Dress Review: David Tlale
David Tlale's orange chiffon dress with gold coins seems to achieve the impossible: it is form-fitting yet fluid. The top is a charcoal and gold-colored metallic jacquard sheath, while orange, Grecian-style drapery flows organically from the models' shoulders to her ankles. Bright coins adorn the front. According to Tlale, the coins are real and were custom-minted with his name and year on it, exhibiting an attention to detail that is typical of the meticulous, yet passionate designer's fashions. The dress was part of Tlale's Climate Change Couture Collection which launched during Africa Fashion Week at the South African Mint factory in 2011.
The vision for the dress began when Tlale was approached by the South Africa Mint to collaborate on an environmental awareness campaign. The Mint developed the coins and medallions minted with Tlale's name on it in his honor. Tlale is the first fashion designer in South Africa to have a commemorative medallion minted with his name, one of the greatest honors of his ten-year career.
The dress is meant to symbolize fire, one of the side-effects of climate change. However, in addition to its symbolic importance, it also has a rare quality of merging the sophisticated with the primal in its colors and lines. It is simple and flattering yet also volcanically sexual. Indeed, Tlale says that he deliberately draped the chiffon to make it appear like an overflow of volcano, while the metallic fabric and coins represent dried-up ash.
Tlale says that he designs his dresses to be worn by women of all body types.
That is why Tlale's design process is highly organic -- the dress was never sketched, but rather built through trial and error. Tlale lets the fabric become what it wants to be, just as he hopes his dresses allow women to be all they want to be.
It was tough the first year of being in business for himself. Breaking Points Although his mother was unsupportive of his decision to be a designer, David persisted through the lean times. One day, he spotted an ad for the Elle New Talent Competition. He started to apply, and then realized that he needed to submit full storyboards and materials overnight. Like a scene from Project Runway, David pulled an all-nighter
Designer Technical designer: Profile A fashion technical designer is responsible for the 'nuts and bolts' construction of a garment. A technical designer is given the responsibility of taking "a lead designer's creations from the prototype stage through to full production. They work up specifications for new clothing and accessories, have samples made, and work with marketing and production facilities to ensure that finished pieces are made correctly and profitably" (Technical fashion
School Uniforms "If it means that the schoolrooms will be more orderly and more disciplined, and that our young people will learn to evaluate themselves by what they are on the inside instead of what they're wearing on the outside, then our public schools should be able to require their students to wear uniforms." -- President William Clinton (McDermott, 2009) The debate over school uniforms is not likely one that will go
Egypt, Fashion and Merchandising Religion, culture, national pride and tradition all play a part in merchandising approaches and fashion businesses in Egypt. The tradition of the family, gender issues, the roles of men and women in society, the extent to which religious beliefs are promoted in the culture—all of this impacts merchandising and fashion. This paper will look at how religion influences merchandising approaches and fashion businesses in Egypt and discuss
The dress would do very nicely in the breeze, so it would be great to wear as evening wear on a trip to island countries where there is a consistent breeze. The dress is revealing yet there is coverage, most specifically in the area of the torso. There is a faux slit in the chest to give the appearance or the illusion or even the slightest hint of cleavage. This
She added jackets, some with full profiles, some, like the gold lace one Angelina Jolie was once photographed in, featured ae sleeves, and collarless short jacket. It was the kind of item someone could wear in a very formal setting or at a cocktail party, paired with a tank and jeans. One tailored wedding gown was paired with a frothy shrug. Her designs never displayed excess, and were always balanced.
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now