Costume design in film is a crucial storytelling element, visually translating a character’s personality, history, and evolution through attire.
Costumes in films subtly guide a story, reveal hidden depths of personas, and set the mood for the character and the entire plot. If you are a follower of South African telenovelas and tv drama series such as The Queen, Isibaya, The River and a few others, you might have been captivated by some of the costumes of your favourite actors on screen and wondered who could be the designer behind them.
Well, the answer is our very own Dipholo has been behind some of the costumes worn by your popular actors such as Connie Ferguson who acted in the role of Harriet Khoza in The Queen.
Born and raised between Gaborone and Bobonong, Dipholo who is also a stylist, has been based in South Africa (SA) since 2010 working on different television shows. She says her job entails telling stories through costume.
“My job is basically to tell stories through costume. I dress actors in television stories and dramas,” Dipholo said. Reflecting on her journey, the 42-year-old said she was recruited by a mentor who came to shoot a television show in Gaborone. “They asked me to come work as an assistant in a show based in South Africa called Zone 14. After the show was done, I got more referrals and like they say, the rest is history,” she said
Despite moving into a foreign country and joining a competitive industry, Dipholo has adapted quite well and has made an impression. Over the years, she has worked on shows such as The Queen, Isibaya, The River and How To Ruin Christmas, to name but a few. Her 13-year career in SA has been a successful and joyous journey that saw her clinching awards along the way. She won the South African Film Award two times and was nominated five times for best Costume Designer. She admits that while she has enjoyed her time in the film and television space in SA, she says it was not an easy ride. “The first challenge was building a name or brand from the bottom up. I got to a place where nobody knew me, so it was a bit harder because I had to put in more than was necessary to stand out. Again I can honestly say God has been good to me because some wins that I have achieved even leave me shocked,” she explained. Dipholo who was recently in Botswana during the Botswana International Film Festival said it takes a lot of persistence and a good creative eye to survive in the SA film and television space. “They say here that you are as good as your last job. You have to be continually thinking outside of the norm and boxes. The industry is fast-paced and there are always new people popping up with even greater skills. So staying one step ahead of the game is always advisable. Again networking is important in this industry,” she added.
While the film and television industry in South Africa is a big job creator and sustains families, it is the contrary for the Botswana industry.
The local film and television industry has failed to emerge from infancy and Dipholo attributes this to the mindset among Batswana that the industry is a hobby or part-time job. She said Batswana have the creative edge to make it big but only if they start taking the industry seriously.
“In South Africa, the film industry is a big job creation field that sustains lots of families. Now with players like Netflix and Prime Video penetrating the SA market, it has even become a bigger field,” she explained.
Furthermore, she advised Batswana to work towards growing the local industry rather than thinking about moving to SA.
“Given the chance yes, but I don’t think it should be a case of us penetrating the SA market. We should start growing our industry and taking it seriously. We should also create products that are not just of Botswana standards but they should be able to compete with stuff out there in the international market. It is important for the creatives in Botswana to understand that all components of the industry need to be invested in. From your storytelling to our aesthetics, our overall productions need to be believable,” she said.
The local television and film industry might not offer much to write home about. However, in a rare story that offers hope to the local creatives, Kgomotso Dipholo, a Motswana woman who is a costume designer by profession, is riding the crest of a wave in the much-popular and tough terrain in South Africa, writes Mmegi Staffer GOITSEMODIMO KAELO
