David Tlale Fall 2015

While some fashion designers look to Africa as a source of inspiration and are influenced by a plethora of African motifs and themes as a dalliance or a concession, for South African-born David Tlale Africa is constant point of reference in essence his lifeblood.

Since showing at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week six seasons ago, David Tlale has evolved into a designer whose style and level of taste has distilled into a singular vision of sophistication and global charm. Tlale is fortunate that his South African background facilitates an assimilation of a variety of cultures—Zulu, Afrikaners, British, East Indian, and other South African tribal traditions.

All these influences are infused into David Tlale’s collections. And for fall 2015 the synergy of these influences are almost seamless. From the East Indian and Muslim references that are evidenced in his men’s looks to Tlale’s feather embellishments that highlight African tribal influences to some of the soft draped looks that denote Madame Gres, Tlale has learned over the past several seasons how to meld all these points of view into garments that express origin while remaining commercially viable.

Like many designers this season, Tlale examined what fashion would look like in a dystopian world.  Political and global social upheavals seem to be having an impact of designers for the fall 2015 collections, and though not necessarily a trend with the significant amount of designers using this theme as an overarching influence, unhinged societal order may become an emotional trend.

That said; Tlale’s predominant digital print in this collection is one of dried lava—and aftermath effect of cataclysmic disaster.  With a color palette ranging from beige to cement to black with some metallic gold thrown in, Tlate ingeniously juxtaposes these dystopian-based colors and hues with soft fabrics of silk chiffon, silk organza, Ostrich feathers paired with rougher textures double crepe, brocades, and wool.

Though a lot of the women’s looks were outstanding and impactful, what stood out as the most innovative was Tlale’s pairing of soft diaphanous, long silk chiffon skirt/aprons underneath structured men’s jackets. This combination of hard and soft, particularly with menswear looks, demonstrates where Tlale believes menswear is heading.  Heading toward a melding of feminine and masculine silhouettes, eventually rendering a seamless synthesis of beauty and sophistication.

—William S. Gooch