Lesego Malatsi - SouthAfrica.TO

how tough the job market in South
Africa can be. Growing up in Soweto,
there wasn’t enough money for him
to attend university and it took a huge
sacrifice from his mother for Malatsi
to realise his technicolour dream.
“When my dad passed on my
mother received a pension pay-out
and she used that money to pay for
my varsity fees,” he explains. “She
said she was surprised with my career
choice but that she would support me
all the way. When your parents boost
you the worst thing you can do is to
disappoint them so I’m happy that I
can now make her proud. Every time
people come to her and talk about
what I’ve achieved she can only smile.”
After completing a degree in
fashion design at the Cape Peninsula
University of Technology in 1992,
Malatsi found it difficult to cut it as
a designer. It would take an eyeopening
meeting with Pierre Cardin
for him to properly find his feet.
“I had a rude awakening when it
came to positioning myself properly,”
he recalls. “In my meeting with
Pierre Cardin I presented one of my
outfits and was told it was like many
other things out there. From that
point onwards I decided I needed to
rethink and reposition my design
style. I opted for more of an Africacentric
look. I draw inspiration from
all the cultures around me. South
Africa is renowned as a Rainbow
Nation and I thought I should show
that in the form of fashion.”
Despite being on the right track,
Malatsi, who started a fashion label
called Anthony Couture, couldn't
raise enough money to run a
successful business. Enter Richard
Branson and his business mentoring
foundation, Virgin Unite, which gave
the designer an all-important boost.
I N D W E S A F A S H I O N S P E C I A L
INDWE NOVEMBER 2011
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