DESIGNER David Tlale, pictured, said he was overwhelmed after he received the Fashion Designer of the Year award from Applause magazine in New York, US, on Saturday night.

The African Diaspora Awards honour top global Africans shaping the world. Previous winners include Angelique Kidjo.

Speaking from New York, Tlale said the award validated his work.

"Receiving this award just says we are doing something right as the brand David Tlale from South Africa. We've come a long way from apartheid to a nation with possibilities," he said.

Tlale was also honoured with the African Icon of Hope by the Nigerian Fashion and Design Week.

For more stories like this one, be sure to buy the Sowetan newspaper from Mondays to Fridays