/ 20 September 2016

Editor’s Choice — Mothusi Lesolle

Mothusi Lesolle
Mothusi Lesolle

EDITOR’S CHOICE: Category — Arts and Culture

Mothusi Lesolle email:[email protected]

facebook.com/mothusi.lesolle

Fashion designer and socialite

Mothusi Lesolle is more than familiar with the world of fashion. Having begun as a stylist, he rose to the status of internationally acclaimed fashion designer, who now showcases his designs on some of the industry’s most elite platforms.

In 2011, Lesolle co-founded ‘Colour in the Desert Fashion Week, a showpiece that attracts fashion houses from all corners of the continent to display their talent. They host training workshops throughout the week, aimed at helping budding designers to run their brands like business entities. The event helped to unearth talent from remote areas of Botswana and launch local brands into the international scene.

“We have helped young designers access internships and opportunities to showcase with top designers in countries like Tanzania and South Africa,” says Lesolle. “I have been able to pair fashion businesses with bigger brands that can help them grow bigger.”

In 2014, Lesolle showcased his designs at Kenya’s biggest fashion event, the Festival for African Fashion and Arts. His participation in fashion extravaganzas throughout Africa and the USA landed Lesolle a CNN interview on the work that he has done in Botswana. He dresses many local and international celebrities and is part of the annual Masa Square Hotel Wedding Expo, where he showcases his designs and also works behind the scenes.

Through his fashion business clinic, Lesolle has also guided, mentored and assisted a lot of young designers to monetise their creative ideas and network with more established designers.

Lesolle’s uses his personal fashion label, iZaura, to add value to the communities from which he comes. His partnership with the Dignity Foundation afforded young girls from impoverished communities better access to sanitary pads. Lesolle has also started a programme called Donate a Prom Dress, which gives young girls from underprivileged families the opportunity to wear designer clothes to their prom parties. Through the programme, four refugee girls who had been separated from their families were able to wear iZaura designs to the Maruapula School prom.

With the help of media partners, the programme has grown bigger and Lesolle is hopeful that they will be able to reach other areas outside Gaborone this year. — SPIKE GANETSANG