DURBAN - Laughter, tears of joy, cheers, dancing and memorable fashion were the order of the week as the University of KwaZulu-Natal hosted in-person graduation after a two-year break owing to Covid-19.
The ceremonies have been hosted at the university’s sports centre on its Westville campus since May 4, and will continue until May 21.
The university said a total of 8 795 degrees will be conferred, of which 6 094 are undergraduate and 2 701 postgraduate qualifications.
There are 495 masters graduands and 213 doctoral ones.
The university said the percentage of its graduands who were women was consistently high at 63.38%. The achievements of 84 graduands with disabilities will also be celebrated.
Although a gown, hood and mortar board are standard items of attire for recipients of qualifications, graduation ceremonies also showcase an array of fashion, ranging from bespoke suits and stylish dresses to chic shoes that complete the perfect look.
The fashion on display is often accompanied by graduands busting hilarious dances moves on the stage as they receive their qualifications in front of cheering crowds of proud parents.
It is typical for the attire at these ceremonies to differ widely, with graduands adding their own personal touches to what they wear, and some of them becoming the centre of attention because of their outfits.
According to plus-size fashion designer and influencer Nomalungelo Mkhize, of EYC Couture, the standard of graduation fashion has declined when compared with that in previous years.
“As beautiful as they were, there is nothing that I have seen which has been outstanding for me, and I think more than anything else the priority was to graduate first and make a fashion statement second,” she said.
She added that the university had become well known for setting a trend with its graduands and their outfits. However, there was nothing outstanding about the attire she had seen, whereas in the past the fashion statements had almost overshadowed the significance of the event itself.
“In the past, the way graduands were dressed and how they carried themselves inspired you to just want to go back to school and dress up for the momentous occasion. But now the mood has depleted. I am not sure if it is Covid-19 or what,” she said.
“I think this year I was also looking forward to seeing more inspiring fashion, but from what I have seen I would not say there has been much effort invested when it comes to the way that they were looking compared with previous years,” added Mkhize.
She further noted that for her the male graduands surpassed the females in terms of their high-fashion ensembles.
Fashion designer Sibu Msimang expressed different sentiments.
“People are going all out, particularly because they want to show off their clothes and make a fashion statement. So they go the extra mile with their designs,” she said.
She added that she had seen an improvement in the standards of dressing up compared with previous years. Many female graduands had worn detailed outfits such as beaded dresses, while men had donned tailor-made suits. Opting for a different look, some women had tapped into wearing suits instead of dresses.
SUNDAY TRIBUNE