He is a corporate trend analyst and design consultant, freelance journalist, columnist and social commentator. He currently works as a trend analyst, runs his own company FLUX TRENDS, and is a freelance columnist and writer. He is an intrepid traveler and uses a global perspective to source new ideas, gauge the current zeitgeist and identify cutting edge trends. He works both locally as well as internationally, and is regarded as one of South Africa's top trend analysts and social commentators.

A CONCISE BIOGRAPHY...

• Studied fashion design at the Natal Technicon, in Durban, South Africa
• Was awarded the "Emma Smith" scholarship, and continued with postgraduate studies, in Paris, at the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture.
• After leaving the couture college, he switched his focus and trained as a make-up artist.
• He worked as a make-up artist for 5 years in Paris, London and in South Africa, during which he gradually switched fashion disciplines again, to become a stylist.
• His styling portfolio brought him his first job offer to become a fashion editor, (for a teen magazine) on his return to South Africa.

MEDIA

• He has worked as a fashion editor and creative director for the following publications;
• Rooi Rose (fashion editor)
• Cosmopolitan Zest (freelance - creative director)
• True Love (fashion director)
• Elle, South Africa (fashion editor/ fashion director/ editor at large)
• Elle Man (editor)
• As a fashion journalist, he has contributed to various publications including GQ, Marie Claire, SL, FHM, Financial Mail, the Mail & Guardian and The Sunday Times. Other Elle editions in Australia, Germany, India and South America have also published some of his work from Elle, South Africa.
• He currently writes a monthly column called, "Fashionista @ Large" for Elle, South Africa and has previously contributed a column entitled "Metrosexual Mail" for Soccer Life magazine. He also writes varied columns for the Sunday Times and The Property magazine.
• His magazine career has won him 5 Mondi Magazine Awards for fashion editing, and one Pica Award for fashion journalism, and was eventually awarded the Mondi Habitual Winner's Award in 2004.
• He is the creator and artist behind the Gloria cartoon, which has appeared in every issue of Elle, South Africa, since it's launch in South Africa. The cartoon character has been converted into a book that was published in October 2005.
• In 2006 he launched a 21^st century, cyber, fashion portal for 3G cell phones in partnership with MTN.
• In 2007 he was asked to redefine a fashion policy for True Love magazine as part of their brand repositioning.
• In 2008 he was invited to contribute to the Mail & Guardian's on-line blog - Thought Leader.

TELEVISION

• Dion has also worked as a TV presenter. His television presenting credits include;
• Magents - pilot series
• Man to Man - full series
• Elegance (Elle TV) - series one and two
• He has also worked as a partner and co-producer/scriptwriter for Plexus Television.
• In 2007 he appeared as chief judge in a 13 part, fashion reality programme called Fashion Your Future, on SABC 2.

PUBLIC SPEAKING / CORPORATE COMMUNICATION

• Dion's speaking and presenting skills extend to master of ceremonies duties. He acted as MC for high profile functions like: the Elle/Sunday Times TV Style Awards, the SA Style Awards, the Guess model search, various store and art gallery openings as well as charity functions like Reach For A Dream.
• He also presents trend and fashion related presentations for colleges and corporate companies. His clients include: Unilever, Daimler Chrysler, Mini Cooper, Markhams, the Beauty Africa Expo, The South African Fashion Week, African Fashion International and Sanlam.

CORPORATE CONSULTATION

• As a consultant he has worked as the creative director of Africa Designs, a pan-African initiative by M*Net and Anglogold, which culminated in showcasing 4 young designers from the African continent at New York Fashion Week.
• He has also worked as the fashion director for the Face of Africa project, for M*Net and Anglogold.
• He has operated as a corporate consultant for Unilever SA, Levi's, Smirnoff, Nike - South Africa, Johnnie Walker Black Label and Vlisco Textiles (Holland), for which he launched the Luxury African fashion brand - Aziza
• In 2002 he joined the South African Fashion Week as their Program Director and spokesperson.
• At the 2002 SA Fashion Week Awards he was nominated for, and received, the Industry Achiever Award.
• In 2003 he was appointed to the judging panel for the Mondi Magazine Awards
• In 2004 he was invited to be part of an international selection panel for "Made in Africa" a new project for the St Etienne International Design Biennial.
• In 2005 he launched "FLUX" - a social commentary service that identifies lifestyle trends that affect the way in which we live in the 21^st century.
• In 2007 he was appointed as convener of the South African Fashion Journalism Awards, by Sanlam,
• He is currently consulting for Clover, developing trend content for a Standard Bank on-line campaign and has just been invited to sit on a Communications Cluster for Proudly South Africa & The Department of Arts and Culture - a steering committee for the 2010 World Cup.

DEVELOPMENTAL WORK FOR THE S.A. FASHION INDUSTRY

• He has worked as the national patron for the FED (Federation for Entrepreneurship and Development), Young Designer's Workshop.
• He was the chairman of the national judging panel for the Smirnoff International Fashion Awards.
• He was also a consultant for the Mzanzi Designers Network, which promotes and assists postgraduate fashion students to network within the industry.
• He currently assist magazines in conceptualizing fashion competitions that target young, emerging designers like: The Elle New Talent competition for the Sanlam South African Fashion Week, and the True Love Young Designer's Competition, launched in June 2007.