A TOUR IN IN YHE MOUNTAINS KINGDOM OF LESOTHO’S FASHION WITH TSEPANG DAVID
In a visit to the Kingdom of mountains,Lesotho one of the most prominent thing that you won’t forget after your stay is their culture and fashion .
Tshepa is a one of most influential fashion players in the kingdom of Lesotho.
He provides a tour to us about the fashion industry in Lesotho.
During our conversation we also discuss about the Basotho blanket,Lesotho fashion week and also his achievements.
Q:what is your definition of the term fashion?
A:For me, fashion is a form of expression through garments, it allows one to express their creativity or preferences through it. It’s also art where one can think out of the the box to turn sketches into real garments or art pieces.
Q:When one speaks about Lesotho they won’t omit the Lesotho blankets.What is so special and unique about the Lesotho blankets?
A:What makes Lesotho blankets special is that they carry our culture and history in them. Some blankets represent certain tribes within Basotho (Lesotho citizens) so when one wears a blanket they are carrying a legacy and showing a sense of belonging to a particular tribe, at the same time expressing that they are proud to be from Lesotho. It’s more than just a garment, it’s more than that.
Q:What made you to join the fashion industry?
A:I joined the fashion industry because since I was young I always had the passion for fashion.
I would go through magazines or watch TV just to admire and learn what people are wearing and as soon as I grew up, I knew I could be part of the fashion industry so that I could feed my undying passion for fashion.
It makes me so happy when I even talk about the current fashion trends, international designers,fashion weeks etc. The fashion industry makes me happy and it gives me the sense of belonging.
Q:In three words can you describe Lesotho’s fashion industry?
A: Three words: Original, Developing and tribal-infused
Q:What have you enjoyed about your role as a presenter in red carpets and what has been the most challenging part?
A:What I enjoyed the most is meeting and networking with amazing people all the time.
I meet other fashion enthusiasts like me so it’s thrilling and entertaining at the same time, interviewing individuals who are dressed to kill, from VIPs to designers, models, notables guests and all fashionistas.
I love the adrenaline rush I get everytime when I do red carpet interviews infont of many cameras and flashing lights.
Just being there fuels my passion.
Most challenging part is working with individuals who have personalities that are difficult to work with at times, specifically some show organizers, they have a specific way on how they are approached or how one should communicate with them at times their personalities can come off as difficult to work with because they have ove-the-top expectations at times….in the same breath, I cope with it if that’s the case and deliver.
Q:What inspires your dress code?
A:I love elegant, red carpet-ready, classic and clean kind of look. I get inspired by Italian male suits and Italian loafers, something that you can see in collections like Italian designers such as Robert Cavalli.
Q:How did your modeling career started?
A:My career as a model started in 2018.
I did a photoshoot with one of the notable photographers here in Lesotho, the aim was just to have high quality pictures that I can upload on my social media.
After uploading them, they caught an eye of one of the telecommunications company here and I got a call where they proposed to feature me in their campaign, after that my modeling career took off ever since.
Q:What has been your greatest achievement so far as a model?
A:Being selected to star in a campaign of a clothing brand (called DOXA N KABOD) here in Lesotho, where the campaign covered 13 billboards in the capital Lesotho, Maseru, in all the billboards it’s just me. So it felt like a homerun for me as a model.
Q:Whenever you see yourself in a billaboard advert what comes to your mind?
A:What comes to my mind; “How I defied all the odds to be where I am today as a model”.
It reminds me of the whole journey as model that has a happy ending.
When I started model I got rejected by numerous brands and agencies because they said I was too short and too skinny so I remember telling myself that I’m gonna work on my craft and improve as a model.
Right now I have cemented my name in Lesotho’s modeling industry so I am very proud of how far I came and I’m happy.
Q:Lesotho fashion week is months away,what are you expecting to see in this year’s fashion show?
A: I’m expecting to see designers that think out of the box and doing something creative and fashion-forward. I’m expecting to see “avant-garde” or something theatrical and entertaining yet still fashionable. I want designers and models to take it to the next level.
Q:Lastly any tip on the what will be trending in fashion in the next Months ?
A: The upcoming season in my country is Spring/Summer so I see a burst of colour with fresh or customized prints.
Profile
Modelling career:
Started modelling professionally in 2018.
How it started: had a photoshoot with a local photographer the aim of the shoot was just to have good pictures that I could upload on social media, then after uploading the pictures on social media, I got a call from Koko Lesotho agency, somehow they saw the pictures on social
media. They called and proposed that they would like to feature me in their upcoming Photoshoot and I agreed.
It happened that the shoot was for Econet Telecom Lesotho and it is how my career began. The shoot became a campaign that was running on billboards, online and newspapers.
WORLD OF FASHION & MODELLING 