Times Of Swaziland: FASHION ONLY LANGUAGE I KNOW

FASHION ONLY LANGUAGE I KNOW
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BY THEMBELANI NHLABATSI  on 02/08/2020 00:13:00


Thando Maseko is aiming higher than the sky with her desire to become one of the
biggest fashion mavens in Eswatini. The 24-year-old Eswatini born and bred
female is currently pursuing a degree in Textile, Apparel Design and Management
at the University of Eswatini’s Luyengo Campus, where she is doing her final
year.
“I absolutely love creating and I believe I’m pretty good at it too. I do a
lot of sketch art and fashion illustration,” she says.
The young woman also makes her own clothes, which she also models. She shares
with STYLE about the journey she is excited to see unfold.
1. What inspires your fashion taste? I could never settle on a specific style,
my friends always said I was a seasonal dresser. Basically what that means is
that I simply like experimenting with clothes. So in terms of fashion taste and
inspiration, I’d say I’m drawn to people that stay true to themselves no
matter the backlash. I love the idea of freedom to express myself. It may be
through music, the physical self, food, architecture, a specific culture,
subculture in any respect really. That is what inspires me, it’s never
something specific.
2. When did you start fashion design? I started 2016 at university as means to
help me get by. I needed money for food and I could sew, so figured I might as
well start making clothes for people. Personally, I’ve been sewing all my
life, but I bought my current sewing machine when I was doing my second year.
It’s been working out fine and I am hoping to upgrade to an industrial one
eventually.
3. Has it always been a path you have wished to follow? The fashion industry has
been the only industry I could see my existence and I truly fill fulfilled.
Fashion is the only language I speak and I know that sounds so cliché but it
truly is. Growing up, I would watch the America’s Next Top Model and dream to
be a contestant one day. I simply wanted to model; however, I knew I could never
because I’m too closed off.  The industry is so cut-throat I wouldn’t last a
day. So I figured I would be better suited in the background. I leaned that
nothing would stop me from creating the outfits that the models wore. It was
even greater for me, which was to showcase in some of the continents with bigger
showcases. With God willing, I am able and that’s all there is to it.
4. How do you stay relevant with the pieces that you create? I try not to
concern myself about being relevant when it comes to my work because I feel like
the moment you do so, you tend to lose parts of yourself in the process because
you’re going out of your way to conform to the ideas people have of you. I’m
not trying to make people fall in love with me. I’m trying to build my
personal brand and build my portfolio so that when the door I am meant to walk
through finally opens, it finds me ready. If and when people understand and
appreciate what I do I’m grateful to them from the core of my existence, but
if not, I keep it moving.
5. Who is your biggest fashion icon? Biggest fashion icon? Gosh, right now I am
personally vibing with Rich Mnisi, who is a gift that keeps on giving. I
knighted him because that is who he is, I love and respect him so much, his work
is insane, and those are facts. Yes sir.
6. Whom would you wish to work with locally and internationally? A couple of
names come to mind locally, Sakhile Simelane is our very own gem. If people are
sleeping on her they had better wake up, sprinkle holy water on their heads and
pray for deliverance because I promise you, she is international status. So,
being able to work on something with her would be amazing. Then there’s Drina
(@drina.got.grills), who is another liSwati model with wild dreams. I recently
had the opportunity to create with her and that was such a special moment to me
because I always thought she was amazing. I openly welcome more opportunities
like that.
There are a couple of photographers on my bucket list as well, namely
@shotsbyngezi, @mbulelo_photography and @will.brown. Internationally, if an
opportunity were to present itself I’d welcome it with both arms, big or
small. My mother taught me to appreciate all that I’m given because it can be
taken away at any moment.
7. Mention five things you do before conceptualising an idea to when it’s
finished? I scroll through Pinterest for inspiration, then put on some music
then I start to sketch. I also figure out how to structure my patterns by
studying a sketch and then deduce how the parts are joined and what notions and
fabric I am going to need. After all is said and done, I buy everything that I
will require and 70 per cent of the time I repurpose old clothes.