18 Jun 2019

The director of Global Transformation and Networks Taolo Moshaga has commended government for investing in the creative arts industry.

Speaking during the South region President’s Day fashion show at Lodubeng Park in Kanye on June 16, Moshaga said investing in the industry created an enabling environment for Batswana artists to live-off their talent.

Moshaga however encouraged Batswana to support local fashion and enable producers to sustain themselves through their creations.

He was nonetheless worried that many Batswana seemed to prefer fashion products from outside over locally produced ones.

He said sustainability could only be attained if Batswana supported their own.

He said developed economies like the United States and United Kingdom were driven by the creative arts, which he described as a multimillion industry.

Moshaga challenged fashion designers to come up with novel ideas and strive to produce unique products if they wished to appeal to the local market.

He said originality would give them a foothold in the market and keep them relevant.

The event organiser Kgomotso Diseko, principal programmes officer at the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development expressed joy that the level of the competition seemed to grow every year in terms of number of participants and quality of products.

“There is so much growth and creativity this year as compared to the previous years we have hosted this show, which shows we are moving in the right direction, ” she said.

Diseko also encouraged Batswana to purchase local fashion and empower producers to eke out a living through creativity.

Without support, she said, there was little designers could do to sustain themselves or their businesses.

Another speaker at the event Tshoganetso Mahupe said the show offered fashion designers a platform to showcase talent and expose their creations to the market.
 

She said winners from each category would proceed to the national finals to be held in Gaborone next month.

Meanwhile Mahupe advised parents to allow their children to pursue careers in the fashion industry.

Notable among the designers was 84 year-old Kebabope Mothibi, from Lotlhakane East.

The old lady held her own against youthful designers.

Her designs and workmanship reflected experience she gathered over the years.

She said her knack for fashion design developed at the age of six  playing with dolls and she never looked back.

The competition focused on modelling, fashion designs, hairdressing and dress making.

The winner of the hairdressing category Alice Moagi explained that her designs were inspired by culture and some elements of nature.

She used hair to create a traditional basket on her daughter Roseline’s head.

Some of the hair styles that stood out depicted a windmill, cow horns and a bag in national flag colours.

Khulumbidzani Josiah emerged the winner in the dress making category, Janet Sebolai for fashion design while Junior Aabobe was chosen as the best  male model.

The show’s  theme was; Creative Industries, a Vehicle for Sustainable Development. ENDS