Pastoral heritage transformed into couture, blending rural craftsmanship with modern sovereignty.
Durban, South Africa, July 5, 2026 – On one of the most storied days in South African racing, Miss South Africa 2025 Qhawekazi Mazaleni made a memorable appearance at the Hollywoodbets Durban July. Clad in a bespoke creation by House of NALA, she interpreted this year’s “Country Allure” theme as a tribute to her roots rather than an exercise in nostalgia.
The look, crafted in collaboration with House of NALA Atelier and designer Loice Dube, drew inspiration from South Africa’s rural landscapes. It captured the texture of the land, the discipline of craft, and the quiet authority of communities that have long mastered the art of creating beauty from their surroundings.
As an Empower Youth Africa Ambassador and advocate for literacy, Qhawekazi has dedicated her reign to transforming platforms into opportunities. At the event, she paid homage to Pan-African artisanship through a design that celebrated heritage, craftsmanship and identity.
QHAWEKAZI MAZALENI ON THE LOOK:
“Luxury, for me, isn’t something I have to import. It’s something I remember and feel. It resides in the hands that weave, dye and build from our soil. House of NALA designers view African craft not as mere inspiration, but as a fundamental infrastructure. Wearing this is an act of preservation, a way of embracing my heritage.”
LOICE DUBE, HOUSE OF NALA DESIGNER:
“Country Allure asked us to look outward, but we chose to look inward. We explored the homesteads, markets and techniques passed down without manuals. We worked with locally sourced materials and ancestral methods because that’s where true couture begins. Rural Africa isn’t just a mood board; it’s the archive.”
The ensemble positioned House of NALA at the forefront of contemporary African fashion’s next chapter. Here, heritage was not merely referenced but engineered. Through the collaboration, Miss South Africa celebrated culture not as inspiration, but as something worthy of recognition, elevation and pride.
ABOUT HOUSE OF NALA
House of NALA is a Pan-African design collective and platform that elevates artisan excellence across the continent. Founded on the principle that African craft is luxury, NALA partners directly with designers and makers to preserve technique while shaping the future of global fashion.