A dress worthy of a gallery

Mail & Guardian

19-06-2025

Mother of all garments: Nomzamo Mbatha (right) in the dress designed by Gert-Johan Coetzee (left) for season 2 of Shaka iLembe.
The moment Nomzamo Mbatha stepped onto the red carpet at the Shaka iLembe season 2 premiere, time paused. Cameras clicked, audiences gasped and fashion lovers across the country leaned in closer.
What she wore wasn't just a dress, it was a declaration. Bold, regal and layered in symbolism, the creation by South African designer Gert-Johan Coetzee was history retold in stitches, shells and silhouette.
'I was very excited to make this dress,' Coetzee says, his voice alive with passion.
'I love doing work that carries meaning, and the story of Shaka Zulu is not just important, it's empowering, especially for South Africans.'
Mbatha, who portrays the Queen Mother in the epic historical drama, gave Coetzee full creative freedom to bring his vision to life. What emerged from his studio was an exquisite piece rooted in traditional Zulu culture, adorned with African symbology and elevated by futuristic craftsmanship.
Coetzee calls his signature style 'African baroque with a modern twist' — a fusion of ornate drama and indigenous storytelling.
The term 'baroque' conjures images of 16th-century grandeur: voluminous skirts, rich embroidery, lace collars and opulence. At first glance, pairing this with Zulu heritage might seem contradictory. But that's exactly where Coetzee thrives.
'That is who I am as a designer,' he explains. 'My style is African baroque. The dress is quite traditional, and very Zulu. It has a lot of beadwork, but it also has a lot of meaning.'
At the heart of the dress is the cowrie shell, a symbol embedded in African cosmology.
'The beading is full of cowrie shells,' Coetzee says. 'Being African, we know that cowries signify abundance, wealth and spiritual protection. So, the whole dress is literally raining with cowries.'
It's not just embellishment for visual effect, it's cultural code, woven into fabric.
Portraying the Queen Mother, a critical figure in the lineage of power, required more than beauty. It demanded reverence, strength and presence.
'Nomzamo is playing the Queen Mother. She needed to look queen-like, yes, but also powerful. Intentional,' Coetzee says.
'She's not just a figure in history; she's the woman who birthed the king. Without her, there would be no Shaka.'
This maternal, yet commanding, role shaped the garment's design. Structured shoulders inspired by Zulu shields evoke protection and leadership. The voluminous silhouette offers majesty, while intricate beadwork, hand-sewn over weeks by a team of nine artisans, brings spiritual richness.
Yet the designer didn't rely solely on the past. A major component of the dress's armour-like construction is 3D-printed: 'It's one of my favourite things,' he says, pointing out the technological touch. 'This is fabric manipulation with modern tools but the essence is traditional. This is what I love — fusing Africa with innovation.'
While Coetzee is known for his luxury couture, worn by global icons such as Cardi B and Lizzo, he remains firmly rooted in African soil.
'If anyone else had tried to make this dress, it would've ended up being a rip-off of my work anyway,' he says, half-joking. 'So I'm glad Nomzamo came straight to the source.'
The dress draws inspiration from Coetzee's past beaded creations but elevates the aesthetic: 'It's similar in technique to the skirt I did for Cardi B but it's something different. This one is rooted in narrative. It's not just a showstopper, it tells a story.'
That commitment to storytelling is what defines Coetzee's brand. While fashion trends change, his core remains.
'People come to me for a specific aesthetic and that's what I deliver,' he says. 'I always tell young designers, 'Create a signature the world hasn't seen, then stick to it.' That's how your work becomes recognisable globally even when others try to imitate it.'
Coetzee's designs have found resonance internationally, with features in the US and UK. 'We sometimes feel small here in Africa. But the world is watching. They want what we have — our stories, our symbols, our spirit,' he says.
Indeed, Coetzee's work is cultural diplomacy. He brings indigenous African aesthetics into global high fashion — on his own terms.
'The cowries, the shields, the armour, the structure … none of it is borrowed,' he emphasises. 'It's owned. It's African. And it's powerful.'
Beyond the historical Queen Mother, Coetzee drew inspiration from a lineage of powerful women — both fictional and real.
'I was channelling the energy of Joan of Arc, of Princess Diana and of modern heroines like Princess Shuri,' he says. 'Not their style but their spirit. Women who shaped worlds.'
Mbatha fits into that lineage: 'She's strong. Everything she plays is strong. She empowers power,' Coetzee says. 'This dress needed to reflect that inner strength, not just beauty.'
Crafting the dress was no small feat. Each cowrie shell was hand-sewn. Each bead was placed with precision. 'It's incredibly labour intensive,' Coetzee admits. 'We had nine women working on it for almost three weeks. It's couture at its highest level.'
Even the materials were hand-selected to honour tradition and artistry. The beads resemble ostrich egg shells but are made of a unique clay composite. Their earthy tones — black, cream, ivory and hints of gold — give the garment a regal, yet grounded, look.
The final result? A dress that could walk a red carpet or sit behind glass at a museum.
For Coetzee, design is not just about aesthetics, it's about meaning. 'Fashion should honour where we come from,' he says. 'This dress pays homage to Zulu culture, to African tradition, to maternal power, to modern innovation. It's all of those things in one.'
Even accessories hold significance. Coetzee shared a prototype for a clutch bag inspired by a calabash, used for carrying water. 'We hollow it out and drink from it,' he says. 'That's part of who we are. So we took that and turned it into fashion. That's the future of African luxury.'
Despite the grandeur of his work, Coetzee remains modest. 'I don't go to many red carpets,' he says with a smile. 'I prefer to stay behind the scenes. Let the stars shine. My job is to make them shine brighter.'
But shine he does. Through his intricate designs, cultural reverence and unapologetic authenticity, Coetzee is reshaping how the world sees African fashion, not as a trend, but as timeless art.
And the dress? It's not just a garment. It's a story stitched in beads and power. A love letter to Africa. And a reminder that royalty isn't just born, it can be made.