It has extended beyond just a fad. Designer Khosi Nkosi was the only designer during opening night to rope in her celebrity friends for her show. Miss SA Teen Celeste Khumalo, another former Miss SA Teen in Selimathunzi presenter Zizo Beda and TV personality Lerato Sengadi all strode out in her frocks. But clearly winning pageants can't prepare you for this - Khumalo said she hadn't gone through any definite preparation for her official debut - rather, she relied on the lass ahead of her for the correct walk.

Black doesn't crack

Israeli star make-up artist Netta Szekely, a permanent fixture at Paris and Milan fashion weeks, looked really stoked as she gave a demo in front of MAC's make-up artists from Durban, Johannesburg and Cape Town.

The reason? She was doing a black girl's face.

"I love dark skin. I'm at my happiest right now. I don't get to do this," she told the group of make-up artists.

"I'm from Tel Aviv, and we don't do dark.

''I [only] get to work on dark skin when I'm in European fashion weeks."

Studs and spikes are everywhere

Judging from the make-up artists, models and hairstylists , an outfit is not complete without these accessories. There were spikey necklaces, studded clutch bags, sky-high heels, sneakers, studded shoulders on blouses, bracelets and leather jackets. One African Fashion Industry staffer said in passing: "Oh, ja, studs. You know studs are the thing right now."

Is coffee an appetite suppressant?

One model, scared of food poisoning, begged to know where she could find coffee.

When we asked her why she couldn't get a sandwich, she said she had had "a big breakfast" and didn't want to eat again, even adding that "it's always the right time for coffee".

Half an hour earlier, she had strutted down the ramp in black ankle boots and denim daisy dukes to Rihanna's Diamonds.