SA creatives' textile designs to feature in global Trenery collection

Glorinah Khutso Mabaso

Trenery’s Australian team was so impressed with the breadth of design talent that they also selected two runner-up designs – by Primrose Charmz, 29, and Agrippa Hlophe, 31 – to also appear in Trenery’s February range.

The Print Competition competition forms part of the fashion brand's commitment to supporting aspiring talent in the South African art and design community.

The competition was open exclusively to emerging local designers, who were tasked with creating a unique print with a distinct, modern South African interpretation of a sophisticated summer traveller. More than 400 entries were judged by an expert panel that included Visi editor Steve Smith, CEO of the Norval Foundation Elana Brundyn, and the Australia-based Trenery design team.

“The entries surpassed our wildest imaginations. There was an interesting variety of submissions to choose from, but the eventual winners were chosen for their standout designs that also fulfilled the brief. Glorinah’s winning print is bold and eye-catching yet stays true to Trenery’s ethos of timeless, modern simplicity,” says senior textile designer Bree Dhaliwal.

Design inspiration

Mabaso’s winning print, 'Rain Maker’, was inspired by the first Rain Queen, Maselekwane Modjadji, of the Balobedu people from Limpopo. Her design uses a combination of repetitive lines and circles to reflect raindrops running down a glass window.

“I have always loved history and ancient civilisations. As the only female ruler in the region from 1800-1854, Maselekwane Modjadji was a respected leader in an era when women were not given leadership positions in society. Trenery gave me an incredible platform to represent and visually re-awaken the heritage of these people," says Mabaso.

Mabaso’s winning print 'Rain Maker'

An interior design and decorating graduate of the Design School of South Africa, Mabaso has worked for architectural firms and has been recognised for her design excellence in interiors. In 2015, she founded Renaissance, a studio focused on interiors and wallpaper design.

“The ‘Rain Maker’ print got a unanimous vote from all judges, and we are absolutely thrilled to showcase Glorinah’s talent to the world,” says Elouise Brink, Trenery’s senior marketing manager in South Africa.

“It was important to us that the winning designers had a meaningful experience. As part of their prize, they worked closely with the Australian team to learn the step-by-step process involved in transitioning their designs into screen or digitally printed fabric, and finally into pieces for the Autumn/Winter 2021 collection," explains Brink.

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Showcasing SA talent

Trenery has made it a priority to support young, creative South African talent with its previous Trenery Guild collaborations.

“We are well known for our rich artisan prints and our partnerships with skilled hand block craftspeople in India. In Africa, fabric prints are also a type of artistry used to tell a story – bright colours and patterns represent beliefs, traditions, and desires. It was an obvious progression for us to look to our local design community for inspiration, and to use the competition as an opportunity to showcase South African talent on a global platform," adds Brink.

The Trenery Print Competition design capsule will be available in store and online from 1 February 2021.