In the tiny mountain kingdom of Lesotho, luxury fashion has become a canvas for cultural heritage. Thethana, a Maseru-based fashion brand, is turning heads with its innovative combination of traditional Basotho design and textiles, and bold and stylish contemporary women's wear. Co-founded by Nkotseng Moleko and her cousin Malerotholi Maseribane, Thethana has grown from a small pop-up business into a women-led lifestyle brand. The brand's mission is to celebrate the essence and beauty of the modern African woman.
Thethana's inspiration came from the lack of Basotho heritage in contemporary African fashion. Moleko and Maseribane wanted to combine Basotho heritage with contemporary slow fashion that is modern, versatile, and colorful. The brand's name, Thethana, comes from the sacred, symbolic traditional short wrap-skirt worn by Basotho girls and women. This piece of clothing maps out a woman's growth, social maturity, and spiritual status within the community. By adopting this name, Thethana acts as a canvas for Basotho cultural identity.
Thethana has been at global showcases like Africa Fashion Week London and the QOAI Fashion Show, and has expanded its retail presence beyond Lesotho's borders, stocking select pieces at high-end spaces like the AfricaRise store in Sandton City. The brand believes in slow, sustainable, and mindful fashion, using premium fabric sourced from a responsible factory and paying and rewarding its staff. Thethana also turns fabric offcuts into hats, bags, and aprons to minimize waste.
Moleko has long been in the fashion space, with experience in design and production, buying and selling, admin, stocktaking, garment technology, and customer care. She has worked for luxury brand Marion & Lindie, been a junior designer for SA's iconic fashion brand Leopard Frock, and designed and produced corporate wear and security uniforms. In 2012, Moleko started the Enkeyame Fashion Studio, working between Maseru and Johannesburg as a freelance designer, personal shopper, and wardrobe stylist.
Thethana has two basic business departments: day-to-day operations at their factory workshop and their retail store at the Maseru Mall, which combined employ a total of 16 people. Operating a luxury brand out of Maseru has meant tackling some tough challenges, like breaking out of a small local market to gain visibility in South Africa and beyond, working hard to gain access to cross-border showcases, and dealing with the logistics of reliable supply chains.
Thethana has been selected as one of the finalists in Création Africa, a groundbreaking multimillion-rand development that supports emerging cultural and creative entrepreneurs in South Africa, Lesotho, and Malawi. The brand will undergo an intensive business incubation program overseen by the Embassy of France and the French Institute of South Africa (Ifas), which should help them scale up. Moleko says that Création Africa will go a long way in helping Thethana improve its brand and business skills.
The future looks bright for Thethana, with the brand poised to take Lesotho fashion to the world. With its unique blend of traditional Basotho design and contemporary style, Thethana is sure to make a lasting impact on the fashion industry. As Moleko says, "To me, fashion is not just about clothes; it's about identity and culture, and celebrating the essence and beauty of the modern African woman."
Key points
- Thethana combines traditional Basotho design with contemporary women's wear.
- The brand has been selected as a finalist in Création Africa.
- Thethana believes in slow, sustainable, and mindful fashion.
