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Tafadzwa Zimoyo
Fashion 263
February has ended, I am sure you are still staying safe during this Covid-19 global pandemic.
As always, mask up and observe other Covid-19 regulations, if you want to be stylish just match your mask, simple.
I will not dwell on the dressing part at Soul Jah Love burial at Warren Hills Cemetery.
Hellooo, most of the attendees were ghetto youths, one would say “toita yatada”.
I know you were expecting a lot of “black designer numbers”, but dressing for a funeral is a topic for another day.
What people should understand is that dressing is an art, which is usually known as “personal style”.
Growing up, my mother had a lot of influence on my style, not that she was trying to impose or make me acquire any particular sense of style, not at all.
She was more of my “style mentor.”
She helped me choose the clothing from wearing formal to church to casual look at a family gathering.
Then with time, I began to understand the concept of fashion styling.
Together with my mother last week we managed to watch the Zimbabwe Music Awards (ZIMA) online, so she is also a vivid fan of awards shows.
This year’s show was a bit different because of the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions, gathering and events are banned, so organisers of the show conducted the ceremony virtually.
The show’s technical glitches aside, maybe it was because we are still learning on the new norm of virtual platforms, but on the fashion side it was partially correct.
Thank you ZIMA for giving us three energetic vibrant presenters, Ruvheneko Parirenyatwa, Arthur Evans and Rumbidzai Takawira.
Well, the three are familiar with anchoring the news or current affairs, so that was a bonus for the organisers because the team are used to such an environment.
Dressing for awards shows or red carpet is not something new these three don’t know about. The two ladies chose to wear jumpsuits, Ruvheneko (in gold), while Rumbidzayi picked the burgundy colour.
Well, I won’t dispute the colours and choices as they fit perfectly well for such an event.
The good thing is that they chose not to wear jewellery and with such an event, it requires a lot of movement, sitting down and standing, so ball gowns were not perfect.
Well done ladies, it is just the hair that did not do well with your perfect combinations.
They chose to be simple, bob-cut braids and short haircuts for Rumbidzayi.
One thing you should understand when it comes to awards — if you want people to take the show seriously and respect it, a good presentation from a fashion sense is the trick.
The ladies’ hairdos acted like they were going for a picnic or maybe they were told last minute about the show and there was nothing more they could do.
Awards ceremonies typically call for an elegant formal style, but there can be a lot of variation within that category.
Some may argue that one can choose to wear something chic and playful.
Like said before the floor-sweeping gown was not an appropriate choice.
Then on to Arthur Evans, the male dominant, I think he forgot what he was doing there with the type of dressing he chose.
Sir! That was too casual, and did you check yourself in the mirror or you woke up on the wrong side of bed? Evans chose a blue blazer, khaki chinos and a v-neck black t-shirt, with brown shoes. I am still trying to figure out the combination on the particular night, worse on the awards show which is watched regionally since this was virtual.
Where was our stylist and designers? This was the time to showcase their wares, since not much events are being held.
Mr Evans, this time you got it all wrong. We also sensed that the type of dressing you chose even affected your confidence during the presentation. This was not the Evans we know. One needs to know that there are dress codes for events. What you picked was more of cocktail style, thus being playful, lightly formal style, although it somehow fitted the stage with that dining table.
I think men should wear suits, but not necessarily jackets and ties.
I later visited the Aventri site to check on what presenters should avoid when hosting a virtual event.
Remember we still have the National Arts Merit Awards (NAMA) which are like our Oscars and of course the Star FM Listener’s Choice Awards.
Aventri says:
◆ Because today’s cameras are so clear and accurate, certain colours and patterns on clothing can look weird or distracting on camera.
◆Avoid stripes or busy patterns. Thin stripes and small patterns actually can cause the video to waver, which is referred to as the moiré effect.
◆ Stick with solid colours like neutrals, browns, and soft blues are the safest, and most visually appealing. High contrast coloured clothing like red, white, or black should be avoided because they can create strange lighting illusions (e.g. shimmering glow, floating head effect, etc.).
◆ Avoid clothes with writing or icons. Although a lot of clothes have brand logos, icons, or names written on them, avoid wearing such clothing on the big day. Your post-production team will thank you for sparing them the extra labour!
◆ Avoid noisy jewellery. If you’re a jewellery fan, read closely. When filming your presentation, you’ll want to leave your noisy, flashy, or shiny jewellery pieces at home.
Some jewellery can catch the light in unanticipated ways and create shadows or create distracting noises.
Online Reporter