By Seleoe Nonyane
Cograbig School of Arts will host the Fashion Parade Carnival – the first ever event of its kind – in Maseru in October 2023.
The school offers fashion design, make-up, nail, hairdressing and wig-making courses.
The parade will start from Lesotho High School and end at Victoria Hotel poolside where there will be performances by local artists and a brief description of what the festival is about.
Participants are expected to be dressed in ‘all things spring’.
Talking to theReporter this week, the founder of Cograbig School of Arts, ‘Mamokone Liphoto, said her students are currently designing outfits for more than 30 models in order to make this event a success. The event is also open to creatives around the country, she said.
Connie – as she is affectionately known – explained that the inspiration to hold this campaign came after she witnessed the Brazilian Carnival which left her fascinated by the creativity that came from the parade.
She is the brains behind the inaugural Halloween-themed fashion week of 2021.
This year’s fashion parade will pave way for the third edition of the annual event.
“The fashion Parade Carnival will be a prelude to the fashion show to be held on November 4. It basically serves to raise awareness on the main event.”
The 2023 fashion show’s theme is ‘Dress how you want to be addressed’.
Its main objective is to afford Cograbig School of Arts students a platform to show the world and their parents what they were taught and what they are capable of.
“This year’s fashion show is totally different from the other fashion shows I have hosted in that, unlike in the previous shows where I was showcasing my designs and featuring other fashion designers, the students of Cograbig School of Arts will be showcasing their own designs,” Liphoto noted.
Her story is that of an apple not falling far from the tree.
Liphoto’s mother was a tailor, and it is not surprising that she developed the taste for fashion while growing up.
She fell in love with sewing and would even wear her own creations from as early as she can remember.
She then decided to nurture the design gift in her by pursuing a career in BA (Hons) Degree Fashion and Design and Retailing at Limkokwing University of Creative Technology.
“I live and breathe fashion. I simply cannot do without it as everything I do revolves around it. My dream is to see Lesotho being given recognition when it comes to fashion and design-related activities. This can be achieved with some assistance from the government,” Liphoto said.
“I was quite intrigued by the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I love the creativity that came from the parade and I loved how the government supports it,” she added.
