Kushatha Fashion Brand launch this Sunday

There is no doubt, fashion industry is growing in Botswana and Kushatha Fashion is envisioned to take it further.

She will be holding her unique fashion brand launch this Saturday at Travel Lodge. Kushatha Fashion Brand launch is not just an ordinary launch but an esteemed brand launch that has never taken place in Botswana. 

For the past 27 years, the fashion designer, Vivian Woto better known as Kushatha, has been doing so well in the industry but she did not know anything about branding, and has now decided to take her work to the next level through branding. 

Her new brand is going to be launched with a fashion show to allow the “brand to meet the mass”. The 48-year old has an absolute touch to what she does and her work speaks volumes for her.

Perspective Branding has put it altogether for the launch, and the golden idea is to attract marketing executives for clothing chain stores. They are anticipating nothing else but to see Kushatha Fashion clothing being sold in stores. They have so far approached Edgars, Jet and Mr Price for this initiative.They aim at having a proper catalogue of Kushatha Fashion to get people to know about the brand and have a wide range of selection from it. “The strategy is to go into stores and have a style that is 100 percent BW and we aspire to see this clothing line selling in South Africa and neighbouring countries,” said Kushatha. The clothing line to be modelled includes casual wear, corporate wear and African outfits.

The gifted fashion designer started designing at 21-years old. She was not trained but simply got inspired by the love for clothing and designs, she says. She recalls that she would draft designs and never thought they would become practical work at any given time, until she tried. 

She shares with BG Style that it all started when she decided to design Herero dolls and dressed them up. She suddenly took it to the next level by designing clothes for herself. That gave her the confidence to go on and she kept on developing the talent. 

Her mother who was also a fashion designer encouraged her by giving her a manual hand sewing Singer machine that suddenly attracted customers asking her to design them outfits. “I started by making Setswana gathered dresses and simple designs and people really appreciated them. When Financial Assistance Policy (AFP) started many years ago, they approached me in Kanye saying I should turn my work into a business. “To me it was just riddles until I applied and managed to get bigger sewing machines and concentrated on proper designs particularly gowns. I learnt how to operate an electric machine and my clients supported me even further as they always recommended my work to the next people,” she explains. After getting all the necessary machinery, she started having confidence and believed in herself especially when she first participated at International Trade Fair and won first position in the Textiles category.

She believes she was only inspired by the Holy Spirit and to date she still does her favourite hobby, ‘drafting’. “For the past 27 years I have never known anything about branding until I met Perspective Branding and I appreciate them countless times because I just noticed how branding is important while working with them,” said Kushatha. 

Her fashion show will be characterised by local models and she will be working with upcoming designers from Limkokwing University of Creative Industry known as ‘Curtain Raisers’. 

The occasion is expected to be explicit and Zenzele Hirschfield will be the Master of Ceremonies while Acapella artiste, Franklin will grace the event with his melodious sounds.

Kushatha Fashion line is a glitzy celebrity type of market. She is determined to do this and believes in women empowerment and trading. She has in the past 27 years, designed over 3000 wedding gowns according to customers’ interests. 

She admits that fashion industry has grown in Botswana because even young designers make an effort to meet the standards and trends of fashion. “It is an achievement that now everything can be designed in Botswana. The industry looks beautiful and some locals are very supportive,” she said.