The six women from kykNET’s Die Real Housewives van die Wynlande and their comments certainly had viewers react in various ways. From shocked to surprised to impressed to disgusted…they’ve certainly taken us all for an emotional ride. But, words are not the only way to say what you want to say. In fact, sometimes your wardrobe can say so much more…
Who was responsible for the housewives’ on-set wardrobe and appearance?
The elegant Stylist and Make-up Artist, Efraine du Toit was commissioned by Red Pepper Productions for the programme and says it wasn’t easy. While it was an incredible experience and an honour to work with Red Pepper Productions again, Efraine says the set certainly had its challenges. In fact, the housewives did not make it easy. “There are some of the women whom I’ve grown very fond of and with whom I will definitely stay in contact, but there were also some of them who would phone me at 23:00 at night, screaming at me, looking for something. It was really not always all smiles. I think what made it so tiring, was the fact that it was six women whose emotions had to be managed all the time,” says Efraine.
Was there as much drama BTS as on screen?
As the official make-up artist for the production, Efraine was the often the obvious go-to when the housewives wanted to dump their frustrations. And yes, there was drama. “It was not a group of lovely women who just made friends and got along,” says Efraine. While we might have seen some of it on air, she says there was definitely some nastiness behind the scenes too. There was also an unhappiness among the women when one of the housewives felt that another was getting more of Efraine’s time. Or when one felt that Efraine was making more of an effort with another’s hair. “That was never the case. I am super professional and always wanted to make all of them look as beautiful as possible,” says Efraine. It was these things that made her days rather long at times.
What was a day in Efraine’s life like during production?
Together with her right hand, Zani le Roux, Efraine had to get all six housewives ready for set daily. “We both had three women to get ready for set every day.” They went from house to house, doing makeup, lashes and hair. The housewives preferred to get ready in the comfort of their own homes, which meant that Efraine and her team had to travel between Somerset West, Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Paarl on a daily basis. “If you had to have everyone ready by 08:00, you had to start rather early with the first housewife,” says Efraine.
So, how do you dress a housewife from the Cape Winelands?
While she did source some items – especially from Ateljee in Stellenbosch and even her own closet – Efraine had a very good idea of what the housewives had in their wardrobes and used a lot of their own clothes to style them. Since they had to follow the reality of the show, it so happened that they often only knew which scenes to plan for at 22:00 the night before. That meant that Efraine had to use the housewives’ wardrobes to her (and their) advantage. “It was very last-minute,” she says. “I then drew up a quick mood board for the women and told them what to wear the next day.”
“With a reality show [like Die Real Housewives van die Wynlande] you have to showcase their personalities, but they still need to look like housewives. At the same time, two, four or six of them need to look visually appealing next to each other in front of the camera. It’s difficult, but my inspiration was mainly to keep to their individual personalities. Many times, the women wore outfits which Efraine felt could have been improved, but them feeling beautiful in it, made it work. “With reality, it’s not about how you can make someone look beautiful, but rather about them feeling beautiful, and it needs to reflect their personalities.”
What are the housewives’ styles?
According to Efraine, Anita’s wardrobe is a very good example of the Old Money fashion trend that is currently doing the rounds. “I am crazy about every single clothing item she owns,” says Efraine. “I wouldn’t necessarily want to wear it, but it is super cool and it suits her perfectly.” Mariska is a very good example of the contrasting trend of New Money. “Those two’s personal styles are so extremely different, but still so incredibly beautiful,” says Efraine.
The other women did not really have specific fashion styles per say, which is why it was helpful to have a stylist behind the scenes, giving some guidance where needed. Still, Efraine describes Amy’s style as timeless and Candice’s as sporty. Karen’s style has a Bohemian flair and well, Michelle is apparently “not always sure what she likes.”
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What about Efraine’s own wardrobe?
Efraine describes her own wardrobe is rather simple. “I believe something simple looks more durable than something too busy. I like my beiges, whites and blacks and I feel it’s easier to get dressed when you have staple items rather than a bunch of trendy items.” She doesn’t mind spending more on staple items like boots, jeans and trench coats, since those are items that she would wear for four or five years. “Things that I know I will only be wearing for a season, I buy at H&M, Shein or similar places.” She also says that you shouldn’t have to many clothes. “If you have too many clothes, it’s difficult to get dressed.”
While it might have been a rough ride, Efraine and her team certainly nailed it when it comes to making the housewives’ wardrobes reflect their personalities.
Watch the final two episodes of Die Real Housewives van die Wynlande on kykNET (DStv channel 144) on 13 July and 20 July at 20:00. A little birdy tells me that this is a reunion where the women won’t be holding back…
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