Elected fashionistas do the red-carpet waltz

11 February 2007 - 02:00 By unknown
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THERE was a lot of unravelling outside Parliament House on Friday morning.

But instead of hems coming undone, it was the red carpet, which must have been folded and unfolded more than six times as the heavens opened intermittently.

And while it did momentarily rain on the President's parade, by the time the cavalcade arrived and the helicopters whirred his (late) arrival, the showers miraculously stopped.

This was unlike any function I had ever been to before - there was no champers and canapés.

And though I spotted a coterie of out-of-place beauty queens (welcome back Peggy-Sue Khumalo!), there was no pretentious air-kissing.

Mind you, if there's anything close to the sort of high energy and excitement I imagine Oscar night to be, this is must be it.

With gun salutes, pomp and pageantry - and then finally, the grand entrance of our elected members - it was thrilling.

While in the past our rule-makers disappointed us with regalia that was outmoded, frumpish or plain circus, this year some of them proved to have a clue when it comes to dressing up.

At the top of the heap comes First Lady Zanele Mbeki, whose choice of a chic, tailored grey suit with metallic prints and side pleats reflected innate style and subtle elegance.

Another nod goes to Baleka Mbete, the Speaker of the National Assembly, who should be commended for her caramel and orange Thai silk number (but please hold off the burgundy headwrap - it clashes with everything else!).

Michal Leon, wife of the official opposition's Tony Leon, looked very English tea party in her black and white chiffon flowing gown.

And, if nothing else, Tony Yengeni proved that a momentary stay in the Big House hasn't cramped his sartorial style - his three-piece banker's suit finished off with a signature silk tie in purple is the sort of take on dandy chic his fellow male politicos should pay attention to.

From afar, I was ready to give our No 2, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, 10 marks for her ensemble, which mixed turquoise and chocolate in a bolero style jacket with frills. That was until I noticed the skirt - forcing me to change my score to full marks for the top, and minus 10 for the Cape of Storms frills on a too-long skirt (but I can see those hours with the personal trainer are paying dividends, Phums!).

Disappointment weighed heavy when I spotted Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi - our Minister for Public Service and Administration looked like she'd got lost on the way to Sunday mass.

And Correctional Services Minister Ngconde Balfour and his wife should rethink swapping notes on what to wear over the dinner table - their Tweedledee and Tweedledum meet-the-village match-ups were more a mismatch in the fashion stakes.

Next up was a little-known DA representative from North West, Juanita Terblanche, whose black and white corset ensemble looked more J&B Met than state function, especially with a tree planted on her head ("It's more a branch than a tree" she insisted to me).

But nothing can come near our national treasure, Manto Tshabalala-Msimang.

The Minister of Health had the foresight to go to one of our top designers (Malcolm Klûk) for her ruffled orange print shift, but with that flying-saucer contraption on her head, I couldn't help thinking of Dr Seuss's Cat in the Hat. - CJ

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