While some designers at Joburg Fashion Week were influenced by their cultures, others tapped into a wider global aesthetic. Orapeleng Modutle's collection was inspired by a ''nautical glam" style - resort dresses made for affluent brides who prefer to get married in warm climates such as the Greek islands and the Seychelles.Inspired by Gavin Rajah and Thula Sindi, Modutle's collection was filled with simple elegance and clean lines."We had to use flowy, feminine patterns with a focus on women's décolletage and a lot of beaded, luxurious fabrics," he said.It's easy to throw the words ''culture appreciation" around in fashion, but Tina Ngxokolo used her heritage to great effect in her debut collection.Like her older brother, Laduma Ngxokolo of the Maxhosa label, Tina draws inspiration from her upbringing."I was inspired by the desire to explore nostalgic moments I'd had with my late mother, my Xhosa culture, and beautiful African women," she said."The typical heavy and warm Xhosa costume (uMbhaco) was reinterpreted in lightweight fabrics without taking away from the authenticity of the traditional garb. The yellow background pattern is a collaboration between myself and Rufain Wentzel, who I met at university," she said. The young designer's work also represents the ancient Xhosa people called Amaqaba."Amaqaba people are part of the bigger Xhosa tribe - this was my core inspiration when I did my final-year collection at university," she said."I love the culture and dress of ancient Xhosa people."Tina knew she had to distinguish her debut collection from her brother's knitwear signature. ''I worked with different silhouettes, textures and patterns for the collection," she said."I wanted to challenge conceptions about fabrics like leather that are associated with winter, and design pieces using the material for summer."..