Tlale on top of the world

David Tlale's inspirational collage for his collection.

Perched on a chair fit for a king, Tlale held forth as his guests mingled.

While other designers were showing their latest trends at Sandton Convention Centre, the ultimate designer threw an intimate affair for his followers where models exhibited his designs.

The off-site practice is typical of international settings where designers showcase their works to selected guests.

But Tlale's show was different in that the models were not walking on the ramp but posing for guests to touch and feel the fabrics.

As revellers walked up and down the stairs, they were awed by the idea and his designs.

“I drew inspiration from the iconoclastic structural designs of the contemporary buildings in Dubai. The whole idea was inspired by the experiences I gathered through travelling,” he told Sowetan.

The event lived beyond everyone's expectations. It attracted curious journalists and other celebrities.

Tlale used bronze, gold, copper, onyx, browns and sprinkled red here and there, highlighting the detailed constructional elements. Leather and PVC were also used to exaggerate the architectural feel.

“The relationship between fashion and architecture is not a particularly oblique one,” he said.

“Both are based on structure, shape and pretty basic necessities, clothes and shelter ... exploring the existing correlation between the two basics and translating them into contemporary fashion was only a natural progression for us,” he said explaining his idea.

View some images of the show on the Style Guide blog.

Source: Sowetan

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