Tag Archives: South Africa

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

Advertisement

ENTER ELLE RISING STAR DESIGNER 2014

Entries for  the South African edition of ELLE Magazine 2014 ELLE Rising Star Design Award are now open. Entries opened on 14 July 2014 and the entry form can be downloaded from www.elle.co.za. The last date for submitting entries is 11 August 2014. The good news:  The competition is not limited to South Africa but continent wide.  ELLE in association with clothing retailer Mr Price are searching for Africa’s most promising Fashion Designer. Previous winners include David Tlale,  Anisa Mpungwe and most recently Nicholas Coutts. So if you dream of a career in fashion, launching your own label and to be mentored by ELLE and Mr Price, this is for you.

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Nicholas Coutts. Nick Coutts on shoot for ELLE Magazine’s July ‘Fresh Produce’ shoot. The ELLE Rising Star 2014 Award winner will spend two weeks with the ELLE fashion team too.
David Tlale

The 2014 ELLE Rising Star Design Award in association with Mr Price is presented by African Fashion International (AFI) and the search will culminate at the prestigious Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Africa 2014 where the finalists will show their designs and the the winner will be announced. ELLE and Mr Price are passionate about nurturing talent and giving Africa’s young designers the tools and the platform to grow.

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Nick Coutts on shoot for ELLE Magazine’s July ‘Fresh Produce’ shoot. The ELLE Rising Star 2014 Award winner will spend two weeks with the ELLE fashion team too.

For more info –  #RisingStarAfrica2014  @mrpfashion @ellemagazinesa @afi_sa on Twitter and visit www.elle.co.za

Beautifully Dreaming… Positively Doing…

xoxo

Tosinger

Celebrating the Late Madiba Today – Mandela Day


“It is in your hands to create a better world for all who live in it. Mandela Day will not be a holiday but a day devoted to service.” ~ Nelson Mandela speaking at the Nelson Mandela Foundation , Johannesburg, South Africa, 30 June 2009 #Time2Serve

It is the fifth year since the United Nations declared July 18, Madiba’s birthday, an international day aimed at “bringing people together to fight poverty and promote peace and reconciliation”. Mandela, the former president of South Africa and Nobel Peace Prize recipient, died at 95 on Dec. 5, 2013. This is the first time the day has been celebrated since his death.

Photo: Every day is an opportunity to serve others. Let’s Make Every Day A Mandela Day! #Time2Serve

After his release in 1990, Mandela helped bring an end to apartheid in South Africa and became the country’s first black democratically elected President. Mandela, who died last December but would have been 96 today, continues to inspire South Africans and others around the world to this day- Instablog

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, politician and philanthropist who served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He is an inspiration to Africa and the world. May his soul continue to rest in peace.

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To see more tributes to activist and former South African president Nelson Mandela, explore the #MandelaDay and #Madiba hashtags.

For more info visit
http://www.mandeladay.com

Love & Peace

Tosinger

FASHION SPOTLIGHT : Babatunde Designs (Gareth Cowden)

Somebody say ‘Pan African’ Fashion! and ‘Babatunde’ will appear. No Babatunde is not a person in this situation .. :D, it’s the name of a fashion collection founded by  Gareth Cowden in 2009.Gareth Cowden, born in Springs but grew up in Randburg, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa.  . Although all his fashion items are made locally, Gareth has grown his brand not only in SA but all over the world with the likes of Solange Knowles wearing his designs. The line consists of varied fashion items including bow and skinny ties, clutches, umbrellas, laptop/iPad sleeves, 5 panel caps, hair bows, ladies cravats and more.

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How interesting to be from South Africa and name his collection, a Yoruba (Nigerian) name – ‘Babatunde’ – Gareth says of the origin of his brand name in an OkayAfrica 2011 interview:

Babatunde is a Yoruba name. The direct translation in English means: ” The father comes back” or ” the father returns.” I loved the name and meaning as I feel that we need more fathers in Africa. Africa needs men to behave like men and take more responsibility for their families, Africa’s growth and also themselves.

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Here is the recently released 2014 collection with fabrics sourced from Ghana and Benin. Of the new collection Cowden states,

 “We’ve sourced materials and prints that have the energy, dignity and playfulness of the people who made them.” “It’s why we exist, to express our love for Africa in something the whole world can appreciate. We are original because Africa is original, we just translate it into a language the modern world can understand and enjoy. We believe Africa is worth protecting – we do it by celebrating what’s beautiful about it. We stand for strong family values and all that is truly African.

A few of my favs from the Babatunde 2014 LookBook – fun, fresh and edgy.

2014 Look Book

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Full collection here . From a previous collection is a beach umbrella, caps and handbags line , and here’s a few in my favorite colors

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For more information on the brand, please visit the
Website at  www.babatunde.co.za

 If anything, I would hope that Babatunde can change the world’s opinion that Africa is a rural, traditional and backward continent. Hopefully we can show people around the globe that Africa is a progressive, creative, and contemporary design force and encourage the world to support Africa through buying African products rather than egotistical debt relief programmes. Or is that too harsh? – Gareth Cowden to OkayAfrica

Beautifully Dreaming.. Positively Doing..

xoxo

Tosinger

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

ARISE O YE YOUNG AFRICAN LEADERS!

Arise o Compatriots!..

Here’s sharing an opportunity with young and promising African people of Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Republic of the Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

President Obama quote: Africa's future belongs to its young people...we need young Africans who are standing up and making things happen not only in their own countries but around the world.

Applications are now open for President Obama’s Young African Leaders Initiative. Only 500 accomplished young leaders will get chosen. You must be a resident or citizen from a Sub-Saharan African country. This means that US Citizens and Resident Aliens are NOT eligible.

“The Washington Fellowship is the flagship program of President Obama’s Young African Leaders Initiative. President Obama launched YALI in 2010 to support young African leaders as they spur growth and prosperity, strengthen democratic governance, and enhance peace and security across Africa. The Washington Fellowship, which begins in 2014, will bring 500 young leaders to the United States each year for academic coursework and leadership training and will create unique opportunities in Africa for Fellows to put new skills to practical use in leading organizations, communities, and countries”.

Young African Leaders Initiative is an unparalleled opportunity to:

  • Interact with President Obama at a Presidential Summit in Washington, D.C.;
  • Participate in a 6-week intensive academic and leadership program at a U.S. institution;
  • Meet with U.S. government, civic, and business leaders;
  • Access exceptional internship and apprenticeship opportunities;
  • Expand your business or project through access to millions of dollars for small grant funding; and
  • Join a continent-wide and global alumni network to help you seek innovative solutions to common challenges.

The motive is to take this knowledge back home and use for the advancement of the continent (Ile). Please share with others you think may be interested and eligible. Application ends  { on my birthday 😉 } January 27, 2014.  All the best.

More details on how to apply at http://www.irex.org/application/washington-fellowship-application-information

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with the ‘Washington Fellowship’, I am just sharing good and worthy information with my African people as is one of the missions of my blog. Please direct all inquires to the contact on the site at washingtonfellowship@irex.org

Together we can,

Beautifully Dream… Positively Do..

xoxo

Tosinger

FOREVER IN OUR HEARTS – A MADIBA PLAYLIST

“Real leaders must be ready to sacrifice all for the freedom of their people.” You were a REAL Leader ‘Tata’

Rest in Peace Pa Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela

Words cannot describe the global impact Nelson Mandela had.  He came, he saw, he fought, he conquered. Now he is free at last, resting in peace.A life well lived up to a ripe age of 95. He impacted the world and left a legacy. He is an inspiration to everyone.  What more can I say, blessed are those who were in his space and felt his energy, a wish of mine that didn’t come true. I grew up following SA news and apartheid happenings, watched repeatedly Mandela true story films and documentaries.Tributes are everywhere, but I am short of words, and when one is short of words, music does the rest. Here is my personal selection of 7 songs + 1 that affirm his person and his legacy. Rest on Madiba!

This digital artwork of him below was actually done by James Abinibi 2 days before he passed! A premonition you will call it. James has this to say about it.

“I woke up this morning to the news of Nelson Mandela’s death. Coincidentally, I made this digital painting of him 2 days ago after seeing the movie “WINNIE MANDELA”. The movie was about Mandela’s wife Winnie but it reflected a major part of Mandela’s life too. What really moved me to work on this piece was after I saw the part that he became President and had to separate from Winnie because of her public wrong doing but he was still in love with her regardless. Terrance Howard did a wonderful job of playing Mandela in the movie. I got to appreciate Mandela’s personality, his struggles, beliefs and the fact that he was a romantic. He lived a fulfilling life and would always be remembered by what he stood for; freedom. Nelson Mandela isn’t dead, he’s forever in our hearts. He’s forever a true hero. He’s for ever Papa Africa”

It was extremely difficult to make these picks but here goes. Thank you Nelson Mandela

“It is music and dancing that makes me at peace with the world and with myself” – Nelson Mandela

We will continue to beautifully dream and positively do…

xoxo

Tosinger