Master's voice on the runway (article by citizen.co.za)

It’s a young designer’s dream – working with one of the most renowned fashion designers in the country and having the opportunity to show your work at Johannesburg’s prestigious Mercedes Benz Fashion Week.

Ayanda Mthembu and Nokwanda Ngcobo are among the group of interns who have spent time working with fashion mogul David Tlale to improve their skills and get more insight on the business of fashion. But while united in their love for clothing design, Mthembu and Ngcobo have different experiences in fashion.

“As a teenager I would spend time sketching superheroes who wore interesting garments. I never thought it was possible to make a career out of fashion.” says 22-year-old Mthembu.

A model walks down the runway in a Ayanda Mthembu creation during David Tlale’s The Intern show at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Joburg held at the Sandton Convention Centre, 21 March 2014. Picture: Refilwe Modise

In collaboration with the University of Kwazulu-Natal, Tlale held a workshop with graduates from various design schools in KZN.

After seeing some examples of their work, the most promising young designers were given the opportunity to do a one-year internship with him in Johannesburg.

“When I was a young designer, we rarely had opportunities like these where we had real-life designers giving us real-life experiences. There’s a profound difference between the theoretical experience and real-life experience – and I feel this would be an enriching time for young designers,” says Tlale.

For a young designer, Mthembu’s debut collection at Fashion Week was surprisingly mature. The designer drew his inspiration from the evolutionary theory of gradualism. In his pieces, stereotypical shapes gradually morphed into other outlines. While the changes between the elements are slight, the overall look is quite dramatic. Mthembu’s collection could easily go down the ramps of New York Fashion Week.

The soft colours that dominate the collection and the sharp and strong shapes create a perfect balance between hard and soft, giving the whole look a powerful, yet feminine, look.

By Nandipha Phantsi

https://citizen.co.za/lifestyle/153785/masters-voice/