Bay designer Jason Kieck heads to Pretoria this weekend to present his annual couture show, the first time he and charity beneficiary the Igazi Foundation will be hosting the glam entertainment gala in two major centres.
This year’s exotic Asian-themed show, Whispers of the Orient, will be held on Saturday September 8 at Sun Times Square in Pretoria and repeated in Port Elizabeth at the Boardwalk International Convention Centre on Saturday October 20.
“There is so much that goes into a show like this, it’s a huge production because it is not just a fashion show,” he said from his new studio in Main Road, Walmer.
Kieck and Igazi together will be taking a team of 30 to the capital city.
Former Bay model Mikaela Oosthuizen, who now lives in Johannesburg, will take part in the show but the other 12 models will fly up for the weekend performance.
“We are very excited – it will be a stunning show,” said Kieck. “We have a fantastic MC in Ian von Memerty and top-class entertainment: soprano Hlengiwe Mkhwanazi, for example, will sing an extract from Madame Butterfly, the Puccini opera set in Japan.”
Other artists performing at Whispers of the Orient include 3 Tons of Fun and after the show, DJ Floyd.
Brett Hoppe, formerly general manager at the Boardwalk, is now at the Sun Times Square in Pretoria and it was through this connection that the Tshwane event developed.
“I don’t think any other designer in the county has been offered a platform like this so we are looking forward to this being the first step of many to other possibilities in the future,” Kieck said.
“I really enjoy it as it’s a creative outlet for me, because as a designer you don’t often have that creative freedom.”
He is particularly looking forward to seeing Miss SA 2018 Tamaryn Green in the dress he has made for her.
“But they haven’t sent her measurements so I’ve ‘guestimated’ from watching her on TV!”
Other celebrity guests include another ex-Miss SA Basetsane Khumalo and the team from MNet television show The Wedding Bashers.
“There are three scenes with 13 models each, so that is 39 dresses, and there is still the showstopper modelled by cancer survivor Yolande Bukani,” Kieck said.
Between the celebs and models, he has been rustling up 45 unique garments, and the artistic designer has a clear vision for each of the three fashion scenes.
“The first one will be called Kujaku, which means peacock, then there is Koi, which we also know as koi [goldfish], and the final one is Sakura No Hana, cherry blossoms.”
The Igazi Foundation is a charity focused on treatment for blood diseases, most notably blood cancers.
Past galas it has partnered with Kieck on include Hope of Africa, Elemental and Belle Epoque.
The R1,500 Pretoria ticket price (R1,000 for PE) includes a five-course dinner with flavours evoking the Orient.
More information on Whispers of the Orient from www.jasonkieck.com