Bling queen style flops

In the spirit of Dolly Parton, Mpisane does ‘expensive cheap’

The fuschia pencil skirt and peplum top suit that fraud accused Shauwn Mpisane wore to court this week is only the latest in a string of coordinated designer disasters she has come to be known for.

Using the Durban Commercial Crime Court as her personal catwalk, the bling queen has paraded a succession of bright high-fashion outfits and accessories.

She’s kept fashion watchers’ red pens busy because they’re putting big crosses on her “epic fail” pictures.

This week, she and her former Durban metro cop husband, S’bu Mpisane, had their high-priced laundry hung on the line for all to see when their fleet of luxury cars were confiscated from their sea-view home in La Lucia.

A string of new charges were brought against Mpisane this week, adding to the fraud and corruption-related charges she already faces.

The Asset Forfeiture Unit pounced on the unsuspecting couple on Wednesday following an order by the KwaZulu-Natal Regional Court granting it authority to freeze and seize R140 million in assets.

This follows intensive investigations by the Hawks into allegations that Mpisane submitted false documents to obtain construction industry development board gradings.

Among the cars seized – estimated to be worth about R22 million – was a Rolls-Royce Phantom and Ghost, a Maserati, a Ferrari Scaglietti, a Porsche Cayenne Turbo and Panamera Turbo, two Hummers, as well as two armoured BMW 5 series. The fleet was housed in an estimated R3 million mirrored-glass showroom.

The couple’s home, said to be worth R25 million, as well as three other fixed properties, was seized.

But it is the two bedrooms assigned only to Mpisane’s vast shoe collection that will have fashionistas salivating.

Unusual footwear is one of her signatures, and she wears a number of high-end brands such as Gucci, Christian Louboutin and – it is rumoured – Alexander McQueen.

Last June, Mpisane arrived in court in an overly colour-coordinated outfit consisting of aquamarine shades, beads, belt, watch, bag and heelless platforms over a busy print two-piece with a ruffled collar.

Three days later, the queen of Durban’s nouveau riche switched things up when she strutted to court in a teal satin shift dress with a ­lemon ruffled chest detail and a ­waterfall of black material ­resembling runny pantyhose.

The dress was tarted up with lemon belt, tote bag, stacked heels and earrings with a yellow gold wrist cuff and ring.

She lived up to singer Dolly Parton’s joke that “it takes a lot of money to look this cheap”.

Last week’s zebra-print frock with a sash-like embroidery across her curvy shape was probably the most toned down Mpisane has been – if you don’t count the nude bondage style platform heels that must have required the skill of Christian Grey to dislodge.

Friday’s fuschia outfit was accessorised with a lime-green handbag, pink and lime heels with gold spikes on the toes and a lime neckpiece.

We’ll save the hair critique for another day.

The Mpisanes are popular for their glitzy parties, usually attended by soapie stars and tenderpreneurs, including birthday and wedding celebrations in one weekend.

For her husband’s 40th birthday party in 2011, Mpisane presented him with a R1.8 million Maserati GranCabrio.

Oysters, champagne and three different types of French cognac were on the menu.

Investigators at the seizures are quoted as saying the Mpisane’s had more TVs than a Dion Wired outlet.

- Sphumelele Mngoma and Babalwa Shota