
This past weekend, the South African Style Awards — known for attracting the country’s boldest dressers and creative tastemakers — became the backdrop for a moment of uncompromising glamour and activism. At the center of it all was Yaya Mavundla, the award-winning trans activist, media personality, and cultural powerhouse, who stunned the fashion world with a look that married audacity, art, and advocacy in one breathtaking high fashion statement.
Yaya, who has built a reputation not only as a vocal champion for the LGBTQIA+ community but also as a fearless fashion risk-taker, arrived on the red carpet in a show-stopping custom MASANGO dress by designer Siphosihle. The look was nothing short of couture poetry — a visual symphony of sculptural lines, luxurious textures, and storytelling embedded in every thread. Styled to perfection, this was more than a red carpet moment — it was a statement of reclamation, resilience, and radiant femininity.
Designed by Siphosihle for his MASANGO label — which has quickly become one of South Africa’s most subversive and refined fashion houses — the gown was an architectural marvel. With a structural bodice that mirrored modernist sculpture and a cascading train that seemed to float, the piece balanced strength and softness in a way that mirrored Yaya’s public persona.




The choice of fabric — opulent, luminous, and fluid — felt almost otherworldly against the dramatic red carpet lights. It shimmered with every step Yaya took, catching reflections of flashing cameras and hushed gasps from onlookers. But it wasn’t just the beauty of the garment that left people speechless — it was the way Yaya wore it, with a mix of poise, pride, and quiet power.
The gown’s silhouette — bold, commanding, and unapologetically feminine — rejected traditional rules of gendered dressing. It was couture on its own terms. “This dress represents all the versions of myself I’ve had to fight to become,” Yaya later shared in an Instagram caption. “And I wear them all with pride.”
Crowning the Moment: Hair by Boene Ntshilo
Equally jaw-dropping was the head-turning hair artistry by Boene Ntshilo, creative force and founder of The Weekend MUA. Ntshilo created a dramatic, gravity-defying coiffure that echoed both Afrocentric regality and futuristic sophistication. Styled into an angular crown-like shape with intricate detailing, the hair elevated Yaya’s entire look into something mythic — a goddess of style and strength stepping confidently into her light.
Boene’s creation was more than just a hairstyle — it was a sculptural expression that honored the traditions of African hairstyling while pushing the boundaries of what is considered high fashion. The hair framed Yaya’s face like a halo, commanding reverence, while adding layers of texture and meaning to an already rich visual story.
“Yaya’s beauty is in her defiance of expectations,” Boene shared in a behind-the-scenes snippet. “I didn’t want to just ‘do her hair’ — I wanted to build a monument.”
To reduce this moment to “just fashion” would be to miss the point entirely. For Yaya Mavundla, style has always been a weapon and a sanctuary — a space where identity is affirmed, politics are expressed, and possibilities are imagined. Her look at the SA Style Awards was not merely about looking good (though she did, spectacularly) — it was about being seen on her own terms.
In a country — and a world — where trans visibility still too often comes with danger and discrimination, Yaya’s presence in such a prestigious space, in such audacious high fashion, is a revolutionary act. Her elegance is layered with resistance. Her glamour is laced with grit.
“I am fashion,” Yaya once said. “But more importantly, I am free.”
She did not just attend the Style Awards. She rewrote the definition of what style can be — inclusive, fearless, meaningful.
Yaya’s appearance at the SA Style Awards wasn’t just the best-dressed moment of the night — it was a landmark in South African fashion history. It was a reminder that the red carpet can be more than a parade of beauty — it can be a runway for change.
By collaborating with visionary talents like Siphosihle of MASANGO and Boene Ntshilo of The Weekend MUA, Yaya Mavundla showed what happens when fashion is treated not as a frivolous indulgence, but as a platform for self-expression, empowerment, and transformation.
And on that red carpet, she was both — gloriously and defiantly so.