2 days ago
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When the cool kids of Joburg Amanda Dandala, Rich Mnisi and Bradley Ndlovu invite you to an exclusive Challengers-themed soirée, you don’t deign the invitation.
For starters, you are guaranteed that the hangout will be a star-studded affair where you might just end up mingling with luxury designer Thebe Magugu or fashion chameleon (yes, SMag dubbed her that) Ponahalo Mojapelo, who is fresh off rubbing shoulders with Charli XCX at London Fashion Week.
Who else can I name-check? Maps Maponyane, check! Nao Serati, check! Sithelo Shozi, check! Trevor Stuurman, check! Elaine, check! DBN Gogo, check! Karabo Poppy, check! Surely, by now you get the vibez.
The security is so tight at the gate, that entering the ultra-luxurious Sandton mansion with sparkling swimming pool and garden with a tennis court, my Uber driver has to check “are you sure we are at the right place?”
Once you make it inside, other celebrity guests including Ayanda and Lungile Thabethe, Doowap, Gemaén Jordan Taylor and Amanda Du-Pont have honoured the neutral dress code showing off their best court style à la Challengers.
Of course, Challengers is Italian auteur Luca Guadagnino’s trippy and messy tennis drama with Zendaya in the lead. The sporty and minimalism wardrobe of the film created by Loewe and JW Anderson designer Jonathan Anderson has the fashion world going gaga for understated “tenniscore” silhouettes and colour-ways.
On the decks, Que DJ, Ms Party and Esona Maphumulo are keeping guests on their feet. If that wasn't enough, American superstar Steve Harvey's sons Wynton and Broderick were also there as the icing on top.
To the business of the day, we are gathered on a scorching Sunday afternoon to celebrate the launch of Another Zero – the new talent and creative representative agency co-founded by Ndlovu, Dandala and Mnisi.
“We started at the beginning of the year, it was organic. It started as work for the Rich Mnisi brand and we started this. The beautiful part is I’ve been managed by Bradley and Amanda, they have such valuable knowledge that we want to share with other talent. They are a lot of things that the Rich Mnisi brand went through and these are the people who sorted it out,” Mnisi said.
Dandala added: “We are all passionate about building global brands and we want to share that knowledge with talent locally, so they can expand their brands beyond our borders.”
Some of the artists they have signed so far range from musicians Lelowhatsgood, Que DJ and DJ Lesoul to media personalities Kamo WW, Sarah Langa and Sithole. Rugby player Hacjivah Dayimani, bodybuilder Sibusiso Kotelo and photographer Pedro Ridwan are also signed to Another Zero.
“It’s nice to see how the industry is so inviting to Another Zero. The company is so young, it’s nice to hold something informal on a Sunday and see friends, brand partners and the media show up to support us.
There is a community of people here and that’s what we are trying to do – instil culture and build a community and brands,” Ndlovu said.
