Local fashion designer goes international
Spira Tlhankane | Thursday May 28, 2015 18:00
The 23-year-old designer recently showcased her collection at the Retro Vintage Kolektion (RVK) Fashion Week that was held at Pretoria, South Africa in April.
“I saw an advert for the RVK on Facebook and decided to try my luck. I was required to submit three pictures of my best designs and after sometime I received the good news informing me that I had qualified to represent Botswana at the fashion week,” she explained.
Roberts said she took advantage of the chance and she would return on September for the second RVK Fashion Week that aims to celebrate vintage fashion and giving designers a platform to showcase their work.
“The three-day biannual fashion week was very inspiring because there were 20 representatives from SA and 10 from across Africa,” she said.
Roberts, who studies at the Limkokwing University, said her passion for fashion came at a young age when she started knitting little outfits for her dolls. “I was always like this. I paid attention to everything I wore and I wanted all of my clothes to appear the way I wanted,” she explained. Roberts said she took her first step towards the fashion industry during her one-year study at North West School of Design. “When I moved back to Botswana to undertake my studies at Limko, I already knew what my path was,” she said. Roberts said she then decided to come up with her own collection of 11 outfits and showcased for the first time at the fashion extravaganza.
The upcoming designer said she is confident about her work, and intends to take it to the next level in the next showcase.
Roberts said she likes drawing more than sowing itself. “I believe there is more to fashion than fashion shows. Fashion is an inspiration from everything that is all around us,” she said.
She commended the support from her family who continue to encourage the pursuit of her dreams. “My parents are paying for my studies, my sister is a model for my outfits and I have never been more grateful,” she added. Roberts said she has her own brand called Pharez Lamoda and she had acquired her customer base by word of mouth through friends and other clients.
“I am still struggling with finances, but people have shown interest in my outfits,” she said. Roberts said she prices her outfits looking at the cost of fabric. On Saturday she will head off to SA for a different fashion show called Kingdom’s Secrets.
“There is a lot of support in SA. I want to make a debut there before coming back to Botswana to share my experiences,” she explained.
She said most of her outfits were carpet ready therefore it was difficult to find a suitable market in Botswana.
She said that social media is the only platform where she markets her products. “Besides the challenge of finances, I am willing to take risks and in the end I believe I shall prevail,” said Roberts, who is currently working on a photoshoot for her new collection.