Revered South African  fashion designer, David Tlale is set to give Johannesburg a taste of what’s truly “Made in the City” when he reveals his 2011 Autumn/Winter collections on the Nelson Mandela Bridge (Braamfontein) at Joburg Fashion Week on 19 February.

“The City of Johannesburg is buzzing with vibrant energy, urban structures and all that is reflective of the 21st Century Africa and it boasts one of the most respected statesman, Madiba, as its resident. So, I will send out 92 models down the Nelson Mandela Bridge, each one representing every year that Madiba has lived: his age. This is huge,” boasts Tlale.

Being the first designer to ever showcase on a monumental structure such as the Nelson Mandela Bridge, Tlale says that there’s a calculated reason behind this decision.

“I’m really excited about this collection because we have also gone back to the drawing board and captured the essence of fashion design and infused it with the David Tlale aesthetic. It symbolizes a new direction and captures the essence of city life,” adds Tlale.

The marriage of fabrics, colour and accessories always plays a huge role in a David Tlale collection; therefore the Autumn/Winter 2011 collection is no exception. Tlale has infused hard and soft fabrics, experimented with colour and has drawn from tribal influences to materialise his collection titled “Made In The City.”

To accessorise this collection, Tlale has formed a strategic partnership with the Joburg-based Anglo-Platinum Limited, who will fully complement his collection. In its endeavour to support local beneficiation and inject the much-needed impetus into the local economy, Anglo Platinum partnered with the DTI Seda Platinum Incubator scheme, where local people are trained in jewellery design and manufacturing to support emerging jewellers.

“This initiative aligns with our beneficiation principles of moving from an extractive industries economy to include value added manufacturing. By creating sustainable enterprises around our mining communities promotes economic diversity and reduces reliance on mining companies. We are confident that by affording emerging jewellers the opportunity to participate in this event will hone their creative and technical abilities and bring them into the mainstream of the economy. ” said Mary-Jane Morifi, Executive Head, Platinum.

Beve Boekhout, Centre Manager for the SPI says: “This is a natural collaborative partnership of two design disciplines where the fashion buyer is given a complete solution in the merchandising of locally produced and beneficiated indigenous resources. This is an organic relationship for the SPI in that David Tlale is able to share his success recipe with our incubating jewellery entrepreneurs in following with the pillars of our business development program.

The David Tlale show will be staged as the finale show of the Joburg Fashion Week which runs from 15-19 February at various locations around the City of Joburg.