Third soirée for Salon 58 was anything but sombre

"The conversations and collaborations were curated to reignite an appreciation of detail, to slow down the senses in preparation for a darker and more sensuous mood. In our crazy lives, it is necessary to become reacquainted with the spellbinding mystique of a woman in the simplest of black dresses and the unsolicited gesture of adjusting his tie - one that was chosen with care - and finding the value in small things that show the greatest care," said Burger of the day's programme.

Noir was the first event catering for women and men, and Neil Doveton of Mr Doveton opened the afternoon with a He Says, She Says conversation with Burger about menswear and what constitutes the male equivalent of the LBD (a black or navy suit, he believes). This was followed by a grooming session focusing on hair care and the basics of a well-kept beard with Dawid Kriel of Institute Aesthetic in conjunction with Aesop represented by Nicol de Andrade of Loading Bay, the Cape Town stockist of Aesop. This Australian range of men's and women's grooming and skincare is distinguished by botanical and laboratory-generated ingredients of the highest quality that is recognised by the pharmaceutical packaging, tried-and-tested ingredients and delicious, fresh smells.

Jorg Hasenbach of More Made-to-Measure demystified bespoke, made-to-measure suits and Bheki Dladla from the House of Napoleon modelled a handful of ever-fashionable styles. In line with the focus on the importance of the smallest detail, Hasenbach touched on which socks to wear with a suit (ones that match the suit, not the shoes), the hallmarks of a quality, bespoke suit; and the length of the jacket sleeves and trouser legs. Alwijn Burger of BlomBoy and Burger then talked about the bouttonnière, something a man normally wears to his matric farewell and wedding, but which can lend panache to a work suit. (It's about confidence, not the occasion).

Touches of gold and rich textures

The jazz salon set the tone of the evening where Somerset College performed while Okasie put together the décor in the conversation lounge using luxurious velvet, touches of gold and rich textures to transform the Salon 58 space in the PJ Olivier Art Centre. From the minute they arrived and all through the four-hour event, guests were served by The Aleit Academy, which was responsible for the run of events. Okasie was on the design and décor and production, while Chanelle Schoon of Schoon De Companje created delicacies specially for the Noir soirée.

Guests' glasses were kept topped up with the 2010 Graham Beck Blanc de Blanc, a crisp MCC made from chardonnay and a Gold Medal winner at the Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships for the 2009 vintage. The menu, by Chanelle Schoon of Schoon de Companje, comprised bite-sized taste sensations such as salted caramel butter macaroons, sumac devilled eggs, gruyere and sesame sticks, smoked trout bites as well as a highlight: a dark chocolate fountain with meringues, strawberries, marshmallows and wafer biscuits.

Because no event entitled Noir would be complete without a tribute to the LBD, the last item of business was a fashion show of beautiful black dresses. Black Coffee showed designs from its Contour, Triad and Cortex collections that use complex detailing to dress up the notion of simplicity; Klûk CGDT showed gowns from its Rich Bitch range, which it calls a tongue-in-cheek reference to the '80s socialite and the unapologetic attitude of always looking good despite the dress code; Lara Klawikowski's classic designs were given a twist with slightly warped, asymmetric and unexpected silhouettes; and Drotsky played on timeless silhouettes that accentuate the female form with minimalist and androgynous shapes.

One defining feature

The show was produced by Juanita Kotze of KØ Productions and the models' hair was by Partners Hair Design and make-up by MAC Cosmetics. Make-up artist Saskia Buxton and her team kept the make-up fresh and natural with one defining feature, be it a strong lip colour or eyebrows to keep the focus on the dresses. Similarly, Lewis Thomas of Partners Hair Design created slick and sleek hairstyles, swept off the face in modern, elegant buns. The only accessories were detailed, delicate Black Betty pieces and striking, sexy Nine West heels.

In closing, guests were treated to a very entertaining and surprise cocktail tasting by Kalmoesfontein's Adi Badenhorst who introduced Caperitif, a 100% South African vermouth made from ingredients such as fynbos, kalmoes and naartjie.

And then it was time to shop in the Salon 58 gallery boutique where there were silk pyjamas from Daddy & Fox, jewellery by Black Betty and Aesop's grooming products.

As a memento, each guest received Aesop samples, a Nine West 30% discount voucher when shopping the Jackie Burger edit and a MAC Cosmetics voucher for a free make-up session.

Salon 58's next soirée will take place on Saturday, 15 August. The theme will be Lovely in celebration of women in Women's Month, and tickets will go on sale in July on Webtickets. To stay up to date, follow Salon 58 on Twitter and Facebook.