From Pearl Thusi's chainmail slip dress to Sdumo Mtshali's galaxy-print tux, see how SA's top stars interpreted Netflix's 'Tomorrow's Black Tie' dress code.
Pearl Thusi, the first South African to lead a Netflix original series, worked the step-and-repeat in a liquid-metal, crystal-strapped slip dress that set the tone for the night’s futuristic glamour. Picture: Supplied, Netflix
Netflix didn’t just mark 10 years in South Africa with a slate reveal. The global streamer took over the Divine Sunset venue in Midrand on Thursday for the hottest party Johannesburg has seen all year.
The brief for guests was fittingly ambitious: “Tomorrow’s Black Tie. The future has a dress code.”
A day earlier, the streamer unveiled its next wave of local stories at a press showcase in Rosebank, celebrating a decade that’s supported more than 8 000 jobs through over 30 local production partnerships.
A decade and a dress code
Mzansi’s often-criticised red-carpet regulars took “Tomorrow’s Black Tie” and ran with it, each finding their own version of “futuristic formal.”
Pearl Thusi leaned into liquid metal, her fully beaded, spaghetti-strap gown catching the light like chainmail with a dramatically sculpted braided updo to match.
Evening MC Azania Mosaka went for old-world glamour with a modern edge in a beaded, off-the-shoulder wine-red gown, with its cascading fringe skirt doing most of the talking.
Thando Thabethe, a familiar face across several Netflix SA productions, opted for a one-shouldered, crystal-encrusted silver gown with a thigh-high slit – sleek, sharp and unmistakably red-carpet-ready. And Sdumo Mtshali, whose profile went global on the back of The Polygamist‘s international success, took the boldest swing of the night in a graphic, galaxy-print tuxedo jacket complete with a musical note motif and tinted sunglasses, proving “black tie” can still have a modern edge.
The verdict
As dress codes go, “the future has a dress code” is a gorgeous idea and a genuinely tricky brief – vague enough to invite real creativity, but abstract enough that most of Netflix’s guests understandably defaulted to “Hollywood black tie, but shinier.”
The strongest looks of the night were the ones that treated “futuristic” as a texture-and-silhouette problem rather than just an excuse for more sequins. Thusi’s liquid-metal drape and Mtshali’s print-forward tailoring did that most interestingly in my view. Netflix’s dress code is a theme with real potential, provided stylists and designers lean further into shape and fabrication rather than simply turning up the sparkle.
Click through the gallery to see the full lineup of looks from the 10 Years of Netflix in South Africa celebration.
