Although it is not her first time dressing a queen, she notes that this occasion has opened opportunities for her business.
The founder of Seloba Creations, Thapelo Mokgethi, told Arts&Culture that they applied and got selected following a call by Miss Botswana organisers for local designers to assist in preparing Chombo's Miss World wardrobe. She further explained that each dress was inspired by occasions that the dress would be used for, while others were inspired by the Botswana flag, culture, and music. "Designing the dresses for Miss World means upgrading my profile for international fashion design events and more exposure to more clients across Africa and the world at large.
The public loved the dresses, and Miss World Botswana also added more points when she wore them. We are hoping for more business as we start receiving new clients," Mokgethi said. Mokgethi explained that the business name Seloba Creations was inspired by Forester Creations from the American television soap opera, The Bold And The Beautiful. She started the business in 2014. Furthermore, she stated that she became a fashion designer in 2010 after completing her clothing design and textiles at Gaborone Technical College.
However, this is not her first time dressing a beauty queen, as she previously dressed Miss Botswana 2021, Palesa Molefe, as well as some local celebrities such as One Rabantheng, Moeladilotlhoko founder, Tshepo Sethibe, and the reigning Mrs Botswana, Portia Mokgatong. Speaking of her achievements, the talented fashion designer pointed out that she represented Botswana at the International African Textiles SITA Seventh and Eighth editions in Djibouti and Togo in 2020 and 2021, respectively. She was also awarded the Best in Fashion Personality at the BNYC Awards in 2021.
However, despite all the achievements, Mokgethi said she also faced some challenges, including finding a suitable place of operation. She said she is currently operating from home, which is not easily accessible. "I see Seloba Creations having boutiques and material shops in cities in Botswana.
We need support from Batswana and the government to achieve these goals. We are grateful to the Miss Botswana organisation for such a big opportunity," she said, adding it would have been even sweeter had Chombo brought home the crown. Nonetheless, Mokgethi is still proud of the queen's showing during the competition.
