An African Fashion Designer on A Mission to Foster his African Identity

An African Fashion Designer on A Mission to Foster his African Identity

Gift Phetogo Kgosierileng- a creative, quick thinking and an authentic fashion designer- hails from Kuruman, a small town in the Northern Cape. This famed and revered fashion designer runs his own clothing brand named ‘No Modern Slaves’ from Johannesburg: The Economic Powerhouse of Africa.

He believes in the equal opportunities and aims to nurture inspiration in the young minds of Northern cope and rest of the country. For him, ‘No Modern Slaves’, his company is the best platform to challenge the captivity of creativity and represent the people of Khoisan.

Impeccability, style, and artistry reflect from his Afrocentric designs. His versatility of fashion designing is easily visible from his work. Since every creative adult is a child who once survived; he is the guy who went through good and bad in his life. He suffered, he learned, and he built his company right from scratch.

Inspired by his late mother ‘Batslepi Kgosierlieng’ who was a professional expressionist artist and always emphasized on the creative freedom; Kgosi tells that she is the true motivation for him and made an impact in his bumpy rides while pursuing his career in fashion designing. He takes pride in African Identity through his fashionable designs and clothing. His love for Afrocentric designs is matchless and never-fading. He is aiming to expand his business to other parts of the world where he could spread awareness about African culture so that communication and cultural gaps between Africa and the rest of the world could be bridged.

A clothing business that was set up in 2014 is reaching to the heights of success where entrepreneurship and social responsibility meet each other. The name of his brand is the signpost of revolt against stereotypical standards of the fashion industry in Africa. Once, he explained that “I am inquired that I should make my work commercialized so that it could fit in the fashion industry. On the other hand, I always feared the captivity of being a creative slave. This is the trap. It’s like you’re asked to set fashion rule for a royal family which is going to sabotage you without your consent. For me, my freedom
and recognition is everything.”

Sibusiso Mahlangu, a manager for kgosi says:

He is the man who leads his life by his own set of rules; he’s an untiring human being. He is going to exhibit his artwork in art galleries and museums and will showcase his mastery from costume designing to summer party dresses etc.

Kgosi, like every achiever, is unstoppable and unrelenting.  He participated in the South African Runaway Season1 that proved to be his best experience and kick-starter for his career in the fashion industry. In the same year, he was named among Top-10 fashion graduates in the Western Cape. Plus, he was the nominee for the Mercedes Benz Bokeh Fashion Film

In August of 2019, this world-class fashion designer will showcase his work at Namibian National Arts Gallery. This exhibition comprises on a theatrical performance as well to show the creator’s clothing brilliance.

Gift Phetogo Kgosierileng has helped ‘Msaki’ in revamping her fashion routines. He recounts coincidence of meeting one of the best singer and songwriter of a country: – ‘I had no clue that I was talking to someone whose song I’ve listened multiple times.’ Since then, our bond grew stronger and I dressed Msaki for SAMA (South Africa Metro Awards).

When he’s not designing traditional and trendy clothes, he is traveling around the world, giving speeches and lectures in Johannesburg and across the country. He is a very good dancer who can dab and stab.  He loves to spend quality time in his ancestral village to keep inspiration, productivity, and motivation to the next levels.