New reality show brings the best fashion minds from across Africa together
GOSEGO MOTSUMI
Botswana’s Moitshepi Mokaila is among 10 fashion designers from across Africa challenged to bring a fresh take on African print fabric in a new reality series styled “Battle of the Ankara.”
The new show that premiered last week on Honey TV (DStv Channel 173) is a design competition where up and coming fashion minds compete for the Ankara fashion crown. Mokaila joined designers from Ghana, Zimbabwe and other countries across the continent at Fedisa Fashion School in Cape Town.
“I haven’t always known who I wanted to be, but when I did I knew I wanted to be a fashion designer. A dream at the time, which wasn’t considered a worthwhile educational investment,” said Mokaila, who holds a BA in Fashion Design from LISOF Fashion College.
She is a proud owner of upmarket fashion brand, Indecisive, that caters for both men and women. As implied by the name, Indecisive is about self-expression that doesn’t have to be relevant or conform to what is considered fashionable or ideal. The fashion pieces spot a lot of vibrant colours that capture the mood and target people between the ages of 15 and 40 years who enjoy attending events and are self-expressive and fashion-conscious.
Says the creative director: “It also appeals to older consumers in a market where age distinctions are more amorphous. Indecisive takes inspiration from reanimating achieved pieces from the 1990s and early 2000s – hybrid styles that wave from ever-decreasing attention spans. It’s about indecision within the decision to be indecisive.”
The new reality show is hosted by South African radio DJ Luthando “LootLove” Shosha and boasts esteemed designers Gert-Johan Coetzee and Palesa Mokubung as judges. It is an addition to the channel’s hot take on style and fashion across Africa. “We are used to seeing the fabric used very traditionally but the contestants bring their A-game and make designs that are much more unexpected,” says Mokubung.