CRÉATION AFRICA: Fashioning modern magic from deep heritage roots

“To me fashion is not just about clothes,” says Nkotseng Moleko, creative director and co-founder of Thethana, “it’s about identity and culture, and celebrating the essence and beauty of the modern African woman.”

Moleko and her cousin Malerotholi Maseribane started Thethana in 2018, and the brand has since grown from a small pop-up business into a women-led lifestyle brand fusing modern style with cultural depth. 

Thethana has since been at global showcases like Africa Fashion Week London and the QOAI Fashion Show – and has expanded its retail presence beyond the country’s borders, stocking select pieces at high-end spaces like the AfricaRise store in Sandton City.

“Our inspiration came from seeing the lack of Basotho heritage in the world of contemporary African fashion,” says Moleko.

“Countries like Ghana and Nigeria are so proud of their traditions, and we felt inspired to combine Basotho heritage with contemporary slow fashion that is modern, versatile and colourful.”

Now the dream of taking Lesotho fashion to the world is a little closer – 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. 

Thethana was a Top 50 finalist in the fashion category and will undergo an intensive business incubation programme overseen by the Embassy of France and the French Institute of South Africa (Ifas), which should help them scale right up.

A canvas for identity

The name Thethana comes from the sacred, symbolic traditional short wrap-skirt worn by Basotho girls and women. Historically, a young girl of about four or five years old is gifted a thethana, which then changes in size, colour, pattern and design as she matures into a woman. It’s more than a piece of clothing – it maps out a woman’s growth, social maturity and spiritual status within the community. 

“By adopting this name,” says Moleko, “the brand acts as a canvas for Basotho cultural identity.”

By drawing a line from this ancient ancestral textile to modern fashion runways, Thethana embodies a vivid and delightful form of garment storytelling – an approach that treats clothing not just as static fabric, but as a living archive. 

Moleko has long been in the fashion space – except for a year-long stint as a flight attendant with a private airline – and over the years, has immersed herself in most areas of the game, including 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, run by fashion doyenne Marianne Fassler, 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 for a growing client base in both countries. 

That segued into Thethana, where she is creative director and her cousin Maseribane is the managing director. 

“My role is to create concepts and new designs that appeal to our target market, to choose the fabrics for each new season and to work closely with the production team and oversee the manufacturing of our products.”

Sustainable fashion

Thethana believes in slow, sustainable and mindful fashion.

“Pieces take time to create,” says Moleko, “the premium fabric we use is sourced from a responsible factory, we pay and reward our staff, we turn fabric offcuts into hats, bags and aprons so we minimise waste; and we produce our garments gently and with thoughtful intentionality.” 

Thethana uses lots of traditional Seshoeshoe cotton fabric to make garments that are futuristic, bold and simple.

“We believe in timeless over trendy. We do elegant everyday luxury and formal wear; we make both ready-to-wear lines and made-to-order collections.” 

Thethana has two basic business departments. One is the day-to-day operations at their factory workshop – “that’s where the magic is made” – and the other is 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. 

“Création Africa will go such a long way in helping us to improve our brand and business skills,” says Moleko. “It’s a welcome step towards taking Lesotho fashion and design to the world.” DM

Our writing about Création Africa is made possible in partnership with the French Institute of South Africa (Ifas). Création Africa is an initiative of the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, the Embassy of France in South Africa, Lesotho and Malawi, and Ifas.