By Zandile Zaza Ndlovu
Dear gentle readers… In typical Lady Whistledown style, the Agora Club of Zimbabwe’s Harareton brought the Regency glam fashion era with a twist to life. Inspired by Bridgerton’s hit Netflix series, it was indeed the time of the social season.
With the Harareton Lords and Ladies dressed to impress with the hopes of being crowned the “Diamond” of the season. Whilst most events suffer from guests not adhering to the fashion theme, the Agora Harareton witnessed a colorful palette of empire-line dresses being the dominant silhouette. A mix of corsets and high-waisted bodices, with the bosoms being the main focal feature, were the order of the night. The gorgeous puff bishop sleeves and even the usually unflattering long columnar skirts seemed to bring out the beautiful curves and silhouettes.
The evening was adorned with a play of floral pastel aesthetics. And of note, what made it more exciting was that guests selected their gowns that reflected their favorite Bridgerton characters. For instance, Chido Musasiwa-Gutu, the Agora Club Zimbabwe president, donned a typical Queen Charlotte gown with layered velvet fabric and embellishments with an elaborate bejeweled string headpiece symbolic of her majesty as the central character.
Fashion designer Sibo Bero donned a yellow and white with a touch of pink ballroom gown in keeping with the theme of the night. Members of the Agora Club, such as Avril in a green ballroom gown and Barbrienne the Florst in her signature purple and pink butterfly-inspired gown, looked as exquisite as Lady Danbury with the layered fabrics, fascinated, and stylish walking cane.
Fashion historians would recall the Great Male Renunciation of the high-cut jackets with penguin tails and lace cravats wrapped around the neck, embroidered waistcoats with a touch of color, saw the gentleman not being left behind in the fashion festivities.
To complete the lavish looks, most of the ladies donned on tiaras to give it a real royal affair. The Agora Harareton certainly brought the heat, took a step back into the Regency era, and brought about the flair of royal fashion from that era. The Agora Club Zimbabwe Harareton Charity Dinner was held as part of its activities to raise funds for the less privileged and to empower women. This year sees the Rafiki organization benefit from laptops for its young women’s upskilling programs.
