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- The Trenery Print Competition, which kicked off in 2020, invited emerging designers to design a unique and inspired print to be featured in their collections, along with a two week course in ‘Print Patterns & Trends’ at the renowned Paris College of Arts valued at R80 000.
- Pretoria-based young designer Glorinah Khutso Mabaso took the top prize with her winning "Rain Maker" print.
- We chat to Glorinah about the inspiration behind the print and what's next.
The Trenery Print Competition, which kicked off in 2020, invited emerging designers to design a unique and inspired print to be featured in their collections, along with a two week course in ‘Print Patterns & Trends’ at the renowned Paris College of Arts valued at R80 000.
The competition is in line with Trenery’s commitment to supporting aspiring talent in the South African art and design community. Trenery’s Australian team was so impressed with the breadth of design talent that they selected two runner-up designs – by Primrose Charmz, 29, and Agrippa Hlophe, 31 – to also appear in Trenery’s February range.
“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.
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.
“It was important to us that the winning designers had a meaningful experience,” explains Elouise Brink, Trenery’s Senior Marketing Manager in South Africa.
Elouise adds that “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”.
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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,” explains the brand's senior marketing manager.
”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.”
Glorinah Mabaso’s winning print, 'Rain Maker', was inspired by the first Rain Queen, Maselekwane Modjadji, of the Balobedu people from Limpopo.
“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,” the young Pretoria designer explains.
“Trenery gave me an incredible platform to represent and visually re-awaken the heritage of these people.”
Glorinah's design utilises a combination of repetitive lines and circles to reflect raindrops running down a glass window. “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.
Glorinah studied at the Design School of Southern Africa in Pretoria (DSSA) - which is now under the Vega school. She obtained a Diploma in Interior Decorating and a BA Degree in Interior Design.
“Pattern design became a skill which I discovered in 2017 as I was starting to get consumed by documentaries about ancient African civilisations and rediscovering what the continent has been burying… that ignited something in me. It pushed me to align with some of the best in the industry (Robin Sprong wallpapers and Fabric Bank) to display the patterns onto wallpaper and fabric, as people would interact with both directly,” the winner reveals.
Image supplied on behalf of Trenery
Her print collection is inspired by a unique female-led dynasty in Limpopo province in a place called Ga-Modjadji. It has been available in store and online in South Africa since Monday 1 February 2021 - a day when the rain was abundant, continuous and sanguine in Johannesburg - almost as if the queendom she paid homage to was indeed confirming the designer's triumph.
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Glorinah Mabaso’s striking fabric design will feature internationally in Trenery’s February 2021 collection, and she will also travel to France to attend a two-week design course at the Paris College of Art.
Just days after the capsule debuted on Trenery rails, W24 got a chance to have a quick virtual sit-down with Glorinah Khutso Mabaso about the process that went into creating this print.
What went into the making of the 'Rain Maker' print and why the name?
I took some time to study the Trenery brand - its aesthetic and colour palettes. I then took a risk and decided to be authentic, completely straying from the obvious. The only South African Queendom was my answer and so I researched the Modjadji Dynasty, especially because I had never heard of a Queen that could really make RAIN. Then I dedicated the print to the first Rain Queen, Maselekwane Modjadji.
Listening to the Sepedi poem recited by David Maahlamela about the Queen, and watching YouTube videos of the rain dance, amplified my creative process and direction.
How many drafts did you go through before you submitted your winning entry?
I work differently - instead of drafts I go through a process of layering. Pattern design for me is about the application of various shapes, symbols, and interpretations. So I focused on the symbolic interpretation, then the translation of the story through shapes and lastly the colour palette.
That's because I'm trying to tell a story, equivalent to a history book but on a print.
Images supplied on behalf of Trenery
And the choice of graphics and colours?
Rain is wealth in the Modjadji Kingdom, so I visualised the effect of raindrops falling onto a glass surface, creating streaks which I translated into various linear lines playing with thickness and height. I then included circles to represent the rain droplets and to strike a balance in the composition.
This resulted in a strong bold striped like pattern and rich colours inspired by a referenced Trenery outfit, and we later updated the colours in line with the main palette for the February collection.
Images supplied on behalf of Trenery
Now that you have a Trenery collection with your stamp on it under your belt, will you be focusing your art on more textile designs or will you be exploring other avenues?
This experience has enlightened me a lot.
My interest in textiles and focusing on merging my modern African aesthetic with that of high-end brands has grown and is definitely one to explore even further. I think the two week course at the Paris College of Arts later this year will enable me to establish a well thought-through plan with regards to the direction I'm taking.
The fashion industry is a perfect platform to express and share African history with the world!
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You can now shop the Trenery Print Competition design capsule in store and online.
Additional information and images provided on behalf of Trenery
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