Fashion designers showcase creative sides
Lesedi Mkhutshwa | Tuesday July 12, 2022 06:00
The hairstyle category set the tone as the hair dressers imitated different concepts such as the Kazungula bridge, network tower, a man holding the globe, peacock and soccer ball on a pitch and an elephant among others.
Letlhogolo Pilane won the hairstyle category with a garden with tree flowers and roses hairstyle. Oteng Lephere also stole the show with his magical Kim Kardashian Balenciaga jaw-dropping all-black Balenciaga look.
The reality television star showed up to the 2021 Met gala in a Balenciaga ensemble covering every inch of her body including her face. Lephere's win under the fashion design category did not come as a surprise as models wearing his design became the show stopper by covering up from the faces with unique designs of garments with plastic for different purposes.
The dressing making competitors also went an extra mile as dressmakers used different materials that ranged from flora and fauna leteise (German), jeans, silk, lace and cotton material. Rapelang Dikatholo scooped position one under the same category. Sidney Kgosietsele and Tashata Bangu won the best male and female top models respectively.
Meanwhile, the Assistant Minister of Youth, Gender, Sport and Culture, Buti Billy has said government is considering making the second city a textile hub in a bid to support the fashion industry. Billy was addressing multitudes of fashion fanatics during the National Arts Festival fashion show grand finale, which was held at the Kenneth Nkhwa interchange.
The Fashion Show, which attracted 40 participants from all corners of the country, was divided into four categories of modeling, hairdressing, dressmaking and fashion design. In his address, the assistant minister said a textile industry will likely create employment for the youth here. “We used to have a manufacturing company called Everest and it used to create a lot of jobs for the youth under the clothing and textile industry,” he added. He said the same textile hub would also boost the economic activities for the city.
According to Billy, the creative industry plays a vital role in assisting to curb unemployment in the country. Therefore, he urged people in the textile and fashion industry to change the way they approach their business and make sure they push more on quality.
He said those manufacturing quality goods would assist them to penetrate the international market. For his part, the Francistown Mayor, Godisang Radisigo said the fashion show provides an opportunity for artists to explore their full potential as well as to showcase the diversity of their creativity.
He said the fashion show, which was held under the theme, 'Creative Industries: A Vehicle for Sustainable Development’ goes to show that it is crucial for them to invest more in the industry'. Radisigo said investing in the industry would contribute to the socio-economic development of the country as well as diversification of their economy.
He said the Fashion Show has created a value chain for local tourism, catering services, security services and advertising among others.