South African multi-talented musician, radio host and fashion personality Nomuzi Mabena turned the 2026 Metro FM Music Awards into a full-scale fashion tribute, delivering a series of emotionally charged, archive-referencing looks that blurred the line between red carpet dressing and cultural storytelling.
Held under the theme “Music Xcellence”, with a sharp focus on “Icon-Inspired Music Excellence”, the Metro FM Music Awards 2026 marked 40 years of Metro FM by honouring the legends who shaped South African sound while spotlighting the new generation carrying that legacy forward. Mabena understood the assignment, and then expanded it.
Rather than simply dressing for the occasion, she built a visual narrative across multiple appearances, paying homage to two of South Africa’s most enduring cultural forces: Brenda Fassie and Lebo Mathosa.
Moozlie arrived on the black carpet, stepping out in a sculptural, pearl-beaded creation by Karabo Studio. The look leaned into meticulous craftsmanship - layered beading, soft shimmer, and a sense of restraint that allowed texture to do the talking.
What followed was not a single black carpet look, but a series of fashion statements that functioned like a living archive of South African music and style history.
One of her most striking transformations referenced Brenda Fassie, reworking the late icon’s famous Metro FM Awards military-inspired ensemble into a modern silhouette. The original attitude, bold, commanding, unmistakably rebellious—remained intact, but was reframed through sharper tailoring and a contemporary fashion lens. In an unexpected twist, she incorporated a nod to the late AKA by integrating his trophy into the styling, turning an award into a symbolic accessory that spoke to legacy and recognition in the same breath.
She continued her Fassie tribute with a second interpretation rooted in cultural identity, drawing from Brenda’s celebrated Xhosa-inspired look worn alongside her son Bongani Fassie. Rather than reproducing the outfit, Mabena reimagined it with a softer, more editorial approach - balancing heritage cues with a present-day sensibility that felt both intimate and fashion-forward.
Her final transformation paid homage to Lebo Mathosa, revisiting one of the most globally recognisable South African pop fashion moments: Mathosa’s leopard-print dress from the 2005 MTV Europe Music Awards. Mabena reinterpreted the print and silhouette through a contemporary lens, refining the drama rather than amplifying it, and in doing so captured Mathosa’s fearless energy without imitation.
Across the night, Mabena’s styling choices formed a cohesive narrative of reinvention, memory and cultural pride, honouring South African icons while firmly situating her own voice within the ongoing archive of music and style.
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