Mohalenyane Phakela
UNITED States-based fashion designer Bokang Ramoreboli held a red carpet fashion show at Maseru Mall on Saturday ahead of the launch of a much-bigger four day fashion week in August.
Among the guests in attendance was Lesotho’s country representative to the United Nations, Kelebone Maope, veteran visual artist Meshu Mokitimi and other designers, models and artists.
Models showcased designs from Ramoreboli’s AllFlo Couture at the event which also featured local designers Bonolo Ramohonyane and Mabeile Malataliana in the maiden exhibition of their products. South African-based DJ Mpiloz and Ngureni entertained the appreciative crowd, with local rapper OG S’Killz not to be outdone as he belted out tracks from his debut album, Speak ‘N Verstan Project A.
In her remarks, Ramoreboli said the objective of event was to give the community and different stakeholders a foretaste of what to expect at the August show.
“As a fashion designer and artist who has featured at numerous events in New York City including the prestigious New York Fashion Week, I have learnt a lot and thought it would be a great idea to bring such an event to Lesotho,” Ramoreboli said.
“The objective is to utilise fashion and art as a tool to create a platform for Lesotho artists to showcase their talents while also exposing to the world the undiscovered beauty of our homeland and its culture.
“That is exactly what I have been doing in the US and it is high time I bring those people to Lesotho for them to get a broader understanding of our country and the inspiration behind those designs. It will also be good for Basotho to have an international platform.”
For his part, Maope praised Ramoreboli’s initiative and said it would open doors for young designers and expose them to the rest of the world.
“This is a good initiative as Bokang has used her potential and background to put this country on the map,” he said.
“This will change the fashion industry in Lesotho and engender a sense of patriotism since her designs possess a lot of cultural influences.”
Mokitimi concurred, saying that fashion design was another form of art which could showcase the country.
“Art is very vocal and describes us as expressionists. I am impressed to see the youth take pride and use their creativity to draw respect to the art of clothing. I am also inspired to continue doing what I know best, which is drawing,” he said.
Upcoming designer Malataliana also expressed gratitude to Ramoreboli for giving her the platform to showcase her work.
“This is the first time my designs have been showcased on the runway. I am delighted to be part of this great event as I believe it will open doors for me to showcase on international fashion shows like Bokang,” Malataliana told the Weekender.
