WATCH: Local designer (23) stuns at Fashion Week
The looks Cyla Gonsolves created were sleek and stunner. And to think, she only had one week to create them.
Local designer Cyla Gonsolves stunned at the Joburg Fashion Week, held at Melrose Arch on October 6, with her summer collection titled S[HE].
The 23-year-old former Hoërskool Kempton Park learner was one of four designers chosen by world-renowned designer David Tlale to showcase her work.
“David called me a week before the event and told me ‘you’re showcasing’,” the Aston Manor resident, dressed in high-waisted light pink shorts and a matching blazer that she created herself, told Express.
If Gonsolves was nervous about the day, it didn’t show in her 10 well-executed looks.
The crowd applauded as models dressed in pastel purples, yellows and whites took to the runway. Their looks ranged from tailored blazers and pleated skirts to big structured white sleeves and print dresses. Their sleek sunglasses also made for a summer feel.
“This is a feminist collection,” Gonsolves explained. A quote by Greek poet Dinos Christianopoulos sums up what these designs meant to her: “They tried to bury us but they didn’t know we were seeds”.
This message was seen throughout the entire collection in pansy-printed material that Gonsolves made herself.
“I was inspired by my grandmother’s garden in Veld Street. I took real flowers and scanned it into the computer. From there, I knew what the colours were going to be.”
This young talent knew she wanted to work in fashion from a young age.
“My grandmother gave me a toy sewing machine when I was little, so maybe that’s where it started.”
In 2016 she completed a fashion diploma at the Elizabeth Galloway Academy of Fashion in Stellenbosch. She came one step closer to making her mark on the fashion industry when she was a finalist on the SABC3 reality programme, The Intern by David Tlale.
Gonsolves has since launched her own collections, designed for Jockey, had her designs featured on stationery for CNA, and her work has been published in Elle magazine multiple times.
All this she does from her Aston Manor backyard, in a small studio her dad created for her from an old wendy house.
“I am thankful for my mother and father, they’ve always supported my dream.”
For those who dream of making their own mark on the fashion industry, Gonsolves advises: “Take chances, participate in competitions and get exposure. Also, always stay true to yourself.”
