WATCH | Famed designer David Tlale debuts his latest collection digitally
Image: Avon Justin
"Detailed tailoring", face masks and drama were the order of the day as local fashion legend David Tlale digitally debuted his autumn/winter 2020/21 collection on Monday.
Titled "Classica Icons", the collection drew inspiration from some of Tlale's greatest design hits during his brand's 18-year history; it also had a special focus on menswear. As Tlale explained on YouTube, "over the years we've definitely mastered womenswear, but now we're tapping into beautiful tailoring for men's clothing".
The fashion show, which was pre-recorded on the streets of Joburg ahead of the national lockdown, was aired on YouTube. It featured a performance by noted local singer Sibongile Khumalo, as well as appearances by E! Entertainment presenter Kat Sinivasan and actor Wiseman Zitha.
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The designer explained that the process of putting together the Classica Icons collection and subsequent fashion show was a "trying one" in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Tlale had to reduce the number of models walking in the show from 55 to just 17. He also had to find a way to sartorially reflect the call to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in his collection, but "still be fashionable".
"One of the masks had ostrich feather [on it] just for the drama because we’ve got to excite people," he said on YouTube. "This collection is coming digitally to the world and [we're] still trying to sell it globally through our social media platforms."