When Doromongy stepped onto the verdant lawns of Greyville Racecourse yesterday, she did
more than turn heads, she carried the weight of her ancestry and the spirit of Limpopo’s hidden
wonders in two meticulously crafted looks by Siphosihle Masango. Each ensemble was chapter
in her personal narrative, brought to life through MASANGO’s signature blend of artisanal
technique and conceptual daring.
“Blood of the Bapedi”: A Burgundy Macramé Ode to Sepedi Roots for her opening look,
Doromongy emerged swathed in a floor-skimming gown of deep burgundy macramé, its
hand-knotted cords evoking the geometric beadwork of her Sepedi forebears. Masango’s
tailors spent weeks perfecting the dye recipe, an earthy fusion of iron-rich ochre and
mahogany pigments, so that every strand mirrors the very soil where her grandparents first
planted seeds.
But beyond colour, the pattern itself is a love letter to village life. Inspired by traditional Sepedi
loom patterns and the rhythmic pulse of community gatherings, the gown’s latticework
alternates tight, basket-weave panels with open-net segments.
As Doromongy moved, the dress rippled like sun-baked earth cracking under the African sky, an intentional play on resilience and renewal, symbolizing ancestral wisdom infusing modern expression.
Masango describes this piece as “a living archive,” one where couture and culture coalesce.
“We wanted the gown to speak of lineage,” he explains. “The soil isn’t just ground beneath our
feet. It’s memory, it’s ritual. When Doromongy wears these knots, she wears her history.”
“Echoes of the Caves”: Sculptural Silence from Hoedspruit. Doromongy reappeared in a
transformative second look, a two-piece sculptural interpretation of Limpopo’s enigmatic Echo
Caves. Here, MASANGO shifted from the warmth of earth to the cool hush of subterranean
chambers. The high-collared bodice, features concentric, scalloped panels that recall the
natural alcoves where ancient San artists once inscribed their stories.
To emulate the caves’ subtle mineral sheen, Masango infused the silk with a bespoke
iridescent wash. Overhead light fractures softly across the curved panels, conjuring the slow
drip of limestone stalactites. The skirt fans out in a semi-circle, its interior lined with a nude
crinoline fibre bound in a micro-map of the cave’s labyrinthine passageways.
“In nature, silence has texture,” Masango reflects. “The Echo Caves are not just spaces; they
breathe history. We wanted Doromongy’s silhouette to carry that stillness, the kind you feel in
the dark when every footstep answers you back.”
III. Craftsmanship as Cultural Cartography Across both looks, MASANGO’s unwavering
attention to process and provenance sets these creations apart. The macramé cords were
spun from GOTS-certified cotton grown in Mpumalanga; the dyes were tested for lightfastness so that their tones will endure beyond one raceday
IV. A Statement Beyond Style In teaming with Doromongy—an influencer, activist and proud
Sepedi daughter, MASANGO transforms the Durban July red carpet into a platform for cultural
storytelling. Each thread, knot and panel resonate with meaning, inviting every onlooker to
look closer, listen harder, and recognize the narratives written into South African soil and stone.
