18 Jun 2018

The creative arts industry in the country, especially fashion, is said to be facing an array of challenges.

Deputy chairperson of Palapye Administration Authority, Gabagopole Sebele said such challenges include low rate of recognition, small market and limited quality resources for production.

In an interview after the President’s Day Competition Northern Region Fashion Show over the weekend, Sebele said the country’s small population negatively affected the market for fashion designers.

He said more needs to be done in terms of machineries used in sewing and fashion designing, noting that good quality resources could speed up production.

He said the country should move towards industrialisation, which would accommodate the creative arts such as fashion designing, arguing that the move would also improve the market for fashion designing.

Nonetheless, Sebele hailed government initiatives meant to improve the creative industry such as the President’s Day Competitions, noting that the competitions continue to grow in leaps and bounds.

He applauded the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development for addressing challenges faced by the creative industry, adding that the introduction of hairdressing to the competitions was proof of the ministry’s commitment to improve the creative industry.

Sebele acknowledged the ministry for the preparations leading to the success of the northern region’s fashion show, noting that the standard for the competition has been raised to challenge competitors to be serious with their talents and crafts.

He gave models and designers a pat on the back for showcasing their talents and the good workmanship of the designs.

He said the show gave designers a platform to interact and network, something which would make them stay relevant in the industry.

For her part, a representative from Palapye District Administration’s office, Dorcas Matsetse said the President’s Day fashion show competitions unearthed talent and also promoted cultural heritage as the artists displayed artworks that incorporated culture.

She added that the competition had the potential to grow youth businesses and create employment as well as add to youth empowerment efforts.

Matsetse said the northern region fashion show reflected the vision and confidence the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development had in creating an enabling environment for artists and preserving culture.

She urged winners in the different categories to go and represent the northern region well, and to seize the opportunity to market their products at the national competitions in Gaborone.

The event was held under the theme: Creative industries: A vehicle for sustainable development.

Contestants battled it out in four categories of modeling, dress making, fashion design and hair dressing.

Tom Batsima emerged victories in the hair dressing category while Magatalena Gaboadingwe scooped position one in the female modeling category and Gaonape Muyoba won the male modeling category.

In the dress making category, Onalenna Mosenki emerged the winner and Tebogo Batshabeng outclassed fellow fashion designers with his unique designs.ENDS