David Tlale is Africa’s fashion king

04 Sep, 2016 - 06:09 0 Views
David Tlale is Africa’s fashion king

The Sunday Mail

IN 2012, a South African became the first designer from Africa to showcase solo on the main programme of the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in New York.

The David Tlale brand has since achieved landmark successes for bringing African fashion to the global scene. A week prior to his inaugural solo New York showcase, David Tlale, showcased in Harare at Zimbabwe Fashion Week.

As a result of his preparations and scheduling the designer honoured his commitment as a truly global brand and in absentia Zimbabwean fashionistas were given a spectacular showcase.

The launch of this year’s Edgars Summer Extravaganza brought in the designer for the very first time in Harare on August 26. Tlale came to launch his range for select Edgars stores in a fashion show as well as endorse the Edgars Local Designers Initiative, the retailer’s corporate social investment programme.

Tlale shared his story with emerging designers from Zimbabwe in an hour-long workshop. He was relatable, warm and honest, and that kept the crowd engaged, entertained and informed.

His very honest dose of advice regarding the international fashion industry was refreshing. In his well-articulated speech the independent designer said, “Building a brand is not for sissies”, giving his own life as an example of how he started and the struggles he faced before he realised international recognition.

Emphasising that his journey took a long time and included times he was unable to meet his financial commitments despite him winning awards, he says a designer is only as good as the last collection.

Tlale made the workshop relevant for all entrepreneurs and small business owners who might not necessarily be in the fashion industry. Essential statements like, “Stay in your lane” — highlighting the need to find one’s own focus and have an authentic product. Discouraging the habit of copying others, instead having a vision board to understand where one’s business is going in the bigger picture of the fashion industry.

He urged designers to never envy or wish for someone else’s life and embrace their uniqueness and what they offer to the world. Honestly admitting that those that wish to be him have no idea what struggles and hardships another designer faces.

As a fashion student he said after losing an award as the “most promising designer” in his first year, he told the winner he would take first place for the rest of the degree programme. Through doing his best he won for the next three years the most promising designer award.

Relating to fashion design he described the pattern making as foreplay and urged designers to make garments as if they are making love to their garment. Describing that a garment made with love can be seen in the attention to detail and that increases its value.

A quick online search will reveal his many accolades from his high end couture line, collaborations and diffusion lines. A David Tlale fragrance collection is in the works, because according to him, “If your dreams are not scaring you, then they are not big enough”.

Quoting Nelson Mandela he encouraged designers and Africans to have big ambition in order to excel, “It always seems impossible until it is done”.

As Tlale’s brand goes global, the same year Edgars celebrates 70 years in Zimbabwe, he showcased “David by David Tlale”, range which is soon to be available in select Edgar’s stores. Given the large audience that came to see the show on the evening of August 26, this range is most certainly going to be a must have in every fashionista’s wardrobe.

Why not? After all, the who-is-who in fashion internationally including Oluchi the first Face of Africa winner and Tyson Beckford have walked the runway in David Tlale — it is now Zimbabwe’s time to let our streets be the runways in David by David Tlale.

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