18 Apr 2022

The Mascom Derby Fashion Show roared back to the catwalk Friday night after a two-year hiatus owing to COVID-19.

Dubbed, A New Dawn, the show, which was a curtain-raiser to the annual Mascom horse race, was held at Cresta Maun, and brought to the ramp a number of upcoming fashion designers from across Botswana. 

Strutting their stuff were models from Lenita Fashions, Black Excellence, Ser Consaldo, Caro Bee, Fierce Designs, and Prestige.

Caro Bee stole the night with their line of fashion’s most enduring and genre-crossing shades of military green on Khaki, so much so that one gentleman bought one of the outfits right on stage.

Ser Consaldo’s models looked dashing in short black chiffon dresses and shorts with a spattering of bright pink and orange on ruffled up shoulders.

Fierce Fashions lived up to its bold and confident attitude, daring the audience’s emotions with their black, risqué jump suits and midi dresses. 

As if not provocative enough, they threw in an enticing pink, thoroughly enthralling the audience. 

The event would not have been complete without a display of Africa’s buoyant spirit, and it was Prestige that took the audience to the cradle. 

Their models exploded on stage with verve, their black, white and yellow African Print exuding a twinning of joy and purity against the black of Africa’s unbroken and powerful spirit. All the while Fashion Without Borders Africa and Black Thrash, the coaches, soaked in every detail: They would later provide a critique of the items, and show their younger compatriots tricks for improvement. 

Also in attendance was reigning Miss Botswana Palesa Molefe.

Said Tebogo Lebotse Sebego, the main event sponsor, Mascom’s chief communications officer: 

“This show is a celebration of beauty and fashion.”

Not only was the show an opportunity and platform for designers to showcase their creations and learn from the more established stylists, it also gave Maun models a chance to take to the catwalk, especially after COVID-19, hence the theme, she said.  

She thanked stables Fashion Without Borders Africa and Black Thrash Clothing for guiding the show since 2016, as well as Palesa for gracing the show.

Designer Lesego Mmolawa of Lenita fashions was all praises of Mascom. 

She started attending the fashion show in 2018 and her brand had seen tremendously in the two years she had been to the show.

“My one major takeaway from this event is how to brand. Thanks to what I have learnt at this show I am now producing clothes that are unique and conform to my signature,” she said.

Gaborone based designer, Refilwe Elliot of Black Excellence was equally full of praise to Mascom and urged other young and upcoming fashion designers to have faith in themselves.

Mascom have been sponsoring the main event, the horse race since 2006. 

This year, the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development contributed P250  000 towards the derby. Ends