Fashion
The Finer Things: Mihlali Shows How to Make Denim Feel Expensive
Denim is usually treated as functional rather than aspirational. It is reliable, familiar, and often positioned as the easiest part of a wardrobe. What Mihlali Ndamase does differently is remove denim from that default role and place it firmly inside a conversation about intention, control, and taste.
Across recent appearances and fashion imagery, one detail keeps resurfacing: when Mihlali wears denim, it never looks incidental. It looks chosen. That effect is the result of measured decisions rather than surface-level tricks.

Mihlali Ndamase – Instagram
The look itself is simple and precise. A crisp white shirt, mid-wash jeans, white boots, minimal jewellery, and a compact quilted bag worn crossbody. None of these pieces depend on layering for impact. There is no visible effort to impress. Yet the outcome reads composed and assured.
The first decision is fit. The denim sits high on the waist and falls with structure rather than slouch. It neither clings nor collapses. This kind of cut does most of the work before anything else is considered. Poorly fitting denim cheapens an outfit quickly; here, proportion is carefully managed. The jeans define the body without distortion, which immediately shifts how they are perceived.

Mihlali Ndamase – Instagram
The white shirt reinforces that precision. It leaves little room for error, which is precisely why it sharpens the look. Cropped to align with the waistline of the jeans and worn cleanly, it avoids distraction. Sleeves hold their shape, buttons sit flat, and the fabric remains crisp. Denim gains authority through that level of control.
Accessories are kept deliberately small in scale. The bag remains understated, shifting the focus without altering the balance of the look. The boots follow the same logic. White, streamlined, and uninterrupted by unnecessary detail, they extend the line of the leg and ground the denim without softening it.

Mihlali Ndamase – Instagram
Colour choice plays a quiet but critical role. Blue denim paired with white is familiar, but here it is handled with clarity rather than familiarity. The colour combination allows texture and cut to do the talking. Gold jewellery adds warmth without pulling focus, acting as punctuation rather than decoration.
A defining feature of Mihlali’s approach to dress is her refusal to overcrowd a look. Denim becomes expensive when nothing around it tries to prove a point. There is no stacking of statements, no reliance on trend-led composition.

Equally important is how the clothes are worn. Mihlali approaches denim with the same assurance she brings to tailored or high-fashion pieces. That consistency matters. When casual clothing is worn without apology or exaggeration, it stops reading as casual. It becomes deliberate.
This is why her denim looks continue to resonate. They do not attempt to transform denim into something it is not. Instead, they treat it with the same seriousness given to more traditionally elevated fabrics. Good fit, controlled composition, thoughtful contrast, and clear judgement.
Denim does not need extra detail to feel expensive. It needs clarity. Refinement here is not something layered on top. It comes from what is deliberately left out.
Fashion
Faith Nketsi Stuns in Wide-Leg Palazzo Trousers
Faith Nketsi has given wide-leg denim a dressed-up update, pairing dark indigo trousers with a shimmering black crop top and a Dior handbag. The combination keeps the outfit grounded in denim while the accessories and beauty look give it a more polished finish.
The trousers are the defining piece. Cut with a high waist and very wide legs, the dark indigo denim falls almost to the floor, creating a relaxed shape through the lower half of the outfit. Visible stitching runs along the waistband, pockets and legs, while the simple finish keeps the trousers easy to pair with the more eye-catching top.

Photo: Instagram/@Faith Nketsi
Nketsi wears the jeans with a black cropped camisole covered in a fine, reflective texture. The top has slim straps, a softly draped neckline and a fitted cut that exposes part of her midriff. Its subtle shine brings a dressier feel to the denim, while the cropped length provides a clear contrast with the volume of the trousers.
She carries a small black Dior handbag with quilted detailing and gold hardware. The compact bag sits at her side, while the gold details tie in with the jewellery she wears. On her feet are black open-toe sandals with slim straps, paired with a white pedicure.

Photo: Instagram/@Faith Nketsi
Her jewellery includes several silver-toned bracelets, a watch, rings and a delicate necklace with a small cross pendant. The accessories are kept relatively simple, allowing the textured top and wide-leg trousers to remain the main elements of the outfit.
For beauty, Nketsi wears her dark hair in soft shoulder-length waves with a deep side part. Her makeup includes defined brows, winged eyeliner, long lashes, warm-toned eyeshadow and a glossy nude lip. The warm makeup tones work with the black and indigo clothing without introducing another strong colour.

Photo: Instagram/@Faith Nketsi
The look also fits with Nketsi’s established interest in combining fitted pieces with more relaxed or oversized clothing. In a June 2025 fashion feature, she was pictured in a black bodysuit with a cropped jacket, knee-high boots and a Dior bag, showing another take on the fitted-and-structured combination. This time, she takes that contrast in a more casual direction, using wide-leg denim as the foundation and letting the textured black top and accessories lift the outfit.
Fashion
Wisdom Kaye Goes From iPhone Fashion Videos to Winning the Virgil Abloh Award
Wisdom Kaye started making fashion videos in 2020, filming styling ideas at home and posting them on TikTok. Six years later, the fashion creator has received one of the industry’s honours named after the late Virgil Abloh.
Kaye was presented with the Virgil Abloh Award, presented by LVMH, at Harlem’s Fashion Row’s 19th Annual Fashion Show & Style Awards in New York on September 8. The ceremony, held at The Glasshouse, was part of the events surrounding New York Fashion Week and recognised Black creatives across fashion, media and culture.

Photo: Instagram/@Wisdom Kaye
The award is particularly fitting for Kaye because his route into fashion did not begin with a traditional fashion job. His online presence came first. He built an audience through styling videos before moving into modelling, brand campaigns, runway appearances and major fashion events.
Kaye’s early TikTok videos were built around styling and visual transformation. He used clothes, editing and different characters to create short fashion-focused videos from his home. His work soon attracted attention from the fashion industry, and he was signed by IMG Models.

Photo: Instagram/@Wisdom Kaye
From there, the Houston-born creator began working with some of fashion’s biggest names. Harlem’s Fashion Row lists Dior, Fendi, Prada, Valentino, Ralph Lauren, Tiffany & Co., Coach and AMI Paris among the brands he has worked with. He has also walked for Balmain.
His move from social media creator to fashion professional has also included appearances on some of the industry’s biggest stages. In 2024, Kaye made his Met Gala debut wearing a dramatic Robert Wun look. The appearance further established him as a fashion figure beyond TikTok, while his online platform remained an important part of his career.
In 2025, Kaye was included in the inaugural TIME100 Creators list, recognising creators whose influence extends beyond social media. A year later, he took another step into the traditional fashion establishment when he joined the expert panel for the 2026 LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers. LVMH lists him alongside editors, stylists, creative directors and other established figures in the fashion industry.

Photo: Instagram/@Wisdom Kaye
That progression makes his Virgil Abloh Award notable. Abloh himself became known for challenging the usual boundaries between luxury fashion, streetwear, music and popular culture. He founded Off-White and became Louis Vuitton’s Men’s Artistic Director in 2018, a position he held until his death in 2021.
Kaye’s career has followed a different route, but there is a clear connection in the way both understood the importance of culture beyond the traditional runway. Kaye first built an audience through his own content before fashion houses, modelling agencies and major events became part of his professional life.

Photo: Instagram/@Wisdom Kaye
At Harlem’s Fashion Row, his award was announced alongside honours for Erykah Badu, Brandon Blackwood, Jahleel Weaver, Audrey Smaltz and Recho Omondi. Badu received the Fashion Icon Award, Blackwood was named Designer of the Year, Weaver received Stylist of the Year, Smaltz received the Ann Lowe Maverick Award and Omondi was named Editor of the Year.
For Kaye, the Virgil Abloh Award marks another stage in a career that began with a phone, a wardrobe and an audience on social media. What started as fashion content made at home has grown into work with global fashion houses, appearances at the Met Gala, a place among TIME’s leading creators and, now, an award carrying the name of one of fashion’s most influential modern figures.
Fashion
Ib Kamara Exits Off-White
Ib Kamara has left Off-White, ending his tenure as creative director. The brand announced the departure on Monday, August 31, 2026, describing the split as a mutual decision. No successor has been announced.
Kamara first worked with Off-White as a stylist after connecting with Virgil Abloh in 2019. Following Abloh’s death in November 2021, Kamara joined the brand as Art and Image Director in 2022 and was later appointed Creative Director in 2024.

Photo credit: Pause Online (@pauseonline/Instagram)
During his time at Off-White, explores the impact of Black culture has had on America. In his 2024 show, entitled “BLACK BY POPULAR DEMAND”,he infuses elements of heritage and modernity that paint a rich vision of Black fashion.
Read Also: Louis Vuitton Opens New Immersive Store at V&A Waterfront
In September 2024, Off-White held its first New York fashion show. Celebrities like Issa Rae, Victoria Monét, Sunisa Lee and Flavor Flav attended the event.
His departure comes after a change in Off-White’s ownership. In 2024, LVMH sold the brand to Bluestar Alliance.

Photo credit: Pause Online (@pauseonline/Instagram)
Bluestar Alliance CEO Joey Gabbay praised Kamara’s contribution to the company. He said they are deeply grateful for Ib’s vision, creativity, and the remarkable energy he brought to Off-White throughout his tenure.
Kamara also spoke about his time at the company.
“Working at Off-White has been an honor and a profound creative education. The teams I have worked alongside, the collections we produced, the shows we dreamt ”

Photo credit: Pause Online (@pauseonline/Instagram)
Kamara has launched his own creative agency, Raw Materials by Ib Kamara, which will be his main focus now. Off-White now faces another a new transition.
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