ThabieD soars, penetrates Fashion Week Nigeria
Local fashion designer, Thabiso Dibeela continues on a mission to take her brand to the international scene and explores unchartered territories.
This September she will showcase her artistic abilities at the fifth annual Africa Fashion Week Nigeria. The event is pencilled to take place on September 15 and 16, under the theme: African Heritage Arise. It is expected to bring together designers, media and business moguls.
A star-studded event will also include an award ceremony and a celebration of the evolving African fashion.
Speaking in an interview with Style, she explains that the invitation to showcase in Nigeria came through following the Ghana event.
“This is only the beginning of great things to come as I take my brand to the international stages,” she says.
She also points out that it is high time that other fashion creatives in the country took their brand outside Botswana, and showed the world that indeed Batswana are talented.
“People are not exposed,” she says sadly.
Nigeria, she explains, holds much potential for any designer who gets a chance to showcase their works there, as the country has a rich textile and manufacturing industry. She hopes to use the opportunity as a benchmarking exercise, and also absorb as much as she can during her trip. “They have proved that they are advanced in so many things. Their fashion industry is now at a much higher level compared to ours,” she says. “Sharing a platform with some of the continent’s best is an honour for any designer,” she adds, noting that some of the best selling designers from Nigeria have even made it to platform such as Fashion TV.
Last year, Dibeela was one of the celebrated designers who showcased their works at the annual Accra Fashion Week 2017. Other designers included Magushi Doll (Zambia), Zizi Africa (Kenya), The Jireh Couture (Belgium), Alia Bare (Niger), Nacho Designs by Chuks (Nigeria) as well as ThabieD. The new comers are joining previous designers that include Mark Johnson (UK), Jants Collection and Bri Wireduah, Afre Anko.
