Bramley resident on the Fastrack

Bramley View resident, Karabo Mokgoatlheng, is taking his new collection to the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week runway, for the very first time.

Mokgoatlheng attended the University of Johannesburg and later studied his craft at SewAfrica Fashion College in the Fashion District of Johannesburg CBD. The young designer graduated from the specialty institution in 2014 and wasted no time making waves in the industry with his brand, Karabo-M.

The young designer has showcased his collection at the Loveworld Festival, was a finalist at the 2015 Vukani Fashion Awards, and will now be taking on Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week with the help of African Fashion International (AFI) – an organisation committed to showcasing African fashion internationally.

AFI also run a Fastrack competition which kicked off earlier this year, and the young designer was one of thousands of entrants from across Africa. On 15 February, industry professionals Khothatso Tsotetsi, Jess Lupton, Randa Adechoubou and Caileigh Davis sifted through the entries and chose Mokgoatlheng as one of 10 finalists who will showcase their collections at Fashion Week from 10 to 12 March, after which a winner of the competition will be chosen.

Currently working on his Fashion Week range, the designer explained that the aesthetic of this collection will be geometric, minimalist and architectural using natural and breathable fabrics.

Speaking about the Fastrack programme, the young designer said, “I’ve learnt that there’s a whole lot of work to do in fashion. It really is a business and what you see on the runway is just a small piece of what happens behind the scenes,” he said.

“The competition has been an eye-opener because it’s very technical. You have to think of everything – the fabric, the construction, the technicality of designing.”

With this opportunity to show his collection on the runway this year, he is looking forward to not only the clothing but also hearing the stories of other designers. “I’m mostly looking forward to meeting new people from all over the continent and learning from them – I really love learning from other people’s experiences,” said Mokgoatlheng.

Details: africanfashioninternational.com