May 20, 2015
Mumbai
Nail Colour Doyen dies, South Africa Mourns
The tragic and unexpected death of Harry ‘Mumbai’ Van Rensburg has sent shockwaves of grief and sadness across South Africa’s cosmetics industry.
Van Rensburg put South African nail polish creation on the global map with his innovative use of natural African ingredients and an almost uncanny ability to predict the next big colour trend.
Jenny Cliffordde, celebrity jewellery designer known for her bold, uncompromising creations says: “It was a shock. Mumby had been a good friend and close collaborator for a number of decades. My signature wedding ring collection, Mr. and Mrs, only felt complete after he brought out the colours – ‘Sundered’, ‘For richer’ and my personal favourite because it could be used by both men and women ‘Best Men Forever’. It was like the whole hand became a work of art, not just my rings.”
The suspected suicide comes as a surprise to many as he appeared to have been over the darkest period of his life. Trend spotter and futurist Dean Chan says that nothing in his recent work suggested he was feeling unfulfilled.
“Mumbai always put his whole life into his work,” says Chan. “There were the dark years in the mid-2000s when he was clearly struggling with his own inner demons and we saw him take actual blood samples from his clients to create personal colours with names such as ‘Is it over yet,’ ‘Aaaarrrggghhhh”’and ‘ffs’.”
“The shamanic period between late 2008 and 2011 was difficult for many, including his strongest supporters, as he pushed ideas of appropriate nail colour to the edge. Who can forget the market dismissal of ‘Why is this elephant trying to eat me,’ ‘Peyote in my coyote’ and ‘ToPee or not ToPee.’ But a stretch in the Kenilworth Clinic brought him back to himself and into The Golden Age of South African nail paint industry as he found love and acceptance with fellow clinic patient, Siya,” says Chan.
The last four years have seen Van Rensburg’s creativity flourish under the guidance and care of Siya Ngubene.
2012’s range ‘Romantica’ with its whimsical, almost giddy reinterpretation of pink in the colours ‘Yes. Yes. Yes’, ‘Of course your mother can move in’, and ‘Is it raining, I hadn’t noticed’ stole the show at the J&B Met that year as 5fm personality and DJ, Roger Goody’s take on Lady Gaga’s birthing egg brought the true nature, beauty and slight decadence of the colours into national consciousness.
His 2015 collection, ‘Peace’, is due to be launched at the end of this month. A source, speaking only on condition of anonymity, says that the amethyst range has names such as ‘om mani padme hum’, ‘Prayer Flags in the wind’ and ‘Silence’, suggesting that he was in fact in a very good place. Making his death all the more surprising.
Van Rensburg’s sister, Patti ‘Parys’ Marais nee Van Rensburg says, “We all mourn the loss of Mumbai and ask that the media and his fans will respect us during this difficult time. And please stop throwing nail polish at the house’s walls! It’s a bladdy mess and not at all like a Jackson Pollock as CNN keeps wanting to suggest.”
Sorbet Beauty Salon’s across South Africa will be holding a memorial nail paint this Saturday at 11h00. Please see their website for details.
[Update: 2 hours ago] A hidden safe has been discovered in Van Rensburg’s Hyde Park home with previously unreleased shades. The colours are ‘Fifty shades of WTF’, ‘Betrayal’ and ‘Just you WAIT!’ Ngubane has been taken in for questioning. Updates imminent.
I wrote this for the fourth in a series of tandem blog posts with 7 other bloggers. This week’s writing prompt: Mumbai. You can check out the other bloggers’ takes on the topic below:
