Popular celebrity designer Gert-Johan Coetzee added an important global
feather to his cap when Oprah Winfrey appeared on stage at the Global
Citizen Festival on Sunday in a flowing sun-yellow silk kaftan he had
created for her.
Winfrey addressed the crowd at FNB Stadium about the meaning of being a
global citizen, and mentioned the importance of community, of reaching
out and making others feel cherished and less alone. The festival
brought a stellar cast of global A-list performers to Johannesburg,
South Africa, to celebrate what would have been Nelson Mandela’s 100th
birthday.
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_ “I always thought it was because Madiba was a citizen of the world,
that he really got to see how the power of one leads to the empowerment
of many,” _Winfrey said.
The beloved talk-show host had visited Coetzee’s studio earlier in the
week, and had charmed the designer and his team with her humour, grace
and kindness. “It was such an honour to receive her, and to be given
the opportunity to custom-make something really beautiful to wear,”
says Coetzee. The kaftan was constructed from draped silk in a rich
yellow, with a waistband decorated in traditional African hand-beading
and Swarovski crystals.
Coetzee is no stranger to Winfrey’s South African interests, having
mentored one of the students who had graduated from the Oprah Winfrey
Leadership Academy for Girls as part of his bursary programme. _“I
have always had wonderful, extremely professional experiences in my
dealings with Ms Winfrey’s school, so it was a pleasure to meet her
and see first-hand why OWLAG has such an edge of accomplishment,”_
said Coetzee. _“We are looking forward to growing the relationship
further.”_
