Fashion according to Molosiwa
Gasebalwe Seretse | Thursday April 17, 2014 14:52
“After high school I enrolled for pre-med at the University of Botswana, but I quickly realised that medicine was not for me.
So I decided to have a long chat with my parents and after a long while, I won,” says Molosiwa.
The 24-year-old Molosiwa from Kanye says that he joined Linea Academy in Durban, South Africa to read for an honours degree in Fashion Design.
“It was a great culture shock when I got to Durban as I had never lived alone.
I had to buy everything from a mop to a dustbin which was hectic.
As if that was not enough, at school we had to cover a lot of ground work and we had to learn how to thread a machine for a long time although it was something that most of us already knew,” the fashion designer says.
Molosiwa says that at school, he also learnt that he had to draw some sketches which were a challenge at first as he had never considered himself to be an artist before.
The designer asserts that Linea Academy had an intimate setting as there were around 60 students altogether which meant they knew each other by name and they interacted easily.
“Towards the end of the course, we were only 20 as most students had left the academy after feeling that they had already garnered all the skills they needed to get into the field,” he says, adding that he stayed on until he finished in 2011.
As to why one needs to go to school while they already know that they were talented the designer philosophically says that talent needs knowledge to back it up.
Molosiwa who specialises in evening and bridal wear has already dressed a good number of local celebrities such as Nnunu Ramogotsi, Kearoma Rantao, Bonolo Magowe and Zenzele ‘Zen’ Hirschfeld.
He has also styled the popular artist, La Timmy.
Molosiwa has taken part in some of the major fashion shows in the country such as Gabz Fashion Week, Global Expo, Independence Expo and Mmegi Bridal Expo 2012. He has also taken part in the reputable Swahili Fashion Expo.
The youthful designer said that he also met the man he looks up to, Mozambican designer, Taibo Bacar at Colour in the Desert in 2011.
He describes Bacar as his greatest inspiration.
“His clothes simply blew me away and I can unashamedly declare that I am one of his greatest fans,” he says.
Molosiwa also admires the works of reputable international designers, Zac Posen and Valentino.
The designer speaks excitedly about a major project in which he has to dress some of the dignitaries at the forthcoming national awards.
Molosiwa says that he wants to be a trendsetter and that this season he will re-introduce blazer dresses and ponchos to Batswana.
“I am not sure that these trends would make it in Botswana but they are already popular elsewhere,” he says.
“I have worn Molosiwa’s designs a number of times and I must say I am always a happy customer,” says Afro-jazz artist Ramogotsi.
The versatile Molosiwa is also an instrumentalist and has already featured in a number of Aldo Brincat productions playing the clarinet.