Tag Archives: London

South Africa : Fashion – David Tlale (@Tlale_large) at #NYFW + Arts – Yasmin’s Dramatic Need

One of the African Designers that I truly admire their work, South African David Tlale represented (as usual), beautifully at the New York Fashion Week with his stunning collection.

His Spring/Summer 15 collection unveiled cohesive looks of affluent prints and patented burgundy-red off set with bold, pure white. In Tlale’s words this spring collection aims to “[give]women back their power and [equip] them with a strong and confident sense of allure, without losing their essence and femininity.” – (via okayfrica)

David Tlale Presents S/S 15 with Tyson Beckford At Mercedes-Benz NYFW – 

And here are some of my favorite picks below.

David Tlale – New York Fashion Week – Fall/ Winter 14 — Photography: Yuko Torihara –

David Tlale – New York Fashion Week – Fall/ Winter 14 — Photography: Yuko Torihara –

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F/W 14 Elementary Metropolis collection

About David Tlale

Tlale launched his brand in 2003, winning the title of “Elle New Talent in South Africa” shortly after. In 2009 he was presented the award for “Designer of the Year” at Africa Fashion Week by international super model Alek Wek. This recognition allowed the brand to debut at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week New York Spring/Summer 2010.

Over the 11 years since Tlale launched his brand, South Africa native David Tlale has showcased his inimitable designs at all the premium fashion week platforms and etched his mark as a favorite on the South African and African fashion landscapes. Renowned for his undeniable knack for showmanship and elaborate designs, Tlale’s work is both daring and elegant—a brand that defies convention and a brand that impenitently employs unpredictable use and understanding of fabric, color and texture. David Tlale has taken his work around the world, and partnered with a number of influential brands in South Africa. In 2009, he was awarded Fashion Designer of the year at the Africa Fashion Awards in Johannesburg, and later made his debut at Mercedes-Benz New York Fashion Week with a collection entitled “Cultural Intimacy.” It was in early 2011, for the Autumn/Winter Collection at Jo’burg Fashion Week, David Tlale presented his quintessential “Made In The City” Collection in celebration of the 92 years of Nelson Mandela’s life, Tlale sent 92 models down the ramp on what was deemed the longest ramp in the history of South African fashion: the Nelson Mandela Bridge in Johannesburg. Tlale since his debut on catwalks, has been a ambassador for the “Change-4-Ever Campaign”, an initiative that aims to alleviate poverty in Southern Africa.

David Tlale has enjoyed outstanding exposure on both local and International catwalks, but his label goes beyond just fashion. The proudest moment for Tlale was being The First South African Fashion designer to show case Solo at the Mercedes Benz Fashion week New York in September 2012. For more visit http://www.davidtlale.com/the-brand.html

To connect with David Tlale:

***Speaking of South Africa,  a friend needs your support to sponsor her on her mission to SA via  Dramatic Need. Dramatic Need’s core mission is to bring the creative arts to underprivileged children in the poorest parts of South Africa and Rwanda. If you are like me, any thing that has to do with the creative arts, giving back and Africa pulls my heartstrings..

Yasmin Joseph – Scriptwriter, Theatre and Drama Teacher, London UK

Yasmin says —

I have been chosen as a volunteer to teach drama in rural Free State, South Africa, for a month spanning from October to late November.Dramatic Need is an amazing charity, devoted to enforcing the arts as a form of creative outlet for children in economically deprived African communities… something that I am very passionate about.After graduating last year with a degree in English and Drama, and feeling like my skills weren’t being fully utilized/valued here, I figured it’d be a good idea to go somewhere else and make myself useful!

To support her click Yasmin Joseph’s Fundraising Platform

Thank you in advance.

Beautifully Dreaming… Positively Doing

Tosinger

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Fashion Week – The African Versions

What is the purpose of Fashion week anyway? Is it a showcase of eye-candy fashion that the average person can not afford to adorn themselves with? or is it a ritual gathering of upper bourgeois tastemakers of fashion? Here’s a little history behind the purpose of the event.

A fashion week is a fashion industry event, lasting approximately one week, which allows fashion designers, brands or “houses” to display their latest collections in runway shows and buyers and the media to take a look at the latest trends. Most importantly, these events let the industry know what’s “in” and what’s “out” for the season. – Source Wiki (More history here )

The most prominent fashion weeks are held in the four fashion capitals of the world: Milan, Paris, New York, and London.  Some other important fashion weeks in the world are held in Amsterdam, Bangalore, Barcelona, Mexico City, Boston, Buenos Aires, Cleveland, Copenhagen, Dubai, Jakarta, Los Angeles, Lisbon Madrid, Manila, Rome, São Paulo, Kuala Lumpur, Shanghai, Sydney, Tbilisi, Seoul, Tokyo, Toronto and Hong Kong. Well, now we have African versions  and South Africa is leading the way, thanks to African Fashion International

African Fashion International (AFI) is the leading Fashion authority on the African continent and is committed to the promotion and development of the best South African design talent. They organize various fashion events and recently organized the popular Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Joburg 2014; South Africa’s premier annual autumn/winter fashion show, held on 20 to 22 March with over 34 of the country’s top designers lined up to present collections in  15 shows at the Sandton Convention Center. Check out the designers here 

Here are a few of my personal favorites: All photo credits to
Simon Deiner / SDR Photo, shot on location SCC, Joburg, Gauteng, South Africa

Designer: Avant Apparel

Designer: Laduma

Designer: Fabiani

Designer: Tuelo Nguyuza

David Tlale’s The Intern –Designer : Nokwanda Ngcobo

Designer : Viyella

David Tlale’s The Intern Designer : Ayanda Mthembu

David Tlale’s The Intern Designer: Duke

View the highlights of the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week JOBURG

Other African Fashion Week events worthy of mention –

AFRICA FASHION WEEK LONDON (AFWL)

also Organizers of  Africa Fashion Week Nigeria, Africa Fashion Week Amsterdam, Africa Fashion Week Brussels and Nigeria’s Next Top Designer

AFWL 2014

AFWL 2014 will be taking place on the  7th – 9th of August , it is tagged the Renaissance  edition as it will experience a strong convergence of true contemporary African Creativity in fashion. According to AFWL’s CEO and Founder, Ronke Ademiluyi, “AFWL is working with partners in various countries in Africa and the theme for this year’s event is “Showcasing Modern African style”. More at http://africafashionweeklondon.com/

AFWL’s CEO and Founder, Ronke Ademiluyi

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ADIREE

Adiat Disu is the Founder & CEO of Adiree, Organizers-  Africa Fashion Week New York founded on the concept of hosting international Africa Fashion Weeks (in fashion capitals) , focused on promoting brands from Africa on a global scale. In 2009, the concept began with the birth of Africa Fashion Week in New York, the premier capital for Fashion, Entertainment, and Lifestyle brands. The next one will be on September 4-6, 2014. See http://www.Adiree.com or http://www.africafashionweekny.com for more info.

Adiat Disu Director of Africa Fashion Week (8)

Adiat Disu, Founder & CEO of Adiree

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Beautifully Dreaming…Positively Doing

xoxo

Tosinger

Photos & Haikus III

Happy new year Friends..

Ring out false pride in place and blood …. The civic slander and the spite… Ring in the love of truth and right… Ring in the common love of good.

A verse from “Ring Out, Wild Bells” , a New Year’s poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson.

Here’s Photos and Haikus III with photos that signify new beginnings, the rising of a new dawn. Enjoy and be inspired.

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Photo by Femi Onatuga London, UK

These are works of Femi Onatuga, a photographer based in London, UK known for his scenic and wedding photography.

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Here bursts the  Sun Rise

Calm start to a year of light

Peaceful  beginnings

Sweet red Morning Rose

Fragrant and fresh, nature’s scent

Bloom, beautiful year

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Hand in hand we go

Uncertain of the future

Love will lead the way

Click the photo below to see more of Femi’s work

His instagram is also delightful at

http://instagram.com/femionatuga

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Big Ben, London, UK

Beautifully Dreaming… Positively Doing…

xoxo

Tosinger

OCEAN DRIVE 1995

“I just want to go to Ocean Drive, where the sun shines on everything I do……….”

Music that takes you down memory lane and gives you the best of good feelings.  I present to some and introduce to others (depending on your age / music taste 🙂 ) , Tunde Baiyewu, the unique voice of the ‘Lighthouse Family’ group who has now gone solo. He still remains, undoubtedly, a music crush of mine and I am so happy to know he is still very active musically.

Right now, my situation is – I can’t get enough of ‘Ocean Drive’, calming .. dreamy…. hopeful …Yes!

“Ocean Drive
Don’t know why you’re so blue
Sun’s gonna shine on everything you do
And the sky is so blue
Sun’s gonna shine on everything you do”

Read more about Ocean Drive The Album.

From his latest project,  here is the official music video for “Move” the first single from his DIAMOND IN A ROCK album

Worth of mention, a live version of another of a Lighthouse Family fan favorite ‘High’

baiyewu

Check out more  on Tunde Baiyewu on his site at http://www.tunde.co.uk/

Beautifully Dreaming, Positively Doing…

xoxo

Tosinger

Weirdly Beautiful Art : Yinka Shonibare MBE

Top of the Day to you Dear Friends..

Let’s talk about Art that evokes feelings, out of this world concepts that speak volumes of  inexplicable depth. That’s Yinka Shonibare MBE ‘s work for ya . I came across his interesting and intriguing work online a few years back and can’t wait to have the opportunity to behold in person the magnificence of his artistry.  Although it comes across initially as weird and of shock value,  the more you look, the more you’ll see. I love the way he incorporates African elements (fabric/prints) into his installations and  general work. Underlying messages of political flavors, “exploration of colonialism and post-colonialism within the contemporary context of globalization” are strangely expressed in his works which range from Sculpture, Photography, Installation, Painting, Works on Paper, Film, Public Art . A lot of them to feed your eyes on.

shonibare studio
All images from yinkashonibarembe.com

A little insight into Yinka Shonibare, the Artist

Yinka Shonibare MBE (RA) was born in London and moved to Lagos, Nigeria at the age of three. He returned to London to study Fine Art first at Byam Shaw College of Art (now Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design) and then at Goldsmiths College, where he received his MFA, graduating as part of the ‘Young British Artists’ generation. He currently lives and works in the East End of London.

Over the past decade, Shonibare has become well known for his exploration of colonialism and post-colonialism within the contemporary context of globalisation. Shonibare’s work explores these issues, alongside those of race and class, through the media of painting, sculpture, photography and, more recently, film and performance. Using this wide range of media, Shonibare examines in particular the construction of identity and tangled interrelationship between Africa and Europe and their respective economic and political histories. Mixing Western art history and literature, he asks what constitutes our collective contemporary identity today. Having described himself as a ‘post-colonial’ hybrid, Shonibare questions the meaning of cultural and national definitions.

Shonibare was a Turner prize nominee in 2004 and awarded the decoration of Member of the “Most Excellent Order of the British Empire”. He has added this title to his professional name. In 2013 he was elected Royal Academician by the Royal Academy of Arts. He was notably commissioned by Okwui Enwezor At Documenta 10 in 2002 to create his most recognised work ‘Gallantry and Criminal Conversation’ that launched him on an international stage. He has exhibited at the Venice Biennial and internationally at leading museums worldwide. In September 2008, his major mid-career survey commenced at the MCA Sydney and toured to the Brooklyn Museum, New York in June 2009 and the Museum of African Art at the Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC in October 2009 . In 2010, ‘Nelson’s Ship in a Bottle’ became his first public art commission on the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square.

Click here to view a complete CV.

Nelson’s Ship in a Bottle 2013

He gives real meaning to the tag ‘Global Artist’. Click on his photo to hear him speak…

Yinka Shonibare, MBE, is a British-Nigerian artist living in London. He is best known for his exploration of colonialism and post-colonialism within the contemporary context of globalisationhttps://www.facebook.com/pages/Yinka-Shonibare-MBE/103098046576

There’s so much to look at on his site here if you want to explore him/his work the more..

He has the talent, and it started with envisioning that dream of expression…He realized his dreams….#BeInspired

Beautifully Dreaming, Positively Doing..

xoxo

Tosinger