David Tlale: King of glamour
The renowned fashion designer's biggest muses are his late mother Joyce and Nelson Mandela
Simple elegance with a touch of drama is what David Tlale wanted to communicate with his two looks for S1981. So he avoided the use of prints, which is what his brand has been synonymous with in recent years.
Instead, Tlale wanted to showcase the unique craftsmanship that has made him a powerhouse in African luxury.
“It’s simplicity, but the drama that speaks to everybody. Street fashion, as comfortable as it is, can be dressed up or down,” Tlale says. “We decided to stick to monochromes — mostly white with elements of black coming in — to show our craftsmanship. Sometimes people think we hide behind the print.”
Tlale drew inspiration from the December 2019 Sowetan front page, when Zozibini Tunzi was crowned Miss Universe. From that he came up with a light-as-air jacket and wide-leg trousers. “It’s a celebration of black excellence, beauty, and craftsmanship,” says Tlale, dressed in all-black and sitting with his legs crossed on a gilded, throne-like chair in his Joburg office.
“We are bringing high fashion and ready-to-wear together. It comes at a time when the pandemic has changed the language of fashion,” he continues, sipping his tea. “These garments speak to where we are, to say that we are going to serve a global trend to our South African market. We want people to appreciate and celebrate it for its simplicity and wearability and yet affordable luxe.”
Tlale has not looked back since 1993, when he dropped his auditing course in pursuit of a new creative purpose in fashion. Winning the Elle New Talent Award in 2003 introduced him to the mainstream.
He also holds special showcasing at New York Fashion Week (NYFW) under Africa Fashion Week in 2009, returning in 2012 as the first South African designer to be on schedule at NYFW.
His biggest muses are his late mother Joyce and Nelson Mandela. And his shutting down Nelson Mandela Bridge in Braamfontein, Joburg, in 2012 to showcase 92 looks to coincide with Madiba’s 92nd birthday remains spectacular, even today.
“Part of the journey when you are becoming a brand is being misinterpreted. People have defined me as a diva, which I’m not,” Tlale says. “The hardest moment in my life was when I was down and out financially and I had nobody to run to. Friends, media, and everybody else almost celebrated that.”
