Clive Rundle's artisan from House of Thethana sewing fabric

Designer Clive Rundle from South Africa exchanged with artisan House of Thethana from Lesotho to create a bespoke The Commonwealth Fashion Exchange - an initiative for established and emerging fashion talent from across the Commonwealth’s 53 countries to showcase the power and potential of artisan fashion skills to deliver new networks, trade links and highlight sustainability.

House of Thethana in Lesotho worked under Clive’s direction to design a custom textile print, achieved by superimposing one print onto another - welding two images together to create a visual to print onto silk for the final garment construction. The fabric was then screen-printed using water-based inks on to a silk ‘sandwich’ of organza, georgette, and habotai. The look consists of a wool and organza coat with Swarovski upcycled crystals, accompanied by wool and organza shorts and a woollen collar accessory. Lucilla Booyzen of SAFW facilitated the exchange.

The look was displayed at Buckingham Palace and the Australian High Commission, London. Both exhibitions were curated by VOGUE's Editor-at-Large, Hamish Bowles.

The project was launched by Commonwealth Secretary General the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland and Livia Firth, founder of sustainability consultancy Eco-Age and supported by Swarovski, The Woolmark Company and MATCHESFASHION.COM.