Moraka breathes new life into vintage clothes

The 23-year-old Bendor-based fashion designer initially wanted to become a pharmacist, but a traumatic experience led him to his destiny. In 2018, he was almost robbed and, in an attempt to get away ended up with a broken femur. “I spent two months in hospital recovering and it was a difficult journey. I was in a wheelchair for some time before I started using crutches. While in hospital I spent most of my time drawing because I have always been a creative person,” he said.

It was during that time that he decided that fashion design was worth pursuing and that was exactly what he did. His parents bought him two sewing machines and enrolled him into a fashion school in town. He has not looked back since. He added that he goes to church and serves his purpose of always looking his best.

His collection is his way of showing off his creativity. “It is vintage-inspired but it is done in a way that nobody has ever done it before. It will blow people away,” he said.

He has every intention of blowing people away particularly those who refused to assist him when he was starting out. He shared that he would attend fashion shows and thereafter approach designers asking to work for them to gain experience.

“I made it clear that I did not expect to be paid, I just wanted to gain the experience because my work was nowhere near what I felt my potential was. I was shocked at the rudeness of some of our local established designers,” he said.

He took it on the chin and moved on with life, and now he feels ready to spread his wings and announce his arrival into the world of fashion. In the meantime, while he prepares for the launch which will take place in June, he is raising money by making customised cushions to help cover the costs.