Sheli Masondo on winning an international award for ‘Shaka Ilembe’ costumes
|Published
Costume designer Sheli Masondo is waving the South African flag high, winning the Best Costume Design prize at the Septimius Awards.
Held in Tuschinski in Amsterdam, the Septimius Awards is an international award ceremony showcasing feature films, documentaries, shorts, animations, television series and screenplays.
The awards not only recognises actors but all contributors in the film industry, including costume designers, who play a significant part in ensuring that every character is dressed to complement their roles.
Masondo won Best Costume Design for the stellar costumes she designed for “Shaka Ilembe”.
If you have watched the series, you would know that characters had to wear Zulu traditional attire in accordance with their status.
For example, certain accessories like leopard claws are reserved for Kings, while commoners only don animal skin costumes. The detailing of the accessories and prints are vital in distinguishing who’s who.
Masondo spent at least a year researching the Zulu traditional attire of the 1700s and 1800s to ensure historical accuracy.
“I visited KwaZulu Natal museums, went through the archives, met with historians, searched across the continent for inspiration, to make sure that I got the look of the period right,” she said.
In addition, she found old men and women who still craft the original traditional pieces of costume. “For example, a Mbata is a Zulu traditional chest guard handmade from animal skin, exclusively worn by the Royal family. Only the king or his wife can wear a leopard skin,” she explained.
During her research, she also found that Zulu costume has not evolved much through the centuries.
“I found a man who still makes the king’s costume – who takes up to three months to make a headdress. He shaves the feathers he uses, shaping them so they flow differently from when a bird is flying. I transferred that knowledge to the show’s crafters,” Masondo explained.
As she dug deeper into her research, she learned more about the ancient way of pleating cowhide leather to make a skirt known as isidwaba, worn by married woman. What’s also special about this skirt is that it is made from cowhide obtained from the woman's (bride) father's cattle.
“I know what it takes to create a pattern and cut fabric. When I saw how precise and intricate the pleating was done on these skirts I was impressed. They have up to 500 pieces that make up one skirt,” she said.
From the history books, she learnt that instead of cotton threads, they used animal fibre as stitching thread and didn't use the modern needles that we know. A sharpened bone with a drilled hole was used as a needle.
“When I created the costumes for the show, to derive inspiration, I walked empty fields – looking at the birds, the trees, their bark, the fine textures, the veins on the leaves. It was very emotional for me. It was more than design.
“It was like stepping into my ancestors’ shoes and I was blown away by how creative they were – using whatever surrounded them. There were no lace ribbons, fabric, sequins and beads… they used the natural things around them,” said Masondo.
“It was a spiritual moment for me. I was blessed that I had support. People from Kwa Ndebele, from KZN, and Johannesburg… they could translate everything that I envisioned, that I had brought back from my research into ‘Shaka Ilembe’ costumes.”
All that work paid off and won her an international award, which she is grateful for.
“It was an amazing feeling to be recognised on an international stage and to be in a category where other costume designers did magnificent work.
“I didn’t expect to win. I’m very grateful that we can tell our stories in our language with our authentic traditional outfits,” Masondo concluded.
“Shaka Ilembe” also won another award through Nomzamo Mbatha, who took Best African Actress for her role as Nandi.