Renowned South African fashion designer David Tlale has been accused by several models of failing to pay them for work they performed during his Autumn/Winter 2026/27 fashion show held at Gautrain Station in Johannesburg in May.
According to multiple sources who spoke to Buzz Life News on condition of anonymity for fear of jeopardising future work opportunities, the models are still waiting to receive payment despite repeatedly following up with the designer and his team. The sources allege they have been given several payment dates over the past two months, only for those dates to pass without any money being paid.
One model told Buzz Life News that many of those selected for the prestigious runway agreed to work for significantly less than their normal rates because they respected Tlale’s reputation and believed the opportunity would be worthwhile.
“We accepted lower fees because it was David Tlale. We believed working with one of South Africa’s biggest designers would be good for our careers. We braved the freezing cold during rehearsals and on the day of the show because we wanted to deliver a professional job. Now we’ve been chasing our money for weeks, and every time we ask, we’re given another payment date that never materialises,” the model alleged.
A second model claimed the uncertainty has left many of the models frustrated and financially strained.
“We’re not asking for favours. We’re asking to be paid for work we’ve already done. Every week there’s another explanation or another promise. Some of us depend on modelling income to survive, so this has been incredibly disappointing,” the source said.
According to the sources, Tlale allegedly assured the models on the day of the event that they would receive payment and thanked them for their professionalism despite the cold weather conditions.
The Autumn/Winter 2026/27 showcase drew fashion enthusiasts, celebrities and industry insiders, with Tlale unveiling his latest collection at the iconic Gautrain Station venue.
This is not the first time Tlale’s business operations have attracted public scrutiny. In 2013, international public relations agency People’s Revolution publicly claimed it was owed money for work related to Tlale’s participation at New York Fashion Week. Tlale disputed aspects of the dispute at the time, saying payment arrangements had been misunderstood, but the disagreement attracted widespread media attention. Years later, additional reports questioned payments linked to projects associated with the designer, although Tlale has denied wrongdoing in previous disputes.
Buzz Life News contacted David Tlale for comment regarding the allegations. At the time of publication, no response had been received. This article will be updated should he provide comment.
