From Passionate Intern to World Class Designer : Palesa Mokubung Part 1 (S9, E6)

Send us Fan Mail This is the first part of a two-part conversation with renowned South African fashion designer Palesa Mokubung. In this conversation, she shares her 20-year journey with Mantsho by Palesa Mokubung , the fashion brand she founded after working as an intern at another iconic South African fashion house, Stoned Cherrie. This episode is both a celebration and a walk down memory lane with Palesa and here are some of the topics we discussed during our conversation: • Founded Mantsho without formal education, working for seven years before hitting a ceiling • Returned to school at 30, studying alongside teenagers to formally train in fashion design • Describes education as transformative, bringing focus, technical knowledge, and business structure • Collaborated with H&M in 2019 • Uses authentic South African cultural elements in designs, from specific color palettes to layering techniques • Defines success as making a visible impact on African lives • Attending trade show in Paris as a first step in global expansion for Mantsho • Values sustainability and conscious production in fashion • Maintains an informal "board of directors" to guide her in her business decisions Keep an eye out for the second and final part of this conversation.

You can listen to From Passionate Intern to World Class Designer : Palesa Mokubung Part 1 (S9, E6) online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

From Passionate Intern to World Class Designer : Palesa Mokubung Part 1 (S9, E6) is an episode from Shades & Layers by Kutloano Skosana Ricci.

This episode is 33:52 long.

This episode was published on Mar 31, 2025.

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