Thabo Makheta-Kwinana preserves her Basotho heritage through fashion
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In this new series of The Minted Couch, Kati Dijane chats with award-winning and globally renowned fashion designer Thabo Makheta-Kwinana, who has been designing, sewing and stitching fabrics and blankets in honour and preservation of her Basotho heritage since 2009, when she launched her label.
Born in Lesotho and raised in South Africa, the fashion designer credits the success of her business to the popular African saying: 'motho ke motho ka bathu', (a person is a person because of others). She shares that she's grateful for the media platforms that featured her work, which launched her break when she started out.
She believes in making timeless fashion by telling a story behind each design and using it as a tool to celebrate African heritage.
The fashion designer advises that to build your success story, you have to put yourself out there, research as much as you can and do as much training as possible through business incubations.
Fourteen years later, Makhetha-Kwinana knows a thing or two about the highlights and challenges of running a business. She has showcased her fashion range on international runways, including in Canada, Italy and the UK.
She's also reeling in excitement about her recent collaboration with CTM and shares how it has been a wild and adventurous transition from designing fashion to ceramics with the tile company.
The wife and mother of two is based in Cape Town but has recently opened her store in Soko District in Rosebank, Johannesburg. She has so much she aims to achieve as a person and as a brand, including creating a generational legacy for her family.
Born in Lesotho and raised in South Africa, the fashion designer credits the success of her business to the popular African saying: 'motho ke motho ka bathu', (a person is a person because of others). She shares that she's grateful for the media platforms that featured her work, which launched her break when she started out.
She believes in making timeless fashion by telling a story behind each design and using it as a tool to celebrate African heritage.
The fashion designer advises that to build your success story, you have to put yourself out there, research as much as you can and do as much training as possible through business incubations.
Fourteen years later, Makhetha-Kwinana knows a thing or two about the highlights and challenges of running a business. She has showcased her fashion range on international runways, including in Canada, Italy and the UK.
She's also reeling in excitement about her recent collaboration with CTM and shares how it has been a wild and adventurous transition from designing fashion to ceramics with the tile company.
The wife and mother of two is based in Cape Town but has recently opened her store in Soko District in Rosebank, Johannesburg. She has so much she aims to achieve as a person and as a brand, including creating a generational legacy for her family.