Daimler
Contemporary
Mercedes-
Benz Award
for South African Art and Culture 2009
Fashion Design
Mantsho
Maya Prass
David Tlale
Palesa Mokubung for MantshoMantsho is pure street couture. Aimed at the Afro-bohemian the label is pinpointed through its dresses, coats and harem pants in spectacular prints, all designed in-house and styled with subtle '50s shapes and modern details such as hoods and cowls. Colour and pattern are created through the use of print, in particular Palesa's portrait on fabric.
"I am inspired by spirituality, love, sex, war and South Africa - the label has evolved from these concepts," says Palesa. Designing and manufacturing her own fabrics has been a dream come true and Palesa marks this as one of her most outstanding achievements.
Palesa Mokubung has been designing and making clothes for the better part of her life. She started her label from a deep yearning to develop her own fashion philosophy. With one employee, she made her first SA Fashion Week range in 2004 while working from her mother's garage in the Vaal Triangle. Five years later, she now employs six people and works from her studio "apartmansion" in Vereeniging. She recently launched the Mantsho logo and hopes her label will go on to be one of Africa's iconic brands.
Her involvement with the Sanlam SA Fashion Week led to an invitation to become the only SA designer to participate in the 73rd Annual Fashion Forward International Thessaloniki show in Thessalokini, Greece in September 2008 last year.
This was an international trade fair that involved fashion/beauty/decor/education/automobiles amongst other industries with fashion being the biggest attracting designers such as Roberto Cavalli and Valentino.
Mantsho
Maya Prass
David Tlale