Three Times Bonang Matheba Has Worn Nigerian Designers

If you ask us what Nigeria and South Africa have in common, we will tell you that it is fashion. There is a lot more, of course, but for the sake of Bonang Matheba and how stunning she looks whenever she steps out in a dress made by a Nigerian designer, we simply cannot help but stick to fashion.

Now, it is no news, and certainly no small feat, that when it comes to fashion and style, Nigerian designers know how to create gowns that command attention. From structured corsets and intricate beadwork to dramatic silhouettes and unexpected colour combinations, Nigerian fashion designers continue to create red-carpet looks for some of the biggest names in Africa. Bonang, fondly known as “Queen B”, has given us several examples, wearing Nigerian creations for major appearances including Miss Cosmo and the Miss South Africa grand finale.

One of those looks came from Sheye Oladejo, who created a custom strapless gown for Bonang for Miss Cosmo, with styling by celebrity stylist Dahmola. The gown brought together deep cobalt, sky blue, turquoise and silver, with the colours flowing through the silhouette before giving way to a cascading fringe hem. An asymmetrical neckline added another shape to the strapless design, while the combination of deeper blue tones and lighter shades gave the dress its layered colour palette.

For the 2024 Miss South Africa grand finale, Bonang turned to Veekee James, another Nigerian designer known for her couture gowns and structured designs. Veekee created a deep forest-green gown with a beaded bodice and plunging neckline, which flowed into a teal-blue draped hip and full skirt. The contrast between the fitted, embellished bodice and the fluid skirt gave the gown its shape, while the forest green and teal kept the colour palette firmly in the jewel-tone family.

Then, for another Miss Cosmo appearance, Bonang wore a creation by Emagine By Bukola. The Nigerian fashion label designed a red and gold floor-length gown featuring sculpted, wing-like shoulder extensions, sheer illusion sleeves and rows of pleating through the skirt. The architectural shoulders established the shape of the look, while the sheer sleeves softened the upper half before the pleated skirt carried the red and gold palette down to the floor.

What makes these Bonang Matheba fashion moments particularly interesting is how different the three Nigerian designers approached her red-carpet wardrobe. Sheye Oladejo worked with multiple shades of blue, silver and movement through the fringe. Veekee James built her gown around beadwork, a structured bodice and draped fabric in forest green and teal. Emagine By Bukola went in a more sculptural direction with wing-like shoulders, sheer sleeves and a pleated red-and-gold skirt.